United Coal Heliport

The closure was a direct result of economic factors and shifting corporate needs. The high cost of maintaining and operating a private heliport became unjustifiable amid the declining coal market and widespread cost-cutting measures in the industry. As United Coal Company's operational footprint changed, the logistical need for rapid executive transport via helicopter diminished, leading to its decommissioning.

The site is currently inactive and abandoned as an aviation facility. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows a distinct, paved helipad on a flattened hilltop adjacent to an industrial complex. The markings on the pad are faded, and the area appears unmaintained for aviation use. The land is part of the surrounding industrial property, which is associated with coal preparation and processing plants historically operated by subsidiaries of United Coal.

The United Coal Heliport was a private-use facility that played a key role in the logistics of the United Coal Company (UCC), once a dominant force in the region's coal production. Its primary function was to facilitate rapid transport for executives, engineers, and clients between the company's headquarters, regional airports, and its numerous remote mine sites scattered across the rugged, mountainous terrain of Virginia and West Virginia. In an area where ground travel is often slow and circuitous, the heliport was a vital tool for efficient management, site inspection, and business operations.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the United Coal Heliport. The economic and industrial conditions that led to its closure have not reversed. Given the continued challenges facing the regional coal industry and the specialized, private nature of the facility, its reactivation is considered extremely unlikely. The site will likely remain part of the adjacent industrial property.