Frontpage Coverage for Youngstown-Warren
Posted on June 3, 2007
Filed Under General
Today, the Vindicator decided to do a story on “Contrasting the Success” of the Akron-Canton Regional Airport to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. The story is huge taking up over 4 columns with interviews with YNG AD Steve Bowser, Chuck Johnson; as well as CAK AD Fred Krum, and Kristie Van Auken. They all give their take on the current state of each airport; and its downfall in the deregulation of the airlines back in the 1980s.
Tyri Squyres of Allegiant Air is also quoted on saying that Youngstown is a “good market for Allegiant,” flying 23,000 passengers in its first year [May06-May07]; but it’s not good enough to support service to Las Vegas or Tampa. She also said they will be suspending flights a second straight year from August until November; which is understandable.
The bottom line for YNG to have a chance of surviving in the next 5 years; is for YNG to receive the $800,000 SCASD grant from the Dept. of Transportation. This grant would be used to entice a regional airline to flying 3-5 daily flights on a 50 seat regional jet to a hub in Chicago, Cincinnati, or Charlotte. It is expected that this regional airline would fly between 50,000-60,000 passengers a year. If awarded the grant, it would take YNG about 6 months to begin preliminary talks with a carrier; before finalizing plans for service in the summer of 2008.
LINK: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/289034555741723.php
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The above link provides the whole article on the subject. This additional link provides half the article and some interesting responces to it from readers. I don’t know if these readers are regular responders in this blog or not but you could conclude that.
http://blogs.vindy.com/news/2007/06/02/why-is-akrons-airport-more-successful-than-y-w-airport/
I found the comment by Tyri Squyres finally answers the question we have had for some time around here regarding service to LAS or any other additional Allegiant service for that matter.
She states,”The results the first year were good enough to continue the service — but not good enough to justify adding service to Las Vegas yet, she said.
Ticket sales in Youngstown-Warren were a little below average for the markets that Allegiant opened last spring, she said. The airline will suspend flights again this fall, from Aug. 6 through Nov. 9, during the typical tourism slowdown season, she said. Some stronger markets are having shorter suspensions or no suspension, she added.”
To me this is the core of importance of the whole article. It answers the basic question we have been seeking. It brings out in the open the pure and simple fact that to continue to hope or rely on Allegiant for more is officially unrealistic.
Other airline avenues need to be explored. A totally focused effort on a destination that actually would be used by the citizens of the Youngstown-Warren area should be the razor edge point of focus at this point. Once that destination is obtained then a concentrated effort to the airlines that serve that destination should be the next order of business. YNG needs to have the determination to pursue this focused task at hand first.
A very good article on the local airport. The Western Reserve Port Authority is far to political to work successfully. We need a professional airport manager vs. a retired airline pilot, who will think outside the box, be agressive, and go after airlines. We have to continue going to them over and over as they will not come knocking on our door. Involve Tim Ryan more and have him assist in making these contacts to airlines like Northwest, US Airways, Delta or agressively go after Spirit. Spirit could become to YNG what AirTran is to CAK. Then we have to agressively sell the facility and the airline(s) to the flying customers in NE Ohio and Western PA. We have the population base of business travelers to support service at YNG as long as it is quality service using regional jets flying to hub cities for instant connections. We have a runway longer than CAK, a population base larger than Erie, PA and need be AGRESSIVE in our efforts to attract service. Allegiant is not our answer but would be a nice addition to regularly scheduled service.
nice to see YNG on the front page. But what more does Allegiant want? I mean seats are selling so why no more service?? lets just all hope we get that grant and can get service 3-5 times daily to chicago or CLT!
I hope for Charlotte!!
Who knows….. I may get a chance to use the service- and that would be very cool indeed.
Drew
YNG is going to have to achieve numbers like this:
Courtesy: Rockford Register Star
“Flights between Chicago/Rockford International Airport and Las Vegas were 96 percent full last month, airport officials reported Tuesday.”
http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/BUSINESS12/106200028/1002/BUSINESS
And,
“Allegiant Air, which serves Las Vegas, Orlando-Sanford, Fla., and Clearwater-St. Petersburg, Fla., is looking to add at least one vacation destination to its system this year, spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said. With its strong numbers, Rockford would be in the running to get that new route.”