Finally: Airport Master Plan Released
For the first time since I started this blog, I finally have a copy of the YNG 20 Year Master Plan. It can be accessed by way of the Airport’s website at this link: CLICK HERE.
The PDF file is 318 pages and about 30mb, so prepare to give it a good amount of time before reading. I am just skimming it to see some things I care about the most: Airline Transportation and Future Airport Development.
They cover the airline industry well, but it was back in 2005 when that portion of the Master Plan was being conducted; so it lacks in the new stats especially in regards to Allegiant Air’s presence at KYNG. They also mention about future terminal development. One option if it is ever needed is to expand the terminal to the SE and extend it to the security fence from the current baggage area. The other option would be post-master plan is to build a brand new one on the west end of the airport near Ridge Road, much closer to the freeway.
Also are some predicted renovations and additions to the airport towards the 200 page mark. It talks about fixing the airport columns and curbing in 2009; a brand new baggage conveyor system which I think is needed now come 2013; and brand new carpeting, painting, and up to date renovations of the terminal come 2024.
I will post more as I have more time to read it; I encourage your comments!
21 WFMJ and Allegiant Air Partner Up
I guess 21 WFMJ took it to heart when I wrote a nasty article on this very site when they did not cover the Airport’s new marketing campaign, as well as how they continue to allow CAK to dominate the airwaves during their newscasts. This morning, I was quite surprised. Allegiant Air was sponsoring a segment of WFMJ today around 6:45am, their top time slot of the morning.
Allegiant Air had a nice 30 second ad promoting Allegiant Air’s service from Youngstown to Orlando with low fares beginning at $79 one way. Let’s hope this ad gets more people in our area to fly Allegiant Air. What we truly need though are radio ad’s on stations in Akron, such as WKDD 98.1 and WDJQ 92.5; which are Akron-Canton’s Hot 101 and 95.9 Kiss-FM. These ad’s would perhaps steal some traffic from CAK, which is a must right now!
Interesting News from February Port Meeting…
Well I just got ahold of the February Board Minutes, and I got some good news to post! Here is a Link to the Minutes: CLICK HERE.
Airport AD Steve Bowser attended the 2008 Allegiant Air Airport Conference, 50 current airports and 50 more which hope to get Allegiant’s service were in attendance. Bowser got this news: The load factors and yields are up. Allegiant has scheduled more flights into August compared to last year. Chairman Masternick asked if YNG’s load factor met or exceeded Allegiant’s expectations. Mr. Bowser noted that YNG has exceeded Allegiant’s load factors by nearly 10%. It was noted that the load factors for Allegiant would be instrumental in enticing new airlines to YNG.
This is great news to here, because Allegiant Air not only just purchased 6 new jets, but they are looking at expanding to new routes in the coming weeks, let’s cross our fingers YNG gets additional flights!
What I also found out is that YNG has hired the Sixel Consulting Group to help in attracting an airline. The selling point about Sixel is that they will defer all fee’s until the airport/Sixel are successful in enticing an airline to Youngstown!
This is positive news for the airport for the year of 2008. We just received a grant worth nearly $1 million dollars. Stay tuned to our blog for the latest info!
KYNG gets close to $1 Million for Security
This grant + $565k + $900k from a year ago= About $2.5 Million Federal/State Dollars to improve the airport….
VIENNA — The Federal Aviation Administration has approved a $962,885
grant for the Western Reserve Port Authority to improve safety at its
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, announced the grant today.
The money will go toward safety equipment, airfield guidance signs
and fencing improvements. These funds are necessary to enhance airport
safety.
“I pledge to continue working for the airport’s needed resources but
also look forward to working with the port authority on broader
economic development projects throughout the Mahoning Valley,” Ryan
said in a press release.
“This grant is extremely important because the FAA won’t allow us to
move ahead with the airport’s master plan until we complete the fence
project. This puts us two years ahead of schedule,” said John
Masternick Jr., authority chairman.
Federal funds are being provided for the fourth construction phase
to raise the height of the wildlife perimeter fence from eight to 10
feet.
In addition, funds have been made available for the installation of runway guidance signs at the airport.
Skybus no more, so much for our efforts!
