Posted November 18, 200519 yr October travel down 36.4% at Toledo Express Article published November 18, 2005 The first month after the TransMeridian Airlines shutdown was a bleak one for Toledo Express Airport. Passenger volume plunged by 36.4 percent in October compared with the same month in 2004, from 48,844 to 31,071. The biggest hits came from the loss of the discount carrier, which abruptly ceased operations in September, and the year-long absence of ATA Connection service to Chicago. But traffic also declined on Northwest Airlink, Continental Connection, and Delta Connection flights to and from Toledo, leaving American Eagle as the only growth airline at the airport last month. For the first 10 months of the year, passenger volume at Toledo Express is down 21.8 percent, from 508,052 last year to 397,249 in 2005. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051118/NEWS11/511180355/-1/NEWS
November 19, 200519 yr Well, that sucks. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 15, 200519 yr Author Article published Thursday, December 15, 2005 American Eagle pulls Toledo-Dallas flights By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER American Eagle Airlines service between Toledo and Dallas-Fort Worth, begun with much fanfare in June but quietly suspended in October, has now been canceled permanently, a Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority spokesman said yesterday. American representatives advised port authority officials Tuesday that a regulatory decision granting Southwest Airlines authority to fly between Missouri cities and Dallas' Love Field forced American to reassign aircraft to compete on that route, Brian Schwartz, spokesman for the port authority, said. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/NEWS11/512150381/-1/NEWS
December 17, 200519 yr The Allegiant Air Flights on the first day were a major success. Over 400 people flew on 3 flights in and out to Orlando Sanford and Las Vegas!
January 14, 200619 yr Author Article published January 14, 2006 Passenger business down at Toledo Express Passenger business at Toledo Express Airport was down 27.4 percent last month compared with December, 2004, placing an ugly cap on a year in which local air travel declined by 23.6 percent. Travel was down for the month for every airline serving Toledo except Allegiant Air, an upstart discount carrier that introduced Toledo routes to Sanford, Fla., and Las Vegas on Dec. 15 and plans to expand the Sanford service next month from four roundtrips a week to six. For the year as a whole, the decline reflected the Sept. 29 shutdown of TransMeridian Airlines, a discount carrier that succumbed to the high price of fuel and an inability to refinance its debt, and the 2004 pullouts of ATA Connection and US Airways Express. TransMeridian also flew from Toledo to Sanford, near Orlando, and Las Vegas, although it scrubbed the Las Vegas service early in the year. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060114/NEWS11/60113067/-1/NEWS
July 21, 200618 yr Author Article published July 21, 2006 Toledo Express popularity falling Air travel off the pace by 15.8% By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER Try as they might, officials at Toledo Express Airport haven't stopped the bleeding at the passenger terminal so far this year. After 2005, in which passenger business fell by 23.6 percent, the number of travelers passing through the gates has declined by 15.8 percent during the first half of 2006, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority statistics show. Paul Toth, the port authority's airport director, laid the blame squarely on airlines' service cutbacks. Comparing last month with June, 2005, airlines offered 25 percent fewer seats to and from the local airport, with only Continental Connection, the smallest carrier at Toledo Express, providing the same level of service. Airline bankruptcies and liquidations "have just really taken their toll, not just on Toledo but on smaller airports across the country," Mr. Toth said. And in markets that don't have discount-airline service, carriers have raised fares at the same time they have cut service, he said. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/NEWS11/607210325/-1/NEWS
August 21, 200618 yr Author Article published August 21, 2006 Airport grant can't guarantee new route Nonstop N.Y. service is officials' objective By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER Getting a $400,000 federal grant improves Toledo's chances of getting nonstop airline service to New York City, but it's far from a done deal, Toledo Express Airport's director says. After initially responding, "I don't know," when asked by members of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority's airport committee to assess the likelihood of Toledo-New York flights, airport director Paul Toth said Friday that it's a "50-50" proposition, even with the promise of a $600,000 revenue guarantee for such a service's first year. "There is no guarantee that we are ever going to get service to New York, but this [grant] at least opens the door so we can begin discussions," Mr. Toth said before the committee voted to recommend accepting the federal Small Community Air Service Development grant to the port authority board of directors, which meets on Thursday. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/NEWS11/608210409/-1/NEWS
September 2, 200618 yr http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS16/60901034/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published September 1, 2006 Szollosi criticizes mayor for using Detroit Metro By TOM TROY BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo City Councilman Frank Szollosi yesterday chastised Mayor Carty Finkbeiner for using Detroit Metropolitan Airport instead of Toledo Express Airport for trips to New York City, Florida, and Iowa. Mr. Szollosi said he plans to introduce an ordinance that would require all official Toledo air travel to use the Toledo airport, even if it costs more and takes longer... Contact Tom Troy at: [email protected] or 419-724-6058.
