Buckeyes' Might Equals (Free) JetBlue Flight(a)

Thursday October 5, 4:25 pm ET

 

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU - News) today announced its Blue Score Giveaway for this season's home games of The Ohio State University Buckeyes. For each game, JetBlue will give away roundtrip flights equal to the number of points Ohio State scores in that game(a). The flights will be valid for roundtrip travel on JetBlue's four daily flights between Columbus and New York City (JFK) that began October 3, 2006, or on the airline's daily flight between Columbus and Boston, MA that begins October 18, 2006.

 

Full Story: http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/061005/106367.html

Port Columbus adding spaces, parking options

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Tim Doulin

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

An employee of ProTek Park Systems watches a plane take off while he assembles parking shelters in Port Columbus’ Blue Lot.  The airport plans to have 1,400 new spaces by spring.  Port Columbus is adding more places for travelers to park before they fly, anticipating that a new airline will increase business.

 

The Blue Lot, one of the airport’s three long-term public parking lots, will have about 1,400 more parking spaces by spring.  This month, the lot will begin shuttle service that picks up passengers at their vehicles, rather than at shelters throughout the lot, and 570 covered parking spaces will be unveiled.  A new lot on 17th Avenue and Stelzer Road will add up to 4,000 parking spaces.

 

Skybus Airlines, a Columbus carrier, is scheduled to start flying in 2007.  "Therefore, we anticipate a need for increased parking. … It is all related to growth in passengers," said David Whitaker, vice president of business development for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com

bizjournals.com

 

Port Columbus passenger traffic flat in September

Wednesday November 1, 10:10 am ET

 

Port Columbus International Airport reported little change in passenger traffic in September although four services were added during the month.

 

Full Story: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/10/30/daily17.html?surround=lfn

 

AD CAMPAIGN IN CINCINNATI, DAYTON

Message goes out: ‘Fly from Columbus’

Friday, November 03, 2006

Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Columbus airport officials are hoping that new service and low fares at Port Columbus will persuade more Cincinnati and Dayton residents to fly from Columbus.  The Columbus Regional Airport Authority will begin a print and radio campaign today in those cities. The pitch - Port Columbus offers 180 nonstop daily flights to 37 destinations.

 

Discount carriers JetBlue and Southwest are mentioned in the radio spot, which focuses on the lower fares offered at an airport not dominated by a single carrier.  Port Columbus had its second busiest September in terms of passenger traffic this year, narrowly trailing 2005 and aided by new service from JetBlue.  A total of 546,946 passengers used the airport in September, compared with 547,675 in September 2005.  Columbus is the only Ohio city served by JetBlue, and Southwest doesn’t fly to Cincinnati or Dayton.

 

More at www.dispatch.com

 

 

Sweet.

Okay. Now how about a 'Fly to Columbus, Stay There, and Spend Lots of Money Campaign.'

 

Merely a suggestion.

Where is Rickenbacker located?

 

I promise I won't tell the Red Baron.

 

Or Snoopy.

Rickenbacker International Airport (IATA code - LCK) is located in southeastern Franklin County, in the Groveport area.

 

The airport was built as Lockbourne Air Force Base, and was renamed Rickenbacker Air Force Base in honor of Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI flying ace and leader of Eastern Air Lines. The base was at one time a home base for the 55th Fighter Wing as well as the Tuskegee Airmen. The base was closed in the early 1990s, but the airport still maintains the 121st Air Refueling Wing as well as National Guard facilities. The airport became part of a trial program by the government to find new uses for abandoned air force bases, mostly by converting them primarily into cargo airports. The conversion has been relatively successful at LCK. After a controversial plan by the Rickenbacker Port Authority to build a passenger terminal at the airport, the Columbus Airport Authority merged with the Rickenbacker Port Authority  to create the Columbus Regional Airport Authority and took over control of the airport. The passenger terminal was already under construction by the time the merger was completed, leaving the CRAA with a terminal it tries to market towards non-scheduled charter carriers. Cargo operations currently include scheduled weekly service by cargo operators such as Atlas, Evergreen, and Kalitta, as well as daily operations by UPS and FedEx, the latter which acquired Flying Tigers Cargo service, a cargo operator that was based out of LCK. In addition, the area surrounding the airport has become a distribution hub, with dozens of large warehouses and distribution centers. Norfolk Southern's new intermodal facility will continue the drive to create a seamless air/ground/water transportation facility at LCK, further strengthening Rickenbacker's position as a global transportation and distribution center.

