Port Columbus To Open New Runway On Thursday:

 

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/08/21/columbus-new-runway-to-open-at-airport.html

 

More about the new runway opening at Port Columbus from Business First and the Columbus Dispatch:

 

Business First: Port Columbus ‘staying ahead of demand curve’ with new south runway

 

Dispatch: With new runway, Port Columbus growth ready for takeoff

Getting to L.A. getting a lot easier from Port Columbus

By Evan Weese, Staff reporter

Business First - August 19, 2013, 6:21pm EDT

 

Getting to Los Angeles is about to become a whole lot easier.  Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in the coming days will offer a combined additional 10 weekly flights between Port Columbus International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

 

Delta on Tuesday (August 20) will increase nonstop service from four days a week to seven, including replacing a red eye with a more traveler-friendly time.  Separately, American on August 27 will launch daily nonstop flights between Columbus and LAX, a service not previously offered by the airline.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/08/19/getting-to-la-getting-a-lot-easier.html

 

It will be interesting to see who wins here:  DL or AA.  Come fall, my guess is CMH is back 4-6 flights/week.  AA will withdraw and DL will cut back after incresing it's schedule to protect its turf.  This is the summer peak and DL was only offering 4 flights/week. 

The Columbus Regional Airport Authority released its passenger numbers for 2013.  The airport handled 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers, down 1.8 percent from 2012.  It also marks the first time passenger traffic fell below 6.3 million since 2009.  The airport authority cited national industry trends for the lower numbers.

 

There was one bright spot in the passenger numbers.  Port Columbus had a 6.3 percent increase in December - the highest December passenger count in five years.  Below are links to reports from the Dispatch and Business First:

 

Columbus Dispatch: Port Columbus passenger totals slipped during 2013

 

Business First: Port Columbus hits 4-year low for passenger traffic

Business First recently published a list of the 2013 Port Columbus passenger numbers by airline.  With 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers in 2013, here is the breakdown of passengers per airlines that had at least 1% of overall airport traffic:

 

#1 - Southwest Airlines - 1,651,723 - 26.6% of overall traffic

#2 - Delta Air Lines - 1,425,673 - 23.0% of overall traffic

#3 - US Airways (American Airlines subsidiary) - 944,344 - 15.2% of overall traffic

#4 - United Airlines - 898,478 - 14.5% of overall traffic

#5 - American Airlines - 815,779 - 13.1% of overall traffic

#6 - AirTran Airways (Southwest subsidiary) - 423,509 - 6.8% of overall traffic

 

Full article at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/01/busiest-airlines-at-port-columbus-in.html

Not any official news, but there has been a lot of extensive discussion over at airliners.net recently about rumors that CMH is in line to soon get non-stop service from British Airways to London, (along with PDX, CLT, SLC),

 

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6101749/

 

Personally I'm pretty skeptical, but BA did just add Austin this past spring, which many thought was a long-shot to ever happen as well. Regardless, if we did get this service it would be an amazing win for the CRAA and Columbus region.

I agree, it would be great news for CMH. 

 

On a side note, I wish airliners.net didnt require you to pay just to post!

Not any official news, but there has been a lot of extensive discussion over at airliners.net recently about rumors that CMH is in line to soon get non-stop service from British Airways to London, (along with PDX, CLT, SLC),

 

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6101749/

 

Personally I'm pretty skeptical, but BA did just add Austin this past spring, which many thought was a long-shot to ever happen as well. Regardless, if we did get this service it would be an amazing win for the CRAA and Columbus region.

 

Austin also ponied up some incentives to get the service.  My guess is PDX will probably get this.  But, as usual, a lot depends on the ability to sell the F and J classes on a daily basis.

Getting to L.A. getting a lot easier from Port Columbus

By Evan Weese, Staff reporter

Business First - August 19, 2013, 6:21pm EDT

 

Getting to Los Angeles is about to become a whole lot easier.  Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in the coming days will offer a combined additional 10 weekly flights between Port Columbus International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

 

Delta on Tuesday (August 20) will increase nonstop service from four days a week to seven, including replacing a red eye with a more traveler-friendly time.  Separately, American on August 27 will launch daily nonstop flights between Columbus and LAX, a service not previously offered by the airline.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/08/19/getting-to-la-getting-a-lot-easier.html

 

It will be interesting to see who wins here:  DL or AA.  Come fall, my guess is CMH is back 4-6 flights/week.  AA will withdraw and DL will cut back after incresing it's schedule to protect its turf.  This is the summer peak and DL was only offering 4 flights/week. 

