JMU, Shenandoah Valley Airport partnership leads to new features in terminal

As passenger travel rebounds following pandemic lockdowns, Duke Dog is ready to welcome travelers to the Shenandoah Valley Airport.

The mascot is part of an immersive visual display in the airport terminal celebrated at a ribbon cutting event today.

“We are truly excited about the opportunity to showcase this exceptional academic institution in our community. JMU faculty/staff, students, alumni, and university visitors are frequent users of SHD. It’s nice for them to feel at home with the stunning images of campus – and of course Duke Dog – while they are here,” said Greg Campbell, SHD executive director.

SHD saw its best month ever for passenger traffic in July and advance bookings are showing this trend will likely continue as business travel is expected to pick up this fall.

Shenandoah Valley Airport is the official airport of James Madison University. The partnership between the airport and the university grew out of a joint SHD Air Service Task Force that brought together tourism, economic development and higher education partners to highlight the value of flying local. The task force is chaired by Dr. Nick Swartz, associate dean of the school of Professional and Continuing Education at JMU.

“JMU seeks to be a national and international model of the engaged university. Having air access to our campus through Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is vital to lowering barriers for students, faculty and staff to engage with the world and to allow the world to come to us. We’re thrilled to now be such a visible part of welcoming travelers to the Valley,” said JMU president Jonathan Alger.