Republic Airways is definitely in growth mode now, which has translated to many new aviation-related jobs in Central Ohio. Republic certainly needs the increased staffing levels, as their workforce is stretched quite thin already, which does cause operational headaches for the carriers with whom they provide contracted service. I definitely believe Republic and American Eagle, the latter of which maintains one of its largest maintenance facilities at CMH, is where the City of Columbus should be expanding their focus, not in the hair-brained scheme that is Skybus Airlines.

It's always interesting to watch history repeat itself.

 

During the late 1990s, people from all over Ohio, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania flocked to Port Columbus for their air travel needs. At the time, Columbus maintained a hub for low fare carrier America West Airlines, providing over 50 nonstop flights to over a dozen destinations from CMH. The airport also maintained a decent presence by Delta's former low fare subsidiary, Delta Express as well as Southwest Airlines. After the events of 9/11/01, Delta terminated Delta Express operations and America West closed their Columbus hub. Meanwhile, low fare carriers expanded in Dayton and Pittsburgh, decreasing the amount of out-of-town traffic patronizing Port Columbus. Passenger numbers have remained relatively stagnant ever since.

 

However, the tides have begun to change once again. Southwest has grown exponentially from CMH, and has moved into a much larger facility at Port Columbus. The daring of the low-fare airline segment, JetBlue Airways, chose Columbus as their first Midwestern destination, providing low fares service nonstop to New York and Boston, along with a plethora of connecting opportunities. Legacy carriers, such as Delta, have also increased service out of CMH while at the same time offering fares much lower than in other cities due to the large amount of competition present. Now, it looks like the CRAA is set to take full advantage of the circumstances and get people used to traveling to CMH for low fares once again.

Ah. This explains all the sweet part time FedEx jobs listed for Groveport.

CVG is in Boone County but is run by the Kenton County Airport Board.  Go figure.

A longer story from the 11/4/06 Dispatch:

 

 

PORT COLUMBUS

Republic Airways to expand

Regional jet operator could add up to 100 jobs

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Its name might not be familiar, but Republic Airways operates one of every four flights leaving Port Columbus. Now, it’s planning an even bigger presence.

 

Full Story: http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/11/04/20061104-B1-03.html

 

Port Columbus passenger numbers climb to record

 

The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

A record number of passengers traveled through Port Columbus during the last three months of 2006.

 

Full Story: http://www.columbusdispatch.com/business/business.php?story=243458

Airport bonds get A rating

Business First of Columbus - 2:16 PM EDT Monday, March 19, 2007

 

Fitch Ratings has given an A rating to $60.8 million in bonds expected to be sold to refinance a portion of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

 

Full Story: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/03/19/daily4.html 

If they expand to the south, they are just bumping into industry (and railroads)

If they expand to the north, there are still a smattering of houses along the southside of I-270 from Johnstown Rd to Hamilton (including the now almost wiped out subdivision of Wonderland).

 

The problem isn't that the planned expansion will increase the amount of property the airport owns, rather the relocated runway will put the new approach path over several existing homes. The relocated path would and the homes' proximity to the runway would create an environment unsuitable for living. I believe the homes in question lie directly east of the airport.

 

When it comes to these situations, I really think people need to understand the risk of building near an airport.  If you don't want planes to fly over your home or are concerned about all the traffic and noise, then don't build near the airport.  I mean, it is one thing if you built your home somehwere in the trainquil country side and then suddenly they build an airport, but I assume the airport was built and established before there were many homes in the area. 

If they expand to the south, they are just bumping into industry (and railroads)

If they expand to the north, there are still a smattering of houses along the southside of I-270 from Johnstown Rd to Hamilton (including the now almost wiped out subdivision of Wonderland).

 

The problem isn't that the planned expansion will increase the amount of property the airport owns, rather the relocated runway will put the new approach path over several existing homes. The relocated path would and the homes' proximity to the runway would create an environment unsuitable for living. I believe the homes in question lie directly east of the airport.