September 6, 200618 yr From the 9/6/06 Toledo Free Press: POLITICS Councilman to propose mandatory airport use By Justin R. Kalmes Toledo Free Press Metro Reporter [email protected] Toledo City Councilman Frank Szollosi said he would propose an ordinance that would mandate all city officials to fly from Toledo Express Airport when traveling by air on city business. The proposal stems from Szollosi learning last week that Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has flown from Detroit Metropolitan Airport on all of his city trips requiring air travel. Toledo Free Press first reported Aug. 30 that Finkbeiner flew from Detroit to St. Petersburg, Fla., in April for the National League of Cities conference and to New York in June for a meeting with bond rating officials... http://toledofreepress.com/?id=3909
October 9, 200618 yr From the 10/5/06 Toledo Blade: City officials urged to fly Express The city of Toledo should renew its commitment to using Toledo Express Airport over Detroit Metropolitan-Wayne County Airport for official travel, a council committee agreed yesterday. The economic development panel agreed informally to recommend that the full council approve a resolution calling on city officials, including the mayor, to give preference to the city-owned airport when planning trips... http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/NEWS16/610050413/-1/NEWS
October 12, 200618 yr From the 10/4/06 Toledo City Paper: Can Toledo Express stay aloft with passenger service? by Rick Claypool October 4th 2006 Ever since Toledo Express launched its "Buy Local, Fly Local" ad campaign in June, there’s been plenty of buzz in the air about the airport. The idea is that the more Toledoans fly from Express, the more appealing it will become for carriers to increase traffic. The eventual increase in air traffic will, the logic argues, supposedly decrease the cost to consumers and encourage economic development — more hotels, restaurants and other travel-oriented amenities. Meanwhile, most flyers — including Toledo’s own Mayor Carty Finkbeiner —continue to make the 59-mile trek northward to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Council Member Frank Szollosi pointed out the mayor’s faux pas, and he has proposed a requirement that all official City of Toledo air travel embark from Express. Some consider his criticism of Finkbeiner an obvious political ploy, while others have difficulty shrugging off the lost economic impact from Toledo’s elected officials’ flight travel dollars. Full article at http://www.toledocitypaper.com/view_article.php?id=55
December 12, 200618 yr Author http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061212/NEWS17/61212010/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published December 12, 2006 Airline at Toledo Express to boost Florida service Allegiant Air, which provides four flights per week between Toledo Express Airport and Orlando-Sanford International Airport near Sanford, Fla., is introducing twice-weekly service to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport near St. Petersburg, Fla., today. Allegiant, which began the Toledo-Sanford route a year ago, has bucked a trend of declining passenger traffic at Toledo Express with its discount flights.
January 16, 200817 yr Article published January 16, 2008 Toledo Express caught in passenger downdraft Business plunged to lowest since 1966 By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER While skyrocketing fuel prices prompt many Americans to drive smaller cars, it doesn't work that way for the airlines. And when airlines cut flights using smaller aircraft, which consume more fuel per passenger than larger planes, or eliminate low-density routes, airports like Toledo's bear the brunt, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority officials said yesterday. Passenger business at Toledo Express Airport fell last year to its lowest level since 1966, with just 330,868 people boarding or disembarking. That was 12.2 percent fewer than used the local airport in 2006, barely half the airport's volume just three years earlier, and less than half the all-time record of 679,841 set in 1997. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS16/801160419/-1/NEWS
January 16, 200817 yr The problem with Toledo Express is that it is too far away from the city considering the location of Detroit's airport. I guess folks in Maumee and Perrysburg might find it convenient but if one is up by UT and pretty anything North and East of that, then why not go to Detroit and get a direct flight.