 

Looks like AA blinked first on this one.  AA will go to less than daily on CMH-LAX. 

 

Passenger totals at Port Columbus rose in June

 

By Steve Wartenberg The Columbus Dispatch  •  Wednesday July 23, 2014 12:56 AM

 

The number of passengers flying into and out of Port Columbus reached 593,617 in June, up 3.4 percent from 2013.

 

This year, the number of passengers is up 1.5 percent to 3.1 million.

Harvesting the Sun

 

Port Columbus International Airport invested in solar power and it seems to be paying off. Hopefully every airport will do something similiar in the near future.

An update on passenger traffic increasing at Port Columbus in August - six straight month of gains for CMH:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/09/23/port-columbus-passenger-traffic-up-for-sixth.html

Port Columbus announced they are adding an Eddie George’s Grille 27 into a new 4,000 sq. ft. space on concourse B.  Other restaurant changes call for adding a Bob Evans Express into a former Quiznos space, renovations to Columbus Brewing Company's space, and a new concept that will take over the Wolfgang Puck space.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/09/24/buckeyes-legend-opening-restaurant-at-port.html

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/eddie-georges-grille-and-bob-evans-express-opening-airport-locations

More about it from the Dispatch...

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/09/24/new-restaurants-for-port-columbus.html

A few local restaurant chains are moving in.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/09/24/port-columbus-passenger-count-remains-on-rise.html

Passenger traffic was up for the 6th month in a row.

Southwest to add daily Port Columbus flight to, from Washington, D.C.

The Columbus Dispatch

Tuesday November 11, 2014 12:50 AM

 

Southwest Airlines will add a daily flight between Port Columbus and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport starting on April 8, putting the carrier in direct competition with American Airlines, which has six daily flights to Reagan National from Port Columbus.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2014/11/11/southwest-to-add-daily-flight-to-from-washington-d-c.html

Never mind, I looked for September numbers to update and got a 2013 story!  My bad.  (Thanks, Google.) 

Redeeming myself, hopefully -- total passengers in September 2014 were 509,629 according to flycolumbus.com.  That's up from 501,354 in September 2013.  (Looks like an increase of just below 2%.) 

 

I've not seen the flycolumbus.com site.  Interesting information there.

Columbus airports flying high in passengers, cargo

Port Columbus traffic last year was most since 2011

By Steve Wartenberg, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 - 1:48 AM

 

During the past year at Port Columbus, a new $12.5 million hotel opened, a $130 million runway improvement project was completed and an $80 million terminal renovation passed the halfway mark.

 

But perhaps the most important number, and one that perhaps pleased airport officials most, was the increase in passenger traffic — a signal that the economy is picking up.  The increase of 131,626 represents a 2.1 percent improvement from 2013, making the total for the year of 6,355,974 the most since 2011.

( . . . )

Some airlines added new flights from Port Columbus in 2014 and others replaced smaller jets with bigger ones.  Delta Air Lines expanded the number of daily flights it offers between Port Columbus and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and its seasonal service to Cancun, Mexico, and Fort Myers and Tampa in Florida.  American Airlines added daily service to Los Angeles in August 2013.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/01/27/airport-passenger-traffic-rose-in-2014.html

Looks like SWA is adding CMH-DAL ion April.  SWA is rapidly expanding and Love Field.  Also heard that a CMH-OAK might be added.  I had also heard that it could be SFO (UAL?).  I think OAK is more likely.  I don't know if the premium traffic exists between CHM to SFO.  AA has been for some time operating CMH-LAX at less than daily.

Supposedly, Mayor Coleman will be announcing some news about this on Thursday during his State of the City address. It sounds like SFO/OAK is most likely, either on UA or WN, which would be a great addition for CMH.

 

Other things I'd like to see are an SEA nonstop on AS or DL, a real ULCC to come into the market like F9 or NK, B6 to return with flights to BOS to compete with DL, or the ultimate long-shot of BA/AA service to LHR.

 

I guess we'll know next week, either way...

 

Below is a related report from NBC 4,

http://www.nbc4i.com/story/28099066/more-direct-flights-may-be-coming-to-columbus-more-are-needed

Other things I'd like to see are an SEA nonstop on AS or DL, a real ULCC to come into the market like F9 or NK, B6 to return with flights to BOS to compete with DL, or the ultimate long-shot of BA/AA service to LHR.