From the Skybus.com Website:
Skybus struggled to overcome the combination of rising jet fuel costs
and a slowing economic environment. These two issues proved to be
insurmountable for a new carrier.
We deeply regret the impact this decision will have on our employees
and their families, customers, vendors, suppliers, airport officials
and others in the cities in which we have operated. Our financial
condition is such that our Board of Directors felt it had no choice but
to cease operations.
Passengers holding reservations for Skybus flights scheduled to depart
on or after Saturday, April 5, 2008 should contact their credit card
companies to arrange to apply for a refund. More information for
customers and others will be made available on the Skybus web site
(www.skybus.com) as it becomes available.
All flights for Friday, April 4 will be completed. Passengers holding
reservations on flights for Friday, April 4 should check in for their
flight at a Skybus kiosk at the airport instead of the Skybus website.
Interesting Flight from MSP then to MCI
Yesterday, an ExpressJet Airlines Embraer-145 landed at the airport from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Just tonight it left to go to Kansas City, MO. I went and looked around on the internet, and none of these two cities is where ExpressJet is based at. I was hoping that perhaps ExpressJet came to the airport to talk one on one with Steve Bowser about future flights; and maybe that occured, but as of now it is unlikely.
Does anyone know what this flight was for tonight?
Thank You Tribune Chronicle!!!
I awoke this morning with a Google Alert email signaling there is a newspaper article on the airport. Well I opened the article up, and it was about local blogs, and the Tribune Chronicle mentioned this very blog!
QUOTE: " It’s a stark contrast to other Youngstown-Warren sites on the Internet.
Many of the local blogs champion the area’s potential and list what the
area could become. The FlyYoungstown Blog at YNGAir.com publishes
passenger data each month for flights leaving and returning to the
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, and acts as a collection point for
news about the airport."
Here is the link to the article: LINK.
We ask you write your comments back to the Tribune Chronicle on here for us to send to them! We appreciate this surprise in the Sunday Paper!
Shame on 21 WFMJ-NBC
I’ve had it with 21 WFMJ. I’ve never been a fan of this station, and after today, I am not going to watch it anymore. They use the BS slogan "More Local News." Well today the Airport unveiled a major campaign that will help secure our current airline service with Allegiant Air. 570 WKBN and WKBN/WYTV-TV each made note of this press conference on their news broadcasts, but 21 did not.
All 21 WFMJ cares about is the money they are getting from the Akron-Canton Regional Airport for their morning forecasts and other advertising that CAK does on 21. I am sick of it. I urge you to email 21 WFMJ in protest at the email: news@wfmj.com
There is no excuse for 21 WFMJ not to be there at this press conference. So shame on them, and thanks to the other local media that made note of this major campaign unveiled today at the airport!
Marketing Campaign Begins TODAY!
From the Trib:
A campaign urging local businesses to buy Allegiant Air tickets for
employee incentive programs will be unveiled Friday at
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
Rubenstein Associates of
Liberty has been hired to conduct the marketing campaign, which county
officials are touting as ‘‘the first area co-branding and
co-promotional program with Valley business and industry.’’ The Western
Reserve Port Authority, which oversees the airport, set aside $27,500
for the effort.
Promotions for the campaign will be run on
television and the Internet, Lee Ann Heltzel, a spokesperson for the
marketing consultant firm, said.
Businesses that purchase
tickets will have a variety of choices, from flight tickets only or a
package coupled with a hotel and entertainment, airport officials said.
Most flights through August from the airport in Vienna to Orlando
Sanford International Airport in Florida range from $59 and $99,
according to the Allegiant Air Web site.
‘‘Allegiant has been doing well,’’ Trumbull County Commissioner Daniel Polivka said. ‘‘We want to keep it strong.’’
Polivka said that as a commissioner, he supports the effort
wholeheartedly. Trumbull and Mahoning counties support the airport with
excise taxes on motel and hotel use.
Officials have pointed
out that if the vacation air service continues to get a good response
from the community, it helps the Port Authority’s efforts to attract
other kinds of flights. The airport has been seeking an airline to
offer business travel and other types of daily passenger service.