January 18, 200817 yr And it's quicker to drive to ORD/MDW (ok, well not during rush hour and Fridays), CLE and DTW than deal with layovers.
January 18, 200817 yr If I was in charge of Toledo, I'd consider abandoning Toledo Express and seeing about getting a higher speed rail line to DTW or even CLE. The city's residents would get the benefits of a hub without the cost.
January 19, 200817 yr ^I was thinking about this sort of thing in wake of the impending Delta move. I feel like the state of Ohio should make the effort to push Cleveland and Cincinnati as passenger hubs, and then make a serious high-speed rail connection from Cincinnati to Cleveland (going S to N through Dayton, Columbus Akron (maybe Canton) and Cleveland). Obviously this would leave Toledo hanging a bit. But perhaps seeing if we could sell Toledo as a cargo center and put a Toledo to Cleveland line as second priority for the high speed rail system, we could keep them afloat and a viable part of the system.
March 19, 200817 yr Article published March 19, 2008 Delta ends commuter air service from Toledo Express to Atlanta Nonstop route to be eliminated May 1 By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER The remaining daily commuter flight between Toledo Express Airport and Atlanta will end on May 1, officials said yesterday. The elimination of the Delta Air Lines flight will reduce the nonstop destinations available from Toledo to just Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Petersburg and Sanford, Fla. Delta Air Lines, faced with a weak economy, dimmer hopes of a combination with Northwest Airlines, and record fuel prices that are eating up profits, said yesterday that its goal is to cut 2,000 employees and trim its U.S. passenger capacity by 10 percent by August. Assuming no other changes occur before then, the Delta cut will reduce Toledo Express to 15 departures on most days, plus the less-than-daily Allegiant Air service to the Florida cities. As recently as 2004, Toledo Express had 37 daily departures. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080319/NEWS11/803190440/-1/NEWS
June 25, 200816 yr Article published June 25, 2008 Toledo Express Airport 1 of 150 airports said vulnerable By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo Express Airport is among 150 airports nationwide that a travel-advocacy organization considers endangered by an "oil-fueled catastrophe" in the airline industry, according to a report to be issued today. But the value of that report is debatable. Its findings did not take into account major cuts that have already been announced for that airport. The Business Travel Coalition, based in Radnor, Pa., said in the report that "fast-approaching airline liquidations" threaten to devastate a domestic economy "that depends on affordable, frequent, intercity air transportation." Not only would business travelers be affected by reduced service and higher fares, the report said, but cross-country transport of belly cargo such as perishables, high-value consumer goods, legal documents, and mail also would be compromised if fewer passenger planes take to the skies. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS11/806250329/-1/NEWS
July 9, 200816 yr Article published July 9, 2008 Delta severs Toledo connections; fuel costs put end to airline's 63-year presence at Express By JC REINDL BLADE STAFF WRITER Delta Air Lines announced yesterday that it will discontinue all passenger service to and from Toledo Express Airport, leaving the airport with only three airline carriers by this fall and daily flights to just two cities. A Delta spokesman said record high fuel prices are the reason for this latest service cut, which becomes effective Sept. 2 and will end Delta's three daily flights to Cincinnati through its Comair Inc. feeder carrier. The announcement follows the airline's decision earlier this year to stop Toledo service to Atlanta, and effectively will sever Delta's longtime presence in Toledo. The nation's third-largest carrier, Delta began Toledo service in 1945. Toledo Express has lost more than half of its daily departures since 2004. That slide will surpass two-thirds on Sept. 3, when Continental Airlines stops its three daily Continental Connection flights between Toledo and Cleveland. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS11/807090443
July 13, 200816 yr Article published July 13, 2008 Toledo Express contends with decline of air service Officials ‘holding on tight’ after latest loss of flights By DAVID PATCH, BLADE STAFF WRITER As recently as August, 2006, passenger service at Toledo Express Airport was potentially in a growth mode. That was when the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority secured a $400,000 federal grant, to be matched by $200,000 in port authority funds plus in-kind marketing assistance, to subsidize a proposed Toledo-New York route. Officials believed such a route could attract tens of thousands of travelers who, according to a 2004 study, flew between the two cities each year but used nonstop service from Detroit Metropolitan-Wayne County Airport to do it. But during the two years since then, the port authority has been unable to land an airline willing to take the plunge, even with a $600,000 subsidy. Instead, a wave of airline shutdowns and service cancellations that struck Toledo Express in 2004 and 2005. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/NEWS11/625204866