 

When it comes to these situations, I really think people need to understand the risk of building near an airport.  If you don't want planes to fly over your home or are concerned about all the traffic and noise, then don't build near the airport.  I mean, it is one thing if you built your home somehwere in the trainquil country side and then suddenly they build an airport, but I assume the airport was built and established before there were many homes in the area. 

 

I have no way to comfirm this, while here in Baton Rouge, but I remember reading in the Dispatch at one time that the formentioned Wonderland community was almost as old as Port Columbus.  As for the other buildings in the area

Anything east of 270 (between Hamilton and the old NYC RR line) is less than 20 years old.  SW Gahanna (wedge between 62, 270, & Hamilton) is 30-40 years old (that sound wall along 270 between Hamilton & Johnstown has been there almost since 270 was completed there in the mid 70s).

 

Wonderland was pretty nasty in its final years before evryone was bought out.  As a reporter, I covered some of the last holdouts.

 

I see the same thing, however, along railroad lines and railroad yards. Go out to Hilliard and see how housing developments have been built up to the doorstep of Buckeye Yards (which was there long before the houses).  Who allows developers to build so close to an obvious source of noise and diesel fumes (which the homeowners are always quick to gripe about).  Worse, if something ever derailed and went boom... these folks would be so close that escape would be (at best) difficult, depending on the wind, etc.

 

As much as I like trains, when I was house-hunting in Columbus, one realtor tried to sell us a house two doors away from the main line of both Conrail and the Norfolk Southern.  Thanks but no thanks.  I don't mind being lulled to sleep by a "distant" train whistle, but having one blow by your bedroom window is just a bit over the top.

My aunt bought a house a while ago (when I was in high school) near the Buckeye Yards.  She was close enough to hear the cars slam together as they put them together and took them apart but far enough away to where she found the noise rather soothing.  I guess in a way, I kind of agreed.  It is scary though, that in the event that they would need to evacuate it would take forever as the roads back there are sooo long and winding and there is like only two ways in and out of the neighborhood. 

Wow. Wonderland reminds me a lot of the Highland neighborhood (correct designation?) ... see here. All but gone, it was to be used for airport expansion which has never happened.

Port Columbus passenger traffic up 15% in January

 

Business First of Columbus - February 27, 2007

 

The addition of 17 daily departures over the past year helped Port Columbus International Airport see a 15 percent increase in passenger traffic in January.

 

Full Story: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/02/26/daily13.html

 

 

Fitch Rates Columbus Regional Airport Auth, Ohio $60.8MM 2007 'A'; Outlook to Positive

 

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fitch Ratings assigns an 'A' rating to the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (the authority), Ohio's approximately $60,780,000 airport revenue refunding bonds, series 2007, scheduled for negotiated sale during the week of March 26 through a syndicate led by Morgan Stanley. The bonds are secured by the net revenues generated by the operations of Port Columbus International Airport (the airport) and Bolton Field. Proceeds will refinance a portion of the authority's outstanding debt. Fitch also affirms the 'A' rating for the authority's $45.5 million of outstanding airport revenue bonds. The Rating Outlook is revised to Positive from Stable.

 

Full Story: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070316005768&newsLang=en

 

 

Port Columbus passenger traffic up 6%

Business First of Columbus - 9:39 AM EDT Wednesday, March 28, 2007

 

Port Columbus International Airport and Rickenbacker International Airport both saw increased activity last month.

 

Full Story: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/03/26/daily16.html?from_rss=1

 

 

 

Good news-bad news for Columbus airports..... passengers up..... cargo down.

 

Port Columbus March traffic up 8%

Business First of Columbus - 3:32 PM EDT Monday, April 23, 2007

 

Port Columbus International Airport said Monday passenger traffic grew around 8 percent last month, compared with March 2006.  The airport saw 634,000 travelers pass through its gates, compared with 585,800 a year earlier, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority said Monday.  That puts year-to-date passenger traffic 9.6 percent ahead of last year at 1.65 million people, compared with 1.5 million in 2006.

 

Read more at http://mobile.bizjournals.com/smartphone/mobile.php?UMPG=article&UM_SCTN=Latest+News&MKT=columbus&UM_ARTICLE_LINK=http://www.bizjournals.com%2Fcolumbus%2Fstories%2F2007%2F04%2F23%2Fdaily4.html%3Fsurround%3Dlfn

Of course CLE and CVG are higher, passengers pay a premium to fly out of a hub airport.