 

This sentence might as well be Japanese...

^Translation:

"Other things I'd like to see are a Seattle non-stop on Alaska or Delta, a real Ultra Low Cost Carrier to come into the market like Frontier or Spirit, JetBlue to return with flights to Boston to compete with Delta, or the ultimate long-shot of British Airways/American service to London-Heathrow."

Southwest Airlines announced that it would begin non-stop direct flights to Oakland International Airport (getting travelers to the San Francisco area and Silicon Valley) and non-stop direct flights to Logan International Airport in Boston.  Both routes are expected to begin in August:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/southwest-airlines-adds-direct-flights-to-oakland-and-boston-from-port-columbus

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/02/19/southwest-adding-nonstop-flights-to-west-coast-and.html

Southwest Airlines announced that it would begin non-stop direct flights to Oakland International Airport (getting travelers to the San Francisco area and Silicon Valley) and non-stop direct flights to Logan International Airport in Boston.  Both routes are expected to begin in August:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/southwest-airlines-adds-direct-flights-to-oakland-and-boston-from-port-columbus

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/02/19/southwest-adding-nonstop-flights-to-west-coast-and.html

 

And it's subsidized.....to OAK. 

^subsidized by who--Columbus or Oakland/SF? And by the airport or by the business community?

Subsidized by the City of Columbus and the county.

Subsidized by the City of Columbus and the county.

 

This should give one the reason why CMH-SFO is not flown by the legacies.  If you have to subsidize CHM-OAK and on SWA at that, the yields must be in the the toilet.

^agreed. If not for the subsidies, it would otherwise be a statement for Columbus that it could grow its air service.

In regard to the subsidies thing, Columbus Dispatch had this on their blog:

"Andrew Watterson, Southwest's senior vice president of network and revenue management, told me he's confident the 200 or so passengers traveling daily between Columbus and the San Francisco Bay Area via connecting flights will provide a good base for nonstop service to the region, the first since Skybus Airlines Inc. discontinued the route early in the former low-cost carrier's ill-fated life.

"We only do (revenue guarantees) when we feel like it's a really good opportunity and we won't need it," Watterson said after he announced the new service Thursday morning alongside Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman."

Great adds from Southwest (WN) to CMH! 1xOAK and 2xBOS, in addition to 1xDCA and 1xDAL previously announced, and a third daily flight to ATL. This brings WN's service at CMH up to 16 destinations.

 

IMO, additional non-stops to Houston-Hobby (HOU) and NY-LaGuardia (LGA) would round out their Columbus offerings nicely.

 

Regarding OAK vs SFO, I don't see service to OAK as being a disadvantage for Columbus - especially given that the carrier is WN. With the new BART service now open, it's easier and faster than ever to get from OAK to SF. Also, WN offers more connections from OAK than they do from SFO, and their long-rumored Hawaii service will likely launch first from OAK.

 

What this does confirm is that United (UA) is now by far the weakest carrier at CMH. While a non-stop to SFO on UA would have bolstered their position locally and offered more TPAC connections, it seems clear they have priorities elsewhere. Perhaps IND-SFO is not living up to expectations for them?

 

Regardless, WN lately has been targeting business customers at CMH, and will certainly draw more leisure pax on this route than UA would - so I see it as being pretty successful both short and long-term.

 

Biz1st also has some more specific info here about the revenue guarantee put together by Columbus 2020,

 

Southwest: Columbus can support Bay Area flights without subsidies

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/02/southwest-columbus-can-support-bay-area-flights.html?page=all

If CMH can support Bay Area non-stops then why didn't SWA add this "no-brainer" before the subsidy?  It will be interesting to see how the yields pan out.  Long haul needs premium fares to succeed and the question is whether or not people will pay a premium fare for less than premium service simply because it's a non-stop.  And remember, SWA doesn't interline with other carriers.  If your flight is cancelled or delayed, you are at their mercy.  The fact that it was SWA that jumped at this subsidy and the fact that the destination is OAK leads me to believe that despite 200 pax/day to the Bay Area from CMH, the yields are not great.  FWIW, the AA flight to LAX operates at less than daily now.

FWIW, the AA flight to LAX operates at less than daily now.

 

Correct. While DL remains daily on CMH-LAX, AA/US has been running 4x weekly through the slower winter months. It returns to daily in May.

 

Both DL in CVG and UA in CLE are also currently operating less than 2x daily to LAX, so I don't see this seasonal reduction by AA as necessarily unique to Columbus or a sign of weakness in the CMH-west coast market.