July 25, 200816 yr Article published July 25, 2008 Return of service at Toledo Express doubtful, port board is told Prospects of restored service dim By DAVID PATCH, BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo Express Airport's airline hemorrhage finally may be over, but an aviation industry expert cautioned local officials and businessmen yesterday that prospects for restoring lost services are dim for the immediate future. "You're going to have two airline systems out of here for the near term," Michael Boyd, owner of the Boyd Group/ASRC in Evergreen, Colo., told a forum sponsored yesterday by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in National City Bank's downtown Toledo auditorium. But he agreed with port authority officials that shutting down all passenger operations at the local airport would be a bad idea, even if service now is a shadow of what it was four years ago. "If you lose all service, you will be a second-rate city," Mr. Boyd said. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/NEWS11/807250358/-1/NEWS
November 25, 200816 yr Toledo Express, Direct Air open service from Toledo to Florida The first Direct Air flight from Toledo to Punta Gorda, Fla., took off at 11:30 a.m. from Toledo Express Airport Monday with 61 passengers on board. Toledo Lucas County Port Authority officials and airline officals were on hand for the departure and what they hoped would be the first step towared a revival of the local airport... Post edited 9-4-09 to comply with terms of use http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081124/NEWS16/811240268
January 17, 200916 yr Article published January 17, 2009 Toledo Express air traffic drops to a 44-year low By DAVID PATCH, BLADE STAFF WRITER Passenger traffic at Toledo Express Airport last year fell to its lowest level since 1964, continuing a decline that began in 2005 when airlines started slashing service in response to soaring fuel costs. Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority officials had hoped a year ago that Express had hit rock bottom, but three more routes vanished from the airport's service map during 2008, leaving just two daily nonstop destinations - Detroit and Chicago - plus service several times a week to Florida vacation spots. Toledo Express was used by 250,876 inbound and outbound travelers last year, nearly 80,000 fewer - a 24.2 percent decline - than traveled through the airport in 2007. The last time air travel in Toledo was so light was in 1964, when 247,714 passengers used the airport, in the early years of jet travel. The airport was in the midst of an almost uninterrupted climb, following its 1955 opening, that would peak in 1978, the year the Carter administration ended regulation of airline routes and fares. In 1997, the airport set a passenger record of 679,841, thanks largely to daily discount flights AirTran Airways flew to Orlando that year that resulted in broad fare competition and increased leisure travel. Express hit another peak in 2004, also thanks to discount-carrier competition. Full article at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090117/NEWS16/901170380
January 20, 200916 yr Good grief, that is depressing. Our local airport in Huntington, W.Va. experienced the ups and the downs, when carriers dropped, came back, dropped, came back... It's now gaining ridership, but that was after years of declines.
February 2, 200916 yr From 13abc.com: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6636736 Jet America scouting Toledo Express Low-cost airline would offer cheap trips and local jobs Monday February 02, 2009 | 11:46 AM Toledo is in the running to be the first base of operations for a new airline. Toledo Express airport is one of three airports in the running to become the hub of what's being described as an ultra-low fare airline. Jet America is the parent company launching this new airline, which has yet to be named. According to information we received today, it'll fly to 14 destinations in its first year with the average fare being $69 each way. Jet America is hoping those numbers will attract about 5.6 million potential customers in a 75-mile radius around Toledo. Jet America also says this new line will hire 950 workers in the first year, with an average salary of more than $48,000 per year. The company isn't specifying the other two airports being considered. What they are saying is that Jet America founders are meeting with business and community leaders in each city and whichever one demonstrates the most enthusiasm and support will get the job, so to speak.
