Step 1: Preliminary Airline Discussions Have Begun
Posted on September 27, 2007
Filed Under General
QUOTE: Bowser said he spoke with an airline last week about service to Youngstown-Warren, and those talks will continue. It has not had a strong presence in this region like Continental Airlines in Cleveland and U.S. Air in Pittsburgh, he said.
The airline said it needs to do $2 million worth of business here in a startup period to turn a profit, the director said. Two other airlines had cited figures of $3 million and $5 million, Bowser said.
This quote is from an article in today’s paper from the Warren Tribune Chronicle. If you want to read it, simply click the Read More Link at the end of this post. The article states some promising news that the airport has begun to talk in the very early stages with a carrier to fly daily service out of YNG, a carrier that has not had a major presence in the region (US-Air and Continental can be crossed off the list, and a carrier that is not looking for subsidies via the $800,000 SCASD grant proposal to start up operations. What the carrier is looking for is $2 million dollars worth of profit via local business travel. For this to work, the area businesses need to step up and work hand in with Steve Bowser to find what destionation(s) are the most wanted by local business professionals.
This is great news from YNG!
WARREN — Attracting regular, daily passenger service to Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is difficult but not impossible, its director of aviation said.
Steve Bowser said that if it has the right product, an airline can make a profit at the local facility. The task ahead for airport officials is to convince a company that that can be done, he said.
Marketing the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport will get easier if the Western Reserve Port Authority follows through on its intentions to hire a sophisticated director of marketing for the airport, he said. The board last week asked Bowser to put together a proposal that included a job description and sources of funding for the position.
The port authority called for a marketing director in the wake of RTI International Metals recent announcement that it was exploring moving its Weathersfield headquarters closer to a major airport. RTI said it wanted to give its executives better access to global customers.
The local airport has not had regularly scheduled commercial flights for about two years.
But with the proper schedule, destinations like Detroit, New York, Chicago and Atlanta and number of seats that must be filled, an airline can be successful, the airport director told Trumbull County commissioners Tuesday.
‘‘We had a poor product in the past,’’ he said.
Bowser said he spoke with an airline last week about service to Youngstown-Warren, and those talks will continue. It has not had a strong presence in this region like Continental Airlines in Cleveland and U.S. Air in Pittsburgh, he said.
The airline said it needs to do $2 million worth of business here in a startup period to turn a profit, the director said. Two other airlines had cited figures of $3 million and $5 million, Bowser said.
He cautioned, however, that those figures were very preliminary.
Commissioner Daniel Polivka said he viewed the discussions as promising. He said he also would suggest that attracting cargo operations be investigated.
‘‘I think it’s great,’’ Polivka said. ‘‘Anything we can get in addition would help our airport.’’
A decision by the airline or another on coming to the airport won’t hinge on the outcome of Youngstown-Warren’s application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a $800,000 Small Communities Air Service Development Grant, the director said. Any company that hopes to be successful isn’t looking for subsidies, he said.
‘‘It’s not about the money (we can give them),’’ Bowser said. ‘‘It’s if they can make a go of it.’’
But that doesn’t mean that the grant wouldn’t be important, the director said. He noted that it would be used for marketing an airline that agrees to provide regular passenger service to Youngstown-Warren.
‘‘Marketing is key,’’ Bowser said. ‘‘You have to get the word out to people that what they are looking for is available right here.’’
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Sounds to me then if US Airways is out of it, we can forget nonstop flights to CLT. Although, if you think about from US Airways’ perspective, maybe it would have made more sence for them to fly nonstop to their “focus city” in PIT, being much closer then CLT and still having a decent ammount of connecting flights.
I am going to have to hope for service from Delta with nonstop flights to ATL.
“It has not had a strong presence in this region”
Spirit?
Frontier?
JetBlue?
All of my picks are tied to the quote at the top. Specifically “in this region”.
My educated guess would be Spirit… It has NO presence in the region, while the others like JetBlue, Frontier, United, Delta, Northwest, etc. all have their fair share of flights in this region.
Spirit has 0.
Spirit could make money from Business and Leisure Travel…. I will see what I can find out!
Spirit is a good carrier, however they do not fly nonstop to CLT.
However, I suppose Spirit is better then no carrier at all.
Hub proposed for Yo-Warren airport
By JOHN GOODALL
Tribune Chronicle
WARREN — Developing a hub at the airport that combines rail, air and highway service and offers trade zone status was among ideas proposed at the inaugural meeting of the county’s new economic development committee.
Such a facility, if created, could be the cornerstone of any effort to market this area to the outside world, Dan Banks said. He represented state Sen. Capri Cafaro’s office at Wednesday’s session.
Those attending the meeting noted that at least one railroad has a line that is only a few miles away from Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna. Banks said a gravel bed has been installed that could carry an extension to the proposed hub.
Commissioner Daniel Polivka said that formation of an intermodal hub has generated huge growth in Dayton. It was also cited by those at the meeting as a factor in similar development at Rickenbacker Airport in Columbus.
The first meeting of the committee was characterized by Commissioner Paul Heltzel as a ‘‘brainstorming session.’’ He said the next meeting, set for 1 p.m. Oct. 24, would include more brainstorming but also focus on how to organize the group’s efforts.
Commissioners established the committee recently. Their action was partly in response to announcements by area businesses of closings, moves and layoffs.
Jerry Henn, a member of the committee, said that it usually is too late to change a company’s plans by the time such announcements are made.
He urged the committee to be proactive. Those pushing economic development should visit businesses regularly to determine their needs, Henn said.
John Mahan, another member, said the area’s assets like low-cost housing should be promoted.
‘‘Go outside the Valley and try to buy the house you’re living in now,’’ Mahan said. ‘‘Just try it.’’
Committee member Richard Musick said the promotion could be as simple as leasing a billboard along a major highway elsewhere alerting motorists there about how much less they would have to pay for a home in the Valley.
But a Warren resident at the meeting said the situation doesn’t mean that all is well. ‘‘Try to sell a house here,’’ Tom Bator told the group.
He said this community lacks amenities like a dog or skateboard park.
Dan Crouse, president of the Warren Area Board of Realtors, said the community has failed to prospect for development and failed to sell itself. He called for a long-term marketing effort.
He said everyone should understand that immediate results can’t be expected from a sales effort. He urged the committee to be patient and remain committed.
‘‘We definitely need to get the word out about our Valley,’’ said Alan Knapp, director of the county Planning Commission. ‘‘There’s no question.’’
From Boyd:
Small Community Air Service Grants
Hope Is Fading…
At this point, the 2007 SCASD program is now officially M.I.B. - missing in the bureaucracy.
Given the recent spate of EAS changes, it now is not out of line to consider calling off the search for SCASD survivors, and assuming that the funding has been diverted to other programs, notably the EAS program.
The DOT has simply advised that the grant decisions are “upstairs” - which means that The Mary Peters Show is in control. While we hold out hope, do not be surprised if the announcement comes that the SCASD program has been cut back severely, or even suspended for 2007.