Continue Supporting KYNG for Skybus!
We have had over 40 hits on that particular post the past few days, and I hope every single one of them was a hit for support for YNG. We need to show Skybus we want service this summer with them! They are beginning service in the next week or so to Gary Airport in Gary, IN; an airport with 0 airlines. If they can get Skybus, so can we. And if anyone from Skybus is reading this, please comment back to us on your thoughts of this effort! We want to make this work, and we want to make sure Skybus hears us loud and clear!
I ask you to click the above link; enter your first name, last name, and email address, then go to the bottom and Check the button labeled "I want to suggest a new city for Skybus."
Next:
Click Continue and there will be a new screen that asks you to enter
the name of the city you would like to suggest; enter: "Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, Youngstown, OH." Finally, in the final text box, I ask you to enter this statement:
The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is an
under-served airport in Northeast Ohio that is in the need of
additional airline service. Currently, Allegiant Air flies two
successful flights per week to Orlando, FL with high load factors.
Skybus would have the same success and then some. I urge you to please
consider the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport as a future destination
in your route system. Thanks!
Join Me: Suggest KYNG to Skybus!
Once again I would request everyone to join me in a grassroots effort to attract Skybus Airlines to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Below is a link that is a Contact Form that allows passengers and airport supporters like myself to voice support for our local airport.
I ask you to click the above link; enter your first name, last name, and email address, then go to the bottom and Check the button labeled "I want to suggest a new city for Skybus."
Next: Click Continue and there will be a new screen that asks you to enter the name of the city you would like to suggest; enter: "Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, Youngstown, OH." Finally, in the final text box, I ask you to enter this statement:
The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is an under-served airport in Northeast Ohio that is in the need of additional airline service. Currently, Allegiant Air flies two successful flights per week to Orlando, FL with high load factors. Skybus would have the same success and then some. I urge you to please consider the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport as a future destination in your route system. Thanks!
It’s time for YNG to follow Rockford!
From the Rockford-Register Star newspaper:
Chicago Rockford International Airport officials conducted an online
survey over the past two weeks asking people whether the airport got
seasonal, nonstop jet service — with an average fare of about $100 each
way to either tourist destination — which they would prefer.
Niagara Falls got 1,748 votes; Jackson Hole, home of Grand Teton
National Park and close to Yellowstone National Park, got 1,715.
The survey response could help the airport get a new destination, officials said.
Airport Executive Director Bob O’Brien said the airport is in talks
with an unnamed airline to start service to one or both as early as
Memorial Day. To start that early, though, a decision needs to be made
in the next 10 days. If something is announced later, service would
start later.
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Folks, I’ve been pushing for something like this for months now. Hell what do you think I started the RallyForYNG Poll for! Steve Bowser has had every opportunity to use the data from that poll to show to airlines, its simply to the right of this post and is on every page of this blog.
Just imagine us if we did do something like this, thought outside the box, and worked in this 21st century economy to get things done! The "SKIES THE LIMIT!"
Questions for Steve Bowser..
1. KYNG received $575,000 to attract an airline to fly 3-5 times per day to a regional hub. In the application to the DOT; the airport posted a time-line of sorts. In that time-line, for February 2008; you were to be working on a revenue guarentee with an airline. Is there a revenue guarentee being worked out, and if so, do you feel it will be finalized by late March like the time-line projected?
2. In September 2007, the Vindicator ran an article that stated "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."
Steve, have those talks continued since September?
3. We’ve been following the marketing director/consultant searches on this blog since September. Originally, the airport was going to hire a director, but as time wore on it appeared they would hire a marketing consultant, such as Landrum and Brown out of Cincinnati. Is the Port Authority still looking to hire a marketing director/consultant, and if so; how soon could they be hired?
4. The Airport Master Plan has been approve, or so we think, for a few months now, but we have not seen it go public? Has it gone public, and if so, will it be posted on the airport website?
5. Allegiant Air has been doing pretty well out of the Youngstown-Warren Regional on its flights to Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Has there been any effort whatsoever to get additional flights to Orlando-Sanford or to Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale? Is there anything we can do to encourage Allegiant to fly to Youngstown?
6. Would you be willing to work with this very blog to start a subscription based e-newsletter in which YNG/BLOG would send out a monthly newsletter on projects at the airport as well as deals on Allegiant flights. Airports like Akron-Canton, Rockford, and St. Pete do this and it’s very successful. This would be one way to spread the word about KYNG every month, as well as get valuable opinions from local travelers on what destinations they would like to see offered out of KYNG. This would cost the airport NOTHING, this blog would handle this entire campaign with our own money! Please consider!
7. The $4.50 Passenger Facility Charge was needed to improve our current facilities. I believe the first project was to purchase additional chairs for the gate holding area. Have those seats been purchased and installed? Also, when will the construction of restroom facilties begin in the gate holding area and where would these restrooms be constructed?