May 26, 200916 yr Skybus redux?....noozer. Startup airline JetAmerica plans to serve Toledo, other mid-sized cities Man behind new airline was founder of Skybus Tuesday, May 26, 2009 1:24 PM By Victor Epstein ASSOCIATED PRESS Clearwater, Fla.-based JetAmerica said 34 nonstop passenger flights a week will start July 13 at Toledo, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Melbourne, Fla.; Newark, N.J.; Minneapolis and Lansing, Mich. Twenty-eight flights start or end at Newark Liberty International Airport. The carrier will add six more flights - from Toledo to Minneapolis - starting Aug. 14. JetAmerica is targeting small and midsize cities like Lansing, which has seen the number of daily flights at its Capital Region International Airport fall from 35 to 12 the past five years. The decline is part of a national trend that has seen airfares increase at those airports as daily flights have decreased. Read more at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/05/26/jetamerica.html?sid=101
May 26, 200916 yr Subsidies? But we don't subsidize any modes of transportation except passenger trains, right? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 26, 200916 yr and with major airlines bleeding money, why would a small airline with not code sharing, intelining, limited planes, etc. jump into the shark and jelly fish infested waters?
May 26, 200916 yr Isn't it interesting that someone can come up with a "start-up" airline idea and some public officials will fall all over themselves to get behind it, and yet anything that moves on rails (and makes eminently more sense as a travel option over short and medium distances) has to go through an almost torturous process to even get close to starting up? Skybus failed because it wasn't well thought out to begin with, not the least factor being the huge cost of fuel for so many takeoffs and landings for short-haul flights. This latest incarnation doesn't look any different. Just a new name with one of Skybus's former exec's in charge. Has anyone asked why the major airlines have all but pulled themselves out of the short-haul makret... a market far more efficiently served by fast trains?
May 26, 200916 yr Subsidies? But we don't subsidize any modes of transportation except passenger trains, right? Facetiousness aside, it is interesting to note the particular grant being used to foster this new air service. The Small Communities Air Service Development (SCASD) grant was started to aid smaller cities and towns gain access to the national and global air service network as well as stimulate lower fares in smaller, more monopolized markets. The grant has been scrutinized in recent years for subsidized service that has subsequently been discontinued for various reasons, including contractual obligations by the carrier granted the right to serve the market or due to plain non-usage. The monetary size of the grant has been pared down in recent years, both as a result of belt-tightening all around and to focus on communities that truly do "need" the grant. The SCASD has had its share of success stories, however. Probably the most easily applicable is the Akron/Canton Airport's use of their grant to gain nonstop service to New York via low fare carrier AirTran Airways. Since the award was granted, CAK has secured nonstop service on AirTran to an additional 6 cities, including Boston and Ft. Lauderdale, as well as stimulated growth that set records nationally through much of the early 2000s. Even through this most recent economic downturn, CAK has been able to retain the majority of its flights. Whether Toledo, Lansing, and Melbourne can witness similar results with their grants is uncertain, and the odds are certainly stacked against them. However the AP story is slightly misleading. The $1.4 million in SCASD grants is cumulative, not each. Also, the matching marketing and advertising assistance is being fronted, at least in Toledo, by local businesses and economic development groups. Further information on the SCASD grants can be found here: http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/X-50%20Role_files/smallcommunity.htm
May 26, 200916 yr and with major airlines bleeding money, why would a small airline with not code sharing, interlining, limited planes, etc. jump into the shark and jelly fish infested waters? My guess would be the chance to emulate Europe's Ryanair, both in operation and profit. Remember that Ryanair does not code share, interline, etc, however they have seen incredible profit over the past few years (though granted the worldwide economic downturn is certainly taking a toll on them too). Also a Ryanair-type business model does not currently exist in the U.S. airline industry, with the closest example possibly being Allegiant Air. In addition, recent contractions and mergers in the U.S. aviation market could increase the likelihood of success for new entrants as passengers are displaced and forced to consider other options. Lastly, it is possible that the Ryanair business model might be more apt for success in smaller airports such as Lansing, Toledo, and Melbourne. Remember that Columbus was already well served when Skybus entered the market, while the aforementioned communities are struggling to keep any kind of regularly scheduled air service by the incumbent carriers. I will admit that I personally do not see any long term viability for this particular incarnation of trying to bring the Ryanair model to the states, however that's not to say that the stars could align in a way to make this succeed.
