ROANOKE, Va. – It's the end of an era for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.
Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, is retiring the last of its Dash 8 turboprop planes. That means no more prop planes in Roanoke and an end to a near-30-year tradition.
Airport staff members say Piedmont started phasing out turbo props back in 2017.
On Wednesday evening, two prop planes will make their last arrival at the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. The airport plans to celebrate with water cannon salutes.
"The customers like the regional jets better. The jets fly faster, they fly higher so you get out of the weather better, so I think from an overall perspective, it will be good from the passenger point of view," said Brad Boettcher, director of marketing and air service development.
It's a similar story out at Lynchburg Regional Airport, where the last propeller plane took flight Monday. Airport leaders have now transitioned to an-all jet service that can accommodate 50 to 65 passengers at a time.