Thanks,
Fly Youngstown Blog
Back in Town, Can Blog Again!
I was recently out of town which prohibited me from blogging on here for a few weeks. Thanks to Karlb737 for posting something while I was gone. I do plan to post a lot more again. I’m expecting to have a blog around 4-5pm on Monday or Wednesday this week with Steve Bowser in our chat. The second I find out about the day and time, I will post it on here so you guys can all join us.
If you know you can’t make it, post some comments in here and I will relay them to Airport Director Steve Bowser. Thanks!
A Concept On Drawing Airlines To YNG
By Karl: Last month I touched on a topic relating to the creation of passenger flow to the Youngstown-Warren Airport. I pointed out that even a small start in the right direction I would consider a success. This time I wish to specifically focus in on techniques that are being used at another airport to acquire airlines to it. First we need to read a rather recent short article which includes exactly what we are looking for:
Airport Has Its Second-Best Month In January
http://www.businessrockford.com/breaking/x1224706883
Now this article talks a lot about the airlines and cities that can be traveled to from this airport but that is not our focus today.
Today we will only look at what techniques the airport management are using to achieve their goals of additional air service.
1. “Bob O’Brien has been so busy wooing airlines……”
This would indicate to me that you have to go out and seek the air carriers of choice.
2. “O’Brien is in Mexico this week meeting with airlines at a route-planning conference. While the focus is primarily service to Mexico and the Caribbean, he’s also speaking with European carriers looking to shuttle both passengers and cargo here.”
There is a lot in these two sentences. He is attending a route-planning conference with a focus of two specific destinations, and because it is a conference where you might possibly achieve multiple things at one time he is checking with carriers overseas about passenger and cargo considerations.
3. “You start these relationships and see where they go,” O’Brien said. “What we need to do at this early stage of development is to go to as many highly popular destinations across the U.S. and across the Caribbean so we can cause Rockford to appear to be a whole bunch bigger than it really is.”
Notice his statement where he sees the need to develop relationships in this area. And he calls this an early stage of development which would indicate this is a step by step process. Also he is after highly popular destinations.
4. “Today, he met with two European carriers and a Central American airline. On Tuesday, he meets with Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. He’s also had brief conversations with German airline Lufthansa.”
Note here how he has set up a schedule with several well known airlines for specific talks.
5. “To do that, he’s telling airlines not just about Rockford”
He is presenting a wider span of geography than just the city the airport is in. He wants to draw in the surrounding cities as well.
6. “He said he’s gotten a warm reception, with several airlines asking him to make an offer on starting service here.”
Now this is the value of this specific approach. This kind of reception I must admit even surprises me a whole lot. Maybe it has something to do with the airline meeting a representative of the airport face to face. Back to this approach he is using: It is systematic. It moves forward and slowly develops. It may go anywhere. I reference this statement to explain what I mean:
“You start these relationships and see where they go……”
In other words while this process is allowed to develop and yes it is systematic because it is planned not everything that is ahead can be seen right away.
Fellow YNG blog members unless some proven system such as this is utilized nothing will happen here at YNG. But all of this requires work outside of the terminal with a approach in mind.
Sorry for it being so quiet!
I’ve been very busy lately starting a brand new blog and a brand new Ohio HS Stadium website. In that time I forgot to post on here and I do apologize! I will be flying in the next week a few times out of neighboring airports and I plan to have some photos and bring some new idea’s to the table for YNG.
FLY YNG
A Concept On Drawing Passengers To YNG
By Karl: Sometimes in an effort to get the ball rolling to accomplish something it takes usually just some simple thought. I have expressed some of these some concepts before in previous posts. Today an idea to acquire a small airline to one destination. But not just any airline. A small one with just a handful of routes that has been operating long enough and careful enough to last. Sometimes an airport will grab anything to get service. GYY has done that with unfortunate results. RFD has been through that and has come out of it.
Southern Skyways flies to Myrtle Beach from currently seven cities. They appear to be focused on just that destination. A small focused airline that provided even just one destination can begin a passenger draw and start a momentum of passenger flow if the fliers are interested. Call it an initial spark if you will. But it can begin a change of traveling habits on a small scale. Thats all you need to start. If passengers are captured from the Youngstown-Warren and surrounding areas for just this one airline and destination — that is a success story.
YNG cannot just rely on Allegiant for what they may provide someday. Current fuel prices for their jets are creating a further delay in additional air service especially on their longer flights to LAS.
At this point someone reading this post will say “in light of the fact that they already fly from CAK and DAY why should they bother?” One, YNG has nothing to lose by trying and secondly because they are providing service to two cities in Ohio could indicate that multiple cities in one state is not a problem for them. Passengers are passengers — money is money — growth is growth. They like other similar airlines are most likely leaning on smaller unserved airports to capture that growth and income.
Finally they are asking you to contact them at this link:
http://www.southernskyways.com/contact.php
Please Copy and Paste the message below when filling out the form at the above link!