Columbus airfares lowest in the state

Business First of Columbus

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

 

The average price for a flight out of Port Columbus International Airport was 12 percent below the national average during the fourth quarter of last year, according to report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Ticket prices in Columbus averaged $332.39 during the quarter ended Dec. 31.

 

Local prices were better than other large Ohio cities.  Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport had the second-highest average airfare during the quarter at $503.38, behind Anchorage International in Alaska, which reported an average price of $537 a ticket.  The average price for a ticket out of James M. Cox/Dayton International was $337.73 during the quarter, and $363.73 from Cleveland's Hopkins International.

 

The lowest airfare in the United States was $235.34 at Dallas' Love Field Airport, followed by Chicago's Midway International Airport, where the average ticket cost $270.04.

 

MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/04/23/daily15.html

J.D. POWER SURVEY OF FLIERS

City's airport slips in ratings

Thursday,  May 24, 2007 3:39 AM

By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Passenger numbers are rising with the addition of airlines and routes, but fliers aren't thrilled overall with Port Columbus, according to a new survey from J.D. Power and Associates.  In its seventh annual survey of travelers at North American airports, Columbus ranked 18th out of 19 small airports for overall satisfaction, with a score of 675 out of 1,000.  Last year, it tied for 10th out of 18, with a score of 687.  This year's average score for a small airport was 691.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/business/stories/2007/05/24/airport24.ART_ART_05-24-07_C9_FE6QDQQ.html

 

Small airports are AWESOME. Man, in Madison Wisconsin you get off the plane, enter the building and just walk in a straight line to pick up your baggage and you're out the door. I think people like bigger airports because there's so much going on and they're fascinated by it but as far as efficiency in regards to getting the hell out of there, small airports are the best.

From Business First of Columbus, 5/22/07:

 

 

Port Columbus traffic up 10% in April

Business First of Columbus - May 22, 2007

 

Port Columbus International Airport saw 10 percent more travelers come through its gates last month than in April 2006.  Traffic at the airport grew to about 617,000 passengers, compared with 561,593 a year earlier, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority said Tuesday.

 

More at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/05/21/daily11.html?from_rss=1

 

Full story: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/25/daily17.html 

 

Port Columbus passenger traffic up 11% in May

Business First of Columbus - 4:09 PM EDT Tuesday, June 26, 2007

 

Port Columbus International Airport saw passenger traffic increase by more than 63,600 travelers in May, compared with the same period in 2006.  Traffic at the airport grew 10.9 percent to 645,700 travelers, from 582,016 in May 2006, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority said Tuesday.

 

 

And perhaps this next story is at least in part a result of the "Skybus effect":

 

Full story: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/25/daily24.html 

 

Southwest adding services to Chicago, St. Louis and Tampa, Fla.

Business First of Columbus - 1:52 PM EDT Wednesday, June 27, 2007

 

Southwest Airlines Co. is bumping up the number of flights it offers out of Columbus to three cities.  Beginning Nov. 4, the carrier will add daily nonstop flights to Chicago's Midway Airport, St. Louis and Tampa, Fla.  With the additions, Southwest will increase its services from Columbus to eight flights to Chicago, two to St. Louis and three to Tampa, bringing the total number of daily nonstop services it offers from Central Ohio to 28.

 

The news concerning Southwest has more to do with a shift in marketing towards business travel and focusing on core routes. The announced increase in service will actually bring Southwest's total daily flights up to 29 to 9 cities:

 

Baltimore/Washington (BWI): 5x daily

Chicago Midway (MDW): 8x daily

Las Vegas (LAS): 2x daily

Nashville (BNA): 2x daily

Orlando (MCO): 3x daily

Philadelphia (PHL): 3x daily

Phoenix (PHX): 1x daily

St. Louis (STL): 2x daily

Tampa (TPA): 3x daily

 

The Columbus schedule changes are actually a small part of a complete retooling of their systemwide schedule. For more information as well as a complete list of the cities affected:

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070627/law072.html?.v=101

 

http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/070627_chart.pdf

Adding connections at airport? Sort of

Tuesday,  July 3, 2007 5:57 AM

By Steve Stephens

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

High-tech travelers will be happy to know that Port Columbus is working to assist them in their quest for greater power.  Airport officials are installing more electrical outlets for the growing number of fliers who use cell phones, laptops and portable music and video players.  The proliferation of electronic gadgets in this computer age, though, has created a steady demand for places to plug in.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/07/03/OUTLETS.ART_ART_07-03-07_A1_4B76KEG.html

What's the giant ditch being dug on the northside of International Gateway?  (approx. location across from the "Blue Lot")

 

Mom & pop brands take a back seat

 

http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/othercities/columbus/stories/2007/07/16/focus2.html?b=1184558400^1490237

 

It's all about branding. As the Columbus Regional Airport Authority and its concession manager, HMSHost Corp., reconfigure the restaurant and retail lineup at Port Columbus International Airport, older and generic options are being replaced with more current and recognizable fare.

 

"People like brands they're comfortable with, whether it is a local brand or national," said Joe Waller, HMSHost vice president of business development. "They want something they're familiar with."  David Whitaker, Columbus Regional Airport Authority vice president of business development and communications, said surveys of passengers have confirmed that name-brands are what they want.

 

Airport has record June thanks to Skybus push

Wednesday,  July 25, 2007  - 3:26 AM

By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Skybus helped Port Columbus to another record month in June as the airport logged a 19 percent increase in passengers compared with June 2006.  In its first full month of operation, the Columbus-based startup airline vaulted to the sixth-biggest carrier at the airport in June, according to data released by Port Columbus yesterday.

 

Skybus carried 63,860 passengers while airport leader Southwest Airlines had 159,195.  In all, 725,012 passengers passed through Port Columbus in June, up from 608,890 in June 2006.

 

With those numbers, Port Columbus logged its busiest-ever first half of the year with 11.7 percent growth from the same period a year ago.  The number of flights was up 10.4 percent for the month and 6.3 percent for the first half of the year.

 

Full article: http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/business/stories/2007/07/25/cmh_junestats.ART_ART_07-25-07_C8_B07CCM7.html

While passenger numbers are increasing.... so are the flight delays...

 

Hope you brought a good book ...

Sunday,  August 26, 2007 5:14 AM

By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

If you were a passenger on Comair/Delta Connection Flight 5524 from Port Columbus to New York's JFK Airport in June, you were almost guaranteed to be late.  According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the flight was on time -- that is, no more than 15 minutes late -- only 4 percent of the time.  The other 96 percent of the time, the aircraft departed an average of 79 minutes late.  It's one of six flights between Columbus and the New York area that were late more than 80 percent of the time in June.  They illustrate the challenges facing an airport such as Port Columbus: Although it's not plagued by the long lines and congestion of many big-city airports, it can't avoid the delays created elsewhere in the overtaxed U.S. aviation system.

 

Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/08/26/cmh_delays.ART_ART_08-26-07_D1_A77MU4G.html?sid=101

Landing this would be more significant and beneficial than anything Skybus could ever offer.

 

Amsterdam direct next for airport?

Thursday,  September 20, 2007 3:38 AM

By Marla Matzer Rose

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Port Columbus has Amsterdam in its sights as its first potential direct flight to a European destination.  Officials are hoping the airport will be selected by Northwest Airlines for one of three new European routes the carrier could announce as soon as October, said David Whitaker, business-development chief for the airport.  "Our pitch is that we have over 300 passengers per day, each way, traveling to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India," Whitaker said.

 

Though airport figures show only 28 passengers travel daily in each direction between central Ohio and the Netherlands' capital, Whitaker said, Amsterdam's status as a major gateway for other international flights would make it an attractive option for travelers here.  London is the top market from central Ohio, with 99 daily passengers in each direction, followed by Frankfurt, Germany, with 42, and Paris with 33.

 

More at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/09/20/amsterdam.ART_ART_09-20-07_C10_147V56N.html?sid=101

Give me Paris and then I'll be happy.  But that won't be likely since they fly directly out of Cincinnati, or would it?  hopefully though, this will signal the first of many non-stop European destinations.

JetBlue post profits; will discontinue service to Columbus, Ohio

 

Rats!