The idea of encouraging area companies to buy Allegiant Air tickets was
conceived by John Masternick, chairman of the Port Authority. He had
bought two hotel/airline package tickets to Orlando to give away at his
Windsor House employee banquet. It generated so much excitement among
his staff, he said, that he recommended the concept to the Port
Authority.
Not only would it help Allegiant, but it would benefit companies by boosting morale, the chairman told the Port Authority.
‘‘John’s thoughts were that any methodology we can use to fill seats
with Allegiant Air and keep the ridership up would help increase other
activity at the airport,’’ Steve Bowser, director of aviation at
Youngstown-Warren, said. ‘‘That’s what we’ve done (with the campaign).’’
Bowser has said airport representatives regularly talk with Allegiant
and other airlines about expanding service there. Passenger loads,
though, are not the only consideration, he noted.
The profit
Allegiant can make from the flights is reduced despite high ridership,
Bowser has said. That’s because it must keep its pricing competitive
with airlines operating out of nearby airports such as Akron-Canton, he
noted.
YNG Launches: “Project: Business Allegiance”
FROM THE BUSINESS JOURNAL
VIENNA, Ohio — The Western Reserve Port Authority is preparing to launch next week its long-discussed marketing initiative to encourage business leaders to purchase tickets on Allegiant Air.
Although billed as "Project: Business Allegiance," the goals are to encourage more business for Allegiant or to attract an additional regularly scheduled carrier, said the port authority chairman, John Masternick.
Masternick told the airport board about the impending launch of the marketing effort during its meeting Wednesday at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
Businesses in northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania will be encouraged to buy tickets or entire vacation packages that they could give away to employees as incentives and other morale boosters, Masternick said.
From the airport, Allegiant provides twice-weekly service to the vacation and resort market of Orlando, Fla.
The initiative’s goal is to sell 4,000 Allegiant tickets, Masternick said.
First proposed about a year ago, the campaign is being conducted through Rubenstein Associates, a marketing and advertising agency in Liberty Township.
"We’re basically going to do a direct telephone campaign over the next several months to area businesses," said Carolyn Rubenstein, a principal with the company, and public service announcements will be prepared for television and radio stations to augment the effort. More details of the campaign will be announced March 28.
"We’re hoping to get another airline potentially or another route from Allegiant," Masternick said, by showing Allegiant’s ability to draw passengers with its service to Youngstown is "so overwhelmingly successful. That’s what other airlines look at."
He would also like to see Allegiant add a connector to another market, such as Cincinnati, Chicago or Atlanta.
The airport is working with Carlson Wagonlit Travel on the program, he said. The global travel agency has offices in Howland and Boardman.
A program such as Project: Business Allegiance would be unique, said Tyri Squyres, Allegiant’s communications director. "We’ve never seen it before. It’ll be interesting to see it happen."
While the company does not comment specifically on loads, she said the Youngstown-Warren market continues to do well. She also noted that the barometer of how they assess loads on flights rises and falls with fluctuations in fuel costs.
Airport aviation director Steve Bowser told the board that loads for Allegiant’s February flights from the regional airport averaged 94.7%. According to its traffic report for the month, system-wide Allegiant had a load factor for scheduled service of 86.4% and 83.9% overall.
Masternick also informed members that discussions continue with Mahoning and Trumbull counties, as well as with other entities, to secure funding for an economic development position.
"We’re very interested in looking for someone that can provide economic development for the two-county area but using the tools the port authority has, such as the ability to issue bonds, that we’ve never tapped into before," he said. "We’re looking to awaken a sleeping giant."
After being named chairman of the port authority in January, Masternick expressed interest in creating a new board separate from the existing port authority, modeled on the Summit County Port Authority, that would be dedicated to economic development.
Yesterday, Masternick said the new position would serve as a division of the Western Reserve Port Authority. "At the time I wasn’t sure how to create it but I’ve learned more now," he said.
As for funding the position, "a lot of appropriations requests [have been] submitted," he said. "There’s another entity I know that requested funding for this position and I’m waiting to see what the results of these appropriations requests are."
The port authority approved its 2008 budget Wednesday. It projects $1,346,849 in income, including $703,188 in bed taxes from the two counties, and expenses of $1,389,569. A carryover of $43,500 from 2007 would cover the anticipated $42,720 shortfall.
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