I highly encourage you to fly to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. If your carrier would offer service out of KYNG; my family and friends would deeply consider flying it out of KYNG due to the prices and convenience.
Thank You!
As you can see there is also an available newsletter that you can receive if you are interested. Tell them you want them to come to YNG. Just because CAK and DAY have their service that doesn’t mean that YNG can’t top them in passenger numbers. Look how RFD tops everybody else for Allegiant with just some creativity. YNG has nothing to lose by trying.
Incidently there is a similar airline which also flies to Myrtle Beach and Tampa-Clearwater. That airline is Myrtle Beach Direct Air. You may also want to look at their route map:
http://www.myrtlebeachdirectair.com/flights/routemap/
Yes they fly to Columbus, Ohio and provide service to Myrtle Beach for that city. However I want you to also note that they do not provide service to Tampa-Clearwater from Columbus. Don’t hold your breath for Allegiant to provide that flight. Take action and get Myrtle Beach Direct Air to provide it. They also provide an avenue to contact them and offer a newsletter if you are interested in that as well.
http://www.myrtlebeachdirectair.com/contact_us/
All of this passenger draw strategy can apply to both of these airlines. You pick and choose. I hope YNGAir will reactivate the “Rally For YNG” site to get the community interested and involved in the selection process on behalf of both of these airlines for YNG service.
Business Journal: WRPA Meeting Notes
By George Nelson
VIENNA, Ohio — The new chairman of the Western Reserve Port Authority says he wants to create a new board — split off from the existing one — that would pursue economic development.
The new board, which would use development tools such as the existing port authority’s ability to issue industrial revenue bonds, would be modeled on the Summit County Port Authority, said John Masternick, elected Tuesday as the port authority’s new chairman. Masternick, president of Windsor House Inc. in Girard, succeeds local attorney and pilot Joseph Maxin, who has served as chairman since September 2005.
Scott Lynn and Michael Harshman were re-elected to their positions as vice chairman and secretary, respectively.
Lynn, who chaired the board reorganization committee, noted that Maxin recently accepted a job out of town, limiting his availability.
Masternick has spearheaded efforts to develop Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, which the port authority operates, as an educational center for aviation-related fields. That effort resulted in the 2006 opening of a branch campus of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, which graduated its first local class last December.
“That’s been a personal project of mine,” he said, although he added that the major objectives of the port authority, as he sees it, are to keep the adjacent Vienna air base open, attract a major airline, and pursue economic development in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Achieving the third of those goals, he said, is why he wants to promote the creation of a separate entity. The existing port authority would continue to oversee airport operations.In the past, the Western Reserve Port Authority has used its ability to issue industrial revenue bonds to assist local development projects, such as TransLoad America’s acquisition and reactivation of the Smith Township Landfill. “That’s something we’ve got the power to do but we don’t have the expertise nor the structure,” he said, adding that he would model such a body on the Summit County Port Authority.
“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” he remarked. “We’re going to model it after something that’s been successful already.”
During the meeting, the airport’s aviation director, Steve Bowser, informed the board that he has received notification from the U.S. Department of Transportation that the airport was awarded a $575,000 Small Community Air Service Development grant. The money, which the airport applied for last year, will be used to attract and subsidize operations for a carrier targeted to serve the daily business traveler.
The airport had applied for a $900,000 grant, but DOT officials never explained why they approved the lower amount, Bowser said.
Enplanement numbers for both the regional airport’s sole regularly scheduled carrier, Allegiant Air, and charters showed improved performance for 2007, according to information provided to board members.
In 2007, 10,503 Allegiant passengers enplaned on 78 flights from the regional airport, up from 6,681 passengers on 56 flights in 2006, an increase of 3,822. Last year, 7,471 charter passengers enplaned at the airport on 122 flights, compared to 6,005 passengers on 58 flights the prior year.
“We’re hopeful this will spawn some new activity or increased activity with Allegiant,” Bowser said. He added he would be having additional discussions with the carrier next month “so we’ll see how that goes.”
Copyright 2008 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
Chat Next Week; WRPA Today
From 27WKBN: Members of the Port Authority met with commissioners, asking that instead of giving the county back the money, could they use the fifty thousand dollars to help get a million dollar grant for the airport. The Port Authority noted that they also borrowed fifty thousand dollars from Mahoning County and those officials are allowing them to use the money toward the grant.
Commissioner Paul Heltzel says the county was expecting to the get the money back sometime this fall, “Now, you are asking us to commit in January, when we have some other ideas where to use that money.”
Commissioners say they want to discuss the matter further with the county auditor before making any decisions.
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Steve Bowser emailed me today to tell me he’d get back to me next week on a night where we can have our chatroom return. On that night we can discuss why they would like/need Trumbull County to allow them to keep the $50,000 dollars which they owe the county. Meeting notes should be released tomorrow.
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