May 26, 200916 yr Isn't it interesting that someone can come up with a "start-up" airline idea and some public officials will fall all over themselves to get behind it, and yet anything that moves on rails (and makes eminently more sense as a travel option over short and medium distances) has to go through an almost torturous process to even get close to starting up? I certainly won't argue this fact. My guess is that, sadly, the benefits of passenger rail transport remains an abstract thought for many people in power, while examples of the benefits of having good air transport are more available, at least in this country. Skybus failed because it wasn't well thought out to begin with, not the least factor being the huge cost of fuel for so many takeoffs and landings for short-haul flights. The long haul flying killed them even more. They simply were not charging enough to make it worth while to fly a plane from Columbus to Bellingham, Oakland, or Burbank. In fact, these were among the first destinations dropped when Skybus started down its slippery slope. That's why you've seen a lot of carriers, especially low cost carriers, drop long stage length flights over the past year or two. The most fuel efficient flights are medium haul jaunts. Has anyone asked why the major airlines have all but pulled themselves out of the short-haul market... a market far more efficiently served by fast trains? Honestly I think the issue is more so that smaller cities being completely left out of the airline market. As the industry constricts, many carriers are looking at redundancies in their systems and where they can cut without affecting their passengers flows too much. For example, American Eagle cut service from Chicago to Lansing recently, part of the reason being that American figured they could still reach much of the Lansing catchment area through other airports nearby, such as Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, Flint, and Detroit. This scenario has repeated itself dozens of times with multiple airlines. Also, airlines do still run quite a few short haul routes, such as Delta/Northwest's service from Detroit to Toledo/Ft. Wayne/Lansing/Flint/Saginaw/Erie/etc. As the airline industry has constricted, the focus has returned to funneling as many passengers as possible through the larger hubs, which is why you still still see flights like Detroit-Toledo. The theory is that with enough connecting opportunities available, that the flight will contribute more to the overall network and therefore make all flight profitable. However, in the quest to filter as many passengers through the largest hubs as possible, a lot of other routes and even hubs have been downgraded or discontinued to maximize assets, such as CVG, STL, and PIT, all 3 of which primarily serve/served short-haul markets to feed into the larger system. Now some carriers have also pulled out of short haul markets mainly due to the over reliance on regional jets. These planes are incredibly expensive to run on short hops, and unless you have enough high-yielding traffic connecting through a hub to make it worthwhile, are a money-hemoreging operation. However turboprops seem to be making a comeback as a reliever to the cost of regional jets. Continental is at the forefront of transitioning back to turboprops for their relative efficiency, which in turn has likely has kept them operating in quite a few markets, such are Cleveland-Erie/Flint/South Bend/Allentown/etc.
May 27, 200916 yr Skybus tried...and failed... to emulate RyanAir. Right, but JetAmerica will be flying in a vastly different environment than attempt #1: Skybus' main base of operation was out of a metropolitan area of 1.8 million. JetAmerica's main base of operation will be out of a metropolitan area of 650,000. Skybus' main base of operation was an airport with, at the time, over 170 daily departures. JetAmerica's main base of operation will be an airport with roughly 10 daily departures. Skybus' main base of operation was an airport with several incumbent low fare carriers. JetAmerica's main base of operation will be an airport with several weekly low fare flights to Florida. Skybus' main base of operation was about an hour away from Dayton Int'l, a smaller airport with about 80 daily departures. JetAmerica's main base of operation will be an hour away from Detroit Metro, a Delta/NWA hub with over 600 daily departures. Skybus flew in an age where record fuel prices bufetted the industry. JetAmerica will fly with fuel prices at 1/3 the level they were a year ago. Skybus leased their aircraft and, towards the end, owned several planes outright. JetAmerica's flight will be flown by a third party contract carrier, Miami Air. I guess what I want to say is that while the goal remains the same, JetAmerica is persuing a different avenue than Skybus. Whether the road leads them to a viable product remains to be seen, though I won't hold my breath.
May 27, 200916 yr I'm actually shocked they chose Lansing over Flint. Flint's Bishop Int'l is one of the fast growing airports in the nation
May 27, 200916 yr I'm actually shocked they chose Lansing over Flint. Flint's Bishop Int'l is one of the fast growing airports in the nation Is that accurate in this day?
