We got a Winner at YNG.
Press Release Today:
Allegiant Travel Co., the Las Vegas-based parent of Allegiant Air, the airline that started passenger service Oct. 25 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, reported third-quarter net income of $7 million compared with a loss of $1.2 million in the prior-year period.
Total revenue for the quarter increased by more than 41 percent from $60.9 million to $86.3 million.
The travel company said the profit is primarily the result of increased passengers. Traffic rose from 543,028 riders during third quarter in 2006 to 805,878, an increase of more than 48 percent.
People always bring up the negative things that the Valley has seen over the last decade or so, but I have found something that has been very positive, and something that is actually growing, which can be found right here in Youngstown, OH. That positive thing is Allegiant Air… Okay I will give you this one, they haven’t expanded at YNG since they arrived here in May 2006, but look at the bright side, when you are getting 88%+ loads and are getting people to fly from YNG, instead of PIT-CLE-CAK. Also note that we are getting $1.575 million dollars from the Federal Government, partly due to Allegiant Air’s presence at YNG. [$1 Million for reaching 10,000 passengers in 2006 and $575k from the SCASD program, awarded partly due to the past SCASD award that brought Allegiant to YNG!]
So before you continue to say there is nothing positive in this area, believe it or not we have something positive, and something that will become a dominant carrier in the USA within the next 5 years.
FLY ALLEGIANT, FLY YNG!
News of the SCASD Really Can Get YNG back on track
As a nearby airport suffers in PIT from the very sad news that USAIR will be cutting their daily flights to below 70 a day, when just 7 years ago it was more than 500 a day, the Youngstown Airport is looking to get back on track after years without daily service to any hub in America. This past Friday, the DOT announced that the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport will be receiving $575,000 from the SCASD Grant Program to help fund and aid the first 3 years of operations for a business carrier to fly 3-5 daily flights, on 50-100 seat regional jets, to a hub such as Chicago O’Hare, Cincinnati, Charlotte, DC, or even Atlanta.
Since I began this blog, this is something I have pushed for. Daily Flights is what will bring the YNG Airport back, not flights to Orlando or Atlantic City 1-2 times per week. The math simply adds up folks! Let’s say we get 3 flights a day on a 70 seat jet, and in year 1 we get 70% loads. 3 x 70(.7)= 147 passengers per day x 365 days per year= 53,655 passengers per year! You add that with the 20-25k from the Allegiant Air flights, the Airport could see upwards of 75,000 passengers per year as soon as the year 2009.
What can we do to help… That is something Steve Bowser and myself discussed a few weeks ago and will need to discuss now. We are hoping to get the imput from the Mahoning Valley to get the best product for YNG!
Business Journal: Airport Lands Grant to Lure Service!
VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A $575,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be used to help lure daily jet service to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, announced the grant, from Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development program, in a news release issued this afternoon.
The money will be used to attract daily jet service specifically targeted to the local business traveler, helping to subsidize the carrier’s startup costs, said Steve Bowser, aviation director. “This is to help mitigate their costs of introducing themselves to our market, only as it relates to their operations,” he said.
“Basically, we’re going to be re-approaching airlines and letting them know we have this particular grant available,” he said.
The $575,000 award is a little over two-thirds of what the airport had requested. It had submitted a grant request of $800,000.
Bowser could not say why the airport’s grant request was not fully funded — only that Transportation officials stated they would get back to him in a few days to go over details of the grant.
DOT spokesman John Mayfield did not return calls.
In its application, Bowser said, the airport proposed a timeline of about 24 months to find a carrier, then a three-year timeframe to spend the money.
In 2004, the airport was awarded a $250,000 grant for marketing, which was used to attract Allegiant Air.
Allegiant has been operating at the airport since 2006, offering twice-weekly flights to and from Sanford/Orlando, Fla. Under rules applying to the grant, an airport cannot resubmit for the same kind of funds, Bowser said.
“It will be up to the port authority, the community, and any assistance we can get through local businesses to help us promote and market the service,” he said.
Once the airport is able to get one daily carrier, Bowser predicted it would be easier to attract others. “Getting the first one is the hardest one,” he said.
BREAKING NEWS: YNG To Receive $575,000 from SCASD Program!
I do not have any article or any link for you guys to read, but I got word this evening that the YNG Airport will receive $575,000; 3rd most given to any single city, in this year’s program. Here is a list of what cities received what $$$ amounts.
The small community air service grant awards are out:
Yuma, AZ $200,000
Stockton, CA $400,000
New Haven, CT $300,000
Panama City, FL $575,000
Burlington, IA $140,000
Terre Haute, IN $350,000
Bowling Green, KY $150,000
Lexington, KY $600,000
Ironwood, MI $135,000
Saginaw, MI $500,000
Kirksville, MO $30,000
Golden Triangle, MS $500,000
Greenville, MS $450,000
Helena, MT 450,000
North Carolina DOT 573,278
Minot, ND $500,000
Southeast New Mexico $400,000
Athens, OH $50,000
Youngstown, OH $575,000
Astoria, OR $842,400
Klamath Falls, OR $400,000
Pennsylvania DOT $400,000
Mid-Continent, TN $50,000
St. Croix, VI $150,000
Oak Harbor, WA $180,000
Rhinelander, WI $75,000
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