FWIW, the AA flight to LAX operates at less than daily now.

 

Correct. While DL remains daily on CMH-LAX, AA/US has been running 4x weekly through the slower winter months. It returns to daily in May.

 

Both DL in CVG and UA in CLE are also currently operating less than 2x daily to LAX, so I don't see this seasonal reduction by AA as necessarily unique to Columbus or a sign of weakness in the CMH-west coast market.

 

i have heard that the resumption to daiyl in may is iffy and in fact the route may be dropped post merger if not before.  True, UAL reduces operations in the dead of winter but typically resumes to 2x daily and up to three in the summer months.  Plus NK will begin service to LAX.  No, I'm not saying that there is weakness in the CMH market, i am saying that the percentage of premium fares is weak.  Especially when compared to CLE and CVG.  Fares from CLE and CVG are considerably higher.

 

if and when the price of fuel increases, longhaul from secondary markets like CMH will be under pressure.

 

I also mentioned in CLE thread a couple months back and it bears repeating here that AA/Envoy was hiring in CLE for both ramp and supervisory positions.  And this during a merger.  this could portend a CLE expansion.  Concourse D awaits...........

^ I hope it foretells AA expansion, however I have also wondered if it represents replacing US jobs with Envoy jobs (lower wages), or an outsource for an existing carrier or a potential new entrant.

^ I hope it foretells AA expansion, however I have also wondered if it represents replacing US jobs with Envoy jobs (lower wages), or an outsource for an existing carrier or a potential new entrant.

 

i don't think it's to replace existing jobs.  With the merger there will be consolidation and a shifting of personnel.  But you are right.  It could be for outsourcing

New routes begin today from Port Columbus:  Nonstop service to Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Washington D.C. Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA).  Both routes are served by Southwest Airlines.

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/dallas-dc-service-launches-today-at-port-columbus

The concourse renovations at Port Columbus are entering their final phase of work according to a recent Dispatch article.  Before and during renovation photo of the concourse work from http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/04/29/open-to-the-sky.html:

 

 

While the existing terminal gets renovated, plans are already underway for its replacement:

 

Port Columbus expected to outgrow terminal by 2030

Planning underway for $1.3 billion replacement

By Steve Wartenberg, The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - 5:12 AM

 

Plans are underway for the day when Port Columbus no longer will be able to handle the growing number of travelers flying into and out of the airport.  That day could come as soon as 2030, according to a study by officials of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.  In response, they have developed a preliminary $1.3 billion plan that includes a larger terminal located to the west of the current terminal.

 

The plan also includes a parking garage with 5,441 spaces and a separate rental-car facility, both within walking distance of the new terminal.  A ground transportation center would include space for light-rail service, should it materialize, between the airport and Downtown.

( . . . )

The plan would be paid for through a combination of airport operating profits, passenger facility charges, rental-car transaction fees, federal grants and bonds issued to the airport authority.  The number of passengers at Port Columbus is estimated to grow at an average of 1.8 percent annually.  By 2030 to 2032, the total number of annual passengers is expected to climb over the 8 million mark, a number that would put a strain on the current terminal.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/04/28/port-columbus-could-use-a-new-terminal-in-15-years.html

 

For that kind of money, we could build rail lines to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and Pittsburgh -- adding transportation capacity and options, eliminating a lot of short-hop connecting flights, generating economic development, and still have Port Columbus busy and viable.

 

"Central Ohio will add about 500,000 residents by 2050, according to a study by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which means more people traveling in and out of Columbus by air." -- but only if we fail to invest in transit modes that the next generation of passengers desires.

As part of Southwest's schedule extension yesterday they eliminated a number of business destinations from Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) and reallocated the Washington-National (DCA) slot previously used there for a second daily CMH-DCA flight beginning Nov 1st.

 

i have heard that the resumption to daiyl in may is iffy and in fact the route may be dropped post merger if not before.

 

It's worth mentioning that the Los Angeles flight on AA/US did return to daily service as scheduled this month. Also, everything I've heard from contacts at both the airline and airport indicate performance has met/exceeded expectations for the route, I wouldn't expect the that it could be dropped unless additional competition (possibly Southwest or Spirit) crowds in.

 

I also mentioned in CLE thread a couple months back and it bears repeating here that AA/Envoy was hiring in CLE for both ramp and supervisory positions.  And this during a merger.  this could portend a CLE expansion.  Concourse D awaits...........