May 27, 200916 yr Hmmm, last time I checked that was early 2008 before the economy got nasty. Alot of Bishop's pull came with adding additional airliners with non-stop flights. They actually took customers away from DTW because there were less hassles and short security lines. Even after they rebuilt the airport, it was already too small, they had construct new concourse space only a few years after. Flint's airport success is largely due to locational reasons. It's like, for example, a regional mall opening in a medium sized city surrounded by sparse populated areas 100 miles in each direction. No matter what, the mall is a success because there's no competition and everyone if forced to shop at it.
May 27, 200916 yr Hmmm, last time I checked that was early 2008 before the economy got nasty. Alot of Bishop's pull came with adding additional airliners with non-stop flights. They actually took customers away from DTW because there were less hassles and short security lines. Even after they rebuilt the airport, it was already too small, they had construct new concourse space only a few years after. Flint's airport success is largely due to locational reasons. It's like, for example, a regional mall opening in a medium sized city surrounded by sparse populated areas 100 miles in each direction. No matter what, the mall is a success because there's no competition and everyone if forced to shop at it. I'm asking about O&D traffic, period. There is no airport that is growing. Most are simply trying to maintain. Delta, Continental, AA are all throwing promos out to consumers to get them to fly. Some small airports in the NE are being dropped by Detlta, NW & US. IIRC all airlines lost money this past quarter, and SW announced an alliance with West Jest then cancelled it. That right there is a sign that the travel industry is that bad. OT = Hotels are just as desperate. Starwood announce their occupancy was down (IIRC) 23%, Hyatt, smaller, but down also.
May 27, 200916 yr I'm actually shocked they chose Lansing over Flint. I think Lansing was chosen for several reasons: Lansing had funds readily available for an entrant like JetAmerica. Lansing is terribly underserved for their catchment area, and has seen several carriers pull out of the market in recent months. Lansing's more centralized location will help it pull potential customers from more of the state than Flint could. Lansing has no low fare service by any airline. Flint already has low fare service via AirTran to Atlanta and Orlando, as well as weekend service to Tampa and Ft. Myers. Flint's Bishop Int'l is one of the fast growing airports in the nation It certainly WAS, back in the early 2000s. Actually, both FNT and CAK mirrored each other for several years as AirTran came in and stimulated both markets to the point that both were ranked among the fastest growing airports in the nation. As far as I know, FNT no longer ranks as one the fastest growing airports as air travel all around has softened and Flint has lost some service, including mainline jets to DTW, point-to-point service by Northwest to Florida, as well as Delta service to CVG.
May 28, 200916 yr http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090528/NEWS16/905289971 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published May 28, 2009 Start-up airline may expand beyond 3 cities By DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER Toledo could get nonstop air service to Baltimore, Hartford, Conn., Chicago’s Midway Airport, or other cities in the next two years as start-up airline JetAmerica expands its operations, company officials said in an interview yesterday after formally announcing initial flights to three cities. JetAmerica will start with a single Boeing 737-800 airplane chartered from Miami Air International when it begins flights between Toledo and Newark on July 13. In the next year, it intends to add three planes to its fleet, all assigned to Toledo-based routes to be selected from lists developed by air-service consultants, airline president John Weikle said...
June 3, 200916 yr I'm actually shocked they chose Lansing over Flint. I think Lansing was chosen for several reasons: Lansing had funds readily available for an entrant like JetAmerica. Lansing is terribly underserved for their catchment area, and has seen several carriers pull out of the market in recent months. Lansing's more centralized location will help it pull potential customers from more of the state than Flint could. Lansing has no low fare service by any airline. Flint already has low fare service via AirTran to Atlanta and Orlando, as well as weekend service to Tampa and Ft. Myers. Flint's Bishop Int'l is one of the fast growing airports in the nation It certainly WAS, back in the early 2000s. Actually, both FNT and CAK mirrored each other for several years as AirTran came in and stimulated both markets to the point that both were ranked among the fastest growing airports in the nation. As far as I know, FNT no longer ranks as one the fastest growing airports as air travel all around has softened and Flint has lost some service, including mainline jets to DTW, point-to-point service by Northwest to Florida, as well as Delta service to CVG. As long as Delta competes directly along any routes tied to LAN, I have little faith that JetAmerica will come out a winner there. The only other low cost carrier of recent memory who tried Lansing was Indy Air. NW put direct competition on that route...and soon Indy yanked it. Not surprisingly, after Indy left Lansing...so was the direct NW Lansing-Dulles service. There's a reason that Toledo and Lansing had almost non-existent commercial passenger service even before the economy slipped: Poor airport management. Maybe JetAmerica can make it work, we'll have to see.