Well, that didn't last long!

Not surprising, given how volatile the airline industry is and the impact of fuel costs on an industry where such costs are a huge part of their expenses.

Funny.  I've seen two of their planes in Cleveland lately.  And these were not "press junket" planes.  hummmmm?   :?

 

I wonder where the planes will be redeployed?

 

CMH_Downtown, you were right. That other airline is causing problems.

I was out of the country when this was announced, but the writing was on the wall.

 

The problems jetBlue faced in Columbus that ultimately led to their pullout were 3-fold:

 

Congestion in JFK

 

The chronic delays affected jetBlue's operations here from Day 1. The Valentine's Day shutdown was a huge detriment to their name, and couldn't have happened at a worse time for an airline trying to build a customer base in a new city.

 

Competition

 

The New York market had decent service from Columbus before jetBlue's arrival. I assume jetBlue believed there was untapped demand due to the absence of a low cost carrier, and that their fares and high customer service would increase demand in their favor. Obviously this didn't pan out.

 

Skybus

 

Despite what the Dispatch says, Skybus was a factor in jetBlue's decision to pull out of Columbus. As of late, jetBlue has been trying to lessen the focus of their delay-prone JFK operations by openning stations up to other large jetBlue cities, such as connecting Buffalo, Raliegh, and Richmond to Ft. Lauderdale and Boston nonstop, so to bypass JFK. With Skybus providing a glut of insanely low priced seats to Ft. Lauderdale and Boston (through Portsmouth), there was no place for jetBlue to expand to from CMH, making any effort to grow the market useless.

 

Which again leads me to reiterate just how much of a cancer Skybus is on the local market. I have every reason to believe jetBlue would still be here and in a much larger form if Skybus hadn't reared its ugly head. This latest news only continues to fuel my loathing of the sardine can of the skies. If you enjoy true value for your money, you will avoid Skybus at all costs, and let this monster die.

I wonder where the planes will be redeployed?

 

The aircraft will be used to support the JFK overflying expansion, i.e BUF-RSW, RDU-FLL, ROC-MCO, etc.

I wonder where the planes will be redeployed?

 

The aircraft will be used to support the JFK overflying expansion, i.e BUF-RSW, RDU-FLL, ROC-MCO, etc.

 

Yeah I saw that they announced Buffalo and white plains to fort myers.  The new CEO is really concentrating on expansion in FL.

cvg has the highest fares in the nation, jet blue needs to come in here and make some money.

cvg has the highest fares in the nation, jet blue needs to come in here and make some money.

 

I don't think LCC think by moving into a new market they can always make money.  Fortress Hubs are very hard to break into.  Delta and it's subsidiaries have CVG on lock down.

 

If someone went into CVG I see a 12 - 18 month retreat like Jetblue has done in Atlanta and now Columbus.

It would nice if the low-cost carriers rotated challenging Delta. Come in fight for a year, knock down prices in their focused areas, then the next comes and knocks down different fares while the old areas go back up. There was a bit of this in the late 90s but the industry has been so competitive and somewhat under capitalized after 9/11 that people aren't willing to through cash around.

Hello, I am new here and this is my first topic.  I am interested in all things CMH as well as LCK.  Things are very exciting these days at the airport with record passenger numbers.  I hope the trend continues because I would love to see them start building the second terminal (which would eventually replace the original terminal).  Skybus Airlines seems to be doing well to the chagrin of some people.  There are those that think SX presence will eventually hurt the CMH market.  With JetBlue leaving, perhaps that is starting to happen.  I really hope not, but we shall see.  What do any of you think of CMH and what do you hope to see in terms of new destinations and airlines?  I was hoping that WN would expand here, but they seem to have settled on expanding PIT for some unknown reason.  According to Pittsburgh papers, they are looking to offer up to 65 daily flights in the next few years.  I think CMH could handle more from WN, surely not 65, but maybe 40-45 daily flights.  I think we need WN to open DEN.  UN has a monopoly there, so flying nonstop costs a fortune.  According to CMH personell, Frontier has no interest in CMH, so WN is our only LCC hope, unless of course SX begins flights to COS. 

 

Well, that was all jumbled together, I hope its readable.  I would appreciate any insight or opinions on anything regarding CMH.