 

Cool, but why does it bear repeating that rumor here? As you said, this isn't the Cleveland airport thread...  :wink:

As part of Southwest's schedule extension yesterday they eliminated a number of business destinations from Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) and reallocated the Washington-National (DCA) slot previously used there for a second daily CMH-DCA flight beginning Nov 1st.

 

i have heard that the resumption to daiyl in may is iffy and in fact the route may be dropped post merger if not before.

 

It's worth mentioning that the Los Angeles flight on AA/US did return to daily service as scheduled this month. Also, everything I've heard from contacts at both the airline and airport indicate performance has met/exceeded expectations for the route, I wouldn't expect the that it could be dropped unless additional competition (possibly Southwest or Spirit) crowds in.

 

I also mentioned in CLE thread a couple months back and it bears repeating here that AA/Envoy was hiring in CLE for both ramp and supervisory positions.  And this during a merger.  this could portend a CLE expansion.  Concourse D awaits...........

 

Cool, but why does it bear repeating that rumor here? As you said, this isn't the Cleveland airport thread...  :wink:

 

The statement was part of a larger comment....

 

And as far as LAX-CMH is concerned, the statements I've heard aren't as positive.  But for the meantime it's still flying. 

April traffic at CMH was up 8% from 2014, and year-to-date the airport is showing a strong 5.1% gain in passengers.

 

All carriers posted gains in April as well, and also flew more mainline flights into CMH (as opposed to smaller, regional jets) than in the year previous.

 

http://flycolumbus.com/files/airline-info/monthly-stats/2015-stats/april-2015-flycolumbus-stats.pdf

16 consecutive months of passenger traffic increases!

 

Port Columbus passenger traffic is sky high – here's why

 

Passenger traffic at Port Columbus International Airport has grown for 16 straight months and reached a seven-year high in June, thanks to what airport officials say is an improving U.S. economy and robust local business community.

 

Nearly 621,000 people got on and off flights at the airport in June, up 5 percent from 594,000 a year earlier and the highest amount since June 2008, according to the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

Non-stop service from Port Columbus to the Bay Area (Oakland) starts today:

 

Oakland gives Port Columbus 30 nonstops – see how that compares with Ohio's other airports

By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter

Columbus Business First - Aug. 7, 2015, 2:31pm EDT

 

The long-awaited service from Southwest Airlines will be Columbus’ first nonstop service to the Bay Area since the defunct Skybus Airlines flew the route briefly in 2008.  Southwest also will celebrate a departure to Boston on Monday, although Delta Air Lines already serves the market so it’s Oakland getting the most attention.

 

The announcement in February that Southwest would fly between Columbus and Oakland was welcomed by Central Ohio's civic leaders and business community wanting stronger ties to San Francisco and the Silicon Valley business communities.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/08/oakland-gives-port-columbus-30-nonstops-see-how.html

Southwest Airlines' new flights a boon to Port Columbus passenger traffic

By Evan Weese, Staff Reporter - Columbus Business First

Updated: Sept. 23, 2015, 7:37am EDT

 

The number of passengers getting on and off planes at Port Columbus International Airport climbed more than 7 percent in August as Southwest Airlines Co. launched new service to Oakland, Boston and Atlanta, show data released Tuesday by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/09/22/new-southwest-airlines-flights-a-boon-to-port.html

http://www.columbusunderground.com/port-columbus-upgrading-wi-fi-internet-access

Here are the most-popular destinations from Port Columbus:  http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/08/25/here-are-the-most-popular-destinations-from-port.html

Port Columbus setting the stage for new terminal

 

 

A new $1.3 billion terminal complex for Port Columbus International Airport will get a step closer to reality as new capital projects get underway next year.

 

The airport’s operator, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, plans to begin work on a new $139 million rental car facility, while relocating a radar station and various utility lines, according to a preliminary 2016-17 budget introduced this week.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/10/23/first-look-port-columbus-setting-thestage-for-new.html

Folks on Columbus Underground saying a news report said CMH is close to getting a CMH-London Flight:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/port-columbus-cmh-airport-news-038-updates/page/15

Folks on Columbus Underground saying a news report said CMH is close to getting a CMH-London Flight:

 

http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/port-columbus-cmh-airport-news-038-updates/page/15

 

If it's BA, as is often alleged, then AA had better start adding some domestic feed to CMH to fill a plane.  Most importantly, it better high yield F fares.