NATCHEZ — Officials with a charter airline met with Adams County business leaders Thursday to discuss the possibility of starting a hybrid airline service in Natchez.

The meeting at the Natchez-Adams County Airport to which RVR Aviation Charter flew two of its jets for inspection by those in attendance, was characterized as being informational in nature.

Airport Manager Bob Hawk said the initial market for the airline would be the business sector traveling to cities such as Houston, Dallas and Atlanta, and that RVR would build its flight schedule around what the local business and industrial community needs.

“We have an abundance of folks who travel frequently, and out of this airport by other means,” he said. “We need to streamline that.”

Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ said RVR has spent three months speaking with most of the area’s major business and industrial base, and Thursday was about the company getting to understand the market better.

“This would help us from an industrial recruitment standpoint,” he said. “Having direct service in and out of Natchez will be a huge advantage to us.”

Larry Vickers, a consultant who has been working with the airport in the discussions, said the first phase would be to get a commitment from the business community, and from there the service could be advertised for tourism traffic or for locals who want to make a trip to somewhere such as Atlanta.

For the proposal to be cost effective, RVR officials said they would need a commitment of at least 55 flight hours each month to and from Natchez.

Vickers said one way that could be happened would be for businesses that frequently travel out of Natchez to form a limited liability corporation that divides the cost of the flight hours and divides the time amongst its members. Individuals who want to fly the service would buy tickets from the corporation.

That’s not the only possibility, he said, and while it’s not perfect it is a good solution at a time when a lot of cities are losing direct air service.

“I think Natchez could be the groundwork for what we do in other areas,” he said. “What we learn from you could be helpful if we expand — or if we don’t expand — in other places.”

RVR has been in business for 11 years, and only flies jets. RVR President Ron Whitehead said its jets are arranged for comfort, and other customers include casinos and NCAA basketball teams.

“You can be 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-10 and sit in our seats, and your knees don’t touch the seat in front of you,” he said.

“When you fly with us, everyone is treated as an executive level professional. You can go to Jackson and fly commercial, or you can fly out of Natchez and fly comfortable.”

Hawk said the next step in the discussion — and if it moves forward from more than discussions — lies with the local business community and what it decides its needs are.