June 3, 200916 yr Toledo's airport really is out in the middle of nowhere, though I guess if Toledo's economy hadn't slowed down so much since the mid-70s and the region had another 200,000 people, the airport would have been better located with the sprawling population, but that never happened and now it is just too far away with DTW on the southwest side of town.
June 4, 200916 yr I think Toledo is in a rivalry with Fort Wayne to see who can lay out the most incentives and investment to attract carriers who will pack up and leave in a year or two. They're only a hundred miles apart, give or take. Maybe they should pool their money and effort and build a joint facility at, say, Defiance. The Fort-to-Port Highway makes it a natural choice; it would be equally inconvenient for both cities. The people who already drive from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis could continue to do so, and the people from Toledo who already drive to Detroit, likewise. :|
June 5, 200916 yr I've heard folks with the Toledo Port Authority say that they aren't really trying to develop the passenger airline industry at the Toledo Airport. They are more interested in air freight.
June 5, 200916 yr The Other Paper's take on the whole JetAmerica plan: “Dear Columbus: Let’s make up. Love, JetAmerica” BY STEPH GREEGOR Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 6:33 PM EDT http://www.theotherpaper.com/articles/2009/06/04/front/doc4a26f9614adc3629458034.txt Yeah, yeah, Skybus failed in April, 2008. We know. We remember. It was a catastrophic, monumental billion-dollar disaster that brought government and community leaders to their knees asking: “What the…?” And now, the founder of the failed discount airline that offered up bright orange planes and a brilliant marketing campaign boasting $10 tickets is giving that same business model a second go-round with the low-fare, no-frills airline JetAmerica...
July 9, 200915 yr Article published July 09, 2009 JetAmerica's status disputed http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090709/NEWS16/907090341 FAA says landing slots are needed; carrier disagrees By NEENA SATIJA BLADE STAFF WRITER Scheduled or unscheduled? For indirect air carrier JetAmerica, the label isn't clear, but the distinction is key. JetAmerica officials say the company is an unscheduled public charter. That definition means it does not need to secure take-off or landing slot times from high-density airports such as Newark. "We're not scheduled service, we are charter service, so there are no limitations for that," said Vice President of Operations Brian Burling, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration told the company as much earlier in the year. But he said the FAA changed its tune when it learned of the company's success offering fares as low as $9 from a variety of airports, including Toledo Express Airport... Contact Neena Satija at: [email protected] or 419-724-6272.
July 9, 200915 yr The Port Authority actions seem to be in line with maintaining passenger service. They've practically accepted every handout the Federal Government could provide to them in terms of starting new passenger service from TOL. A few years back they wanted to use Federal Dollars to start up TOL-NYC service. Then there's this campaign: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,10356.0.html Their website sure isn't focusing on the "cargo only" idea that's being implied on this thread: http://www.toledoexpress.com/ And honsetly, if they really weren't interested in having passenger service...why even bother with JetAmerica? TOL management dropped the ball on this one. I have to believe that when AirTran was expanding their operations in the Midwest back around 2000, they were interested in serving Toledo either in tandem with Flint or as their station for "Metro Detroit". And while it's true that Flint's pax flight operations have leveled off over the last few years....they're much higher than Toledo's now. Toledo is a large cargo hub, no doubt, but it's basically one carrier away from becoming Wilmington. Even its relevance has declined a bit: it used to be a top 20 cargo hub ten years ago in terms of tonnage moved, last year it was #50. I'm sure the Port Authority wants to maintain pax service at TOL for revenue balance in case the cargo ops "go south".
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