IS IT TRUE? September 28, 2011 Part 2 EVV – DC Flights get a Thumbs Up
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Regional Airport got a shot in the arm yesterday with a grant of $500,000?…that this grant is reportedly going to be used to subsidize direct flights to the Washington DC area?…that this is a decision with potential to impress Southwest Airlines that is scheduled to acquire the little known carrier that will be experimenting with the Evansville to DC route?…that if we the people of Evansville keep these flights filled to reasonable capacity that Southwest will take note of this and we may actually have just found a back door way to get a discount carrier to try out EVV?…that this writer has been to Washington DC on many occasions but my wife has never seen our nation’s capital?…that during this period of subsidy we will be scheduling a trip to DC and we will be using the EVV – DC connection?…that this is our way of supporting our local airport and that we encourage our readers, friends, school field trip planners etc. to do the same?
IS IT TRUE that in the game of growing or attracting corporate headquarters that the business friendliness of flight schedules is at or near the top of the list for decision makers?…that in today’s Wall Street Journal that the decline in flights and the high cost of flights to and from the Cincinnati airport (that is in KY) is cited as responsible for the corporate headquarters of Chiquita Brands to consider moving to a city with a more accommodating flight schedule?…that the Cincinnati airports excessive pricing is cited as the reason that Toyota’s team members opt to drive the 520 mile round trip to their engineering offices in Ann Arbor, MI?…that the Cincinnati airport at its high point had 600 flights per day and is now down to 190?
IS IT TRUE that making EVV a headquarters friendly airport will not be easy but if the efforts are strategic, the fares are cost effective, and the schedules work for business it is a worthy effort?…that the $500,000 in free money is a drop in the bucket but it does buy us a lottery ticket that may just earn us some success on the direct flight to DC map?…that the technology transfer program at GAGE that was established 3 years ago in 2008 was patterned after the highly successful program at TEDCO that is between Baltimore and Washington?…that the area in and around DC is ripe with Federal Labs with current and available patents that are open season for GAGE?…that if Republican Mayoral candidate Lloyd Winnecke who is a vocal supporter of the GAGE technology transfer program as a platform to transform the local economy just hit the lottery with subsidized direct flights to DC?…that anyone and everyone who is in the business of furthering technology transfer as a solution in Evansville should realize the window of opportunity that this flight will offer?…that if we do not take advantage of this opportunity that the window shall surely close within a year or so?
IS IT TRUE that if we can just get moving on those 4 Jetways that we can make these flying experiences even more business friendly?…that it will be more tourist friendly too?
SPONSORSHIPS ANYONE?
1) Great news that the Airport got this grant. My understanding is that it will be used to attract a carrier by: a) providing for a payment to the carrier if revenue targets aren’t met; and b) providing advertising for the new carrier. $ 500K seems like a seriously small amount of money … if they had to wait for this grant to get started on attracting another carrier, I hope they burn the midnight oil on the Airport Board’s monthly Frdiay afternoon meeting starting at 4:00 PM !; and
2) I believe the jetways project was also cited as one which was eligible for “FAA Reimburesement”. Does the Airport have the Cash to make the expenditure ? Does the reimbursement have to be pre-approved ? If the answers are yes and no, respectively, pull the trigger today ! The jetways will seed the new carrier, talk about low-hanging fruit !!!
Is it true, these Evansville flights are now subsidized by Hu Jintao?
PEOPLE, THIS MONEY IS NOT FREE.
Can we send thank you cards to the embassy in Beijing?
You no rike flee money? Flee money is excerrent? You no take fright with Uncle Hu? You no be mean, you plick!
DC is wonderful destinations for a few days get away if the flight price is right. School trips to see the Smithsonian, the Capitol, the Whitehouse, Arlington, all the monuments could keep the plane full…forget school trips I’m ready to go again! It’s truly a wonderful family destination. Hopefully the flight actually goes into BWI in Baltimore because Southwest has a huge hub there!
The Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) is a great airport named after an excellent Supreme Court Justice. It is a great place to land for a sightseeing trip to DC and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
the delays in getting a complete airport make the point I’ve had all along re: The Arena: what might we, as a community, have done with $ 200,000,000 american dollars if we had not gone forth with the Arena?
1) Buy jetways ($ 1,500,000) and an incentive for additional carriers ($ 500,000)–both for 1/100th of the Arena outlay;
2) Install a City-owned high-speed internet service company , with profits plowed back into infrastructure;
3) Hire people to get a viable venture capital group established to fully serve the needs of those among us with vision and drive, with jobs being the byproduct;
4) Build a large, move-in-ready office space with all the bells & whistles. After someone moves their corporate HQ here . . . build another one ;
5) Start buying up dilapidated housing, knock them flat, and plant trees;
6) Actually MAINTAIN OUR PARKS, and much, much more ! Just imagine !
I guarantee you I can book a flight from Louisville to D.C. for half the price of a flight from EVV, and that includes if I park at Budget on Crittenden (free shuttle to airport incl.) for a week, plus adding in the gasoline to and from Louisville.
I ran a spot check of your (guarantee) hypothesis Soon2B
used Orbitz.com
dates 10/14 to 10/23
lowest fare from EVV to IAD (Dulles, NOVA) = $304
lowest fare from Louisville (SDF) to IAD = $258
I dare you to book your guarantee – SDF to IAD for $152.
Add gas to, and parking at SDF, as well as more (unknown amount) time due to bridge detours…….
When I fly, I fly from EVV.
Forgot about the I-64 bridge. You’re right. Ain’t going that way!
Continental and United are offering flights today for 169.00 Indy to D.C., and AirTran is $151.00 landing at Reagan, which is only 4 miles from my dad’s home. Last time I drove from Baltimore to Alexandria was a frigging nightmare.
Several hotels near airport in Indy offer $5 p/day parking w/ free shuttle, and remember, parking ain’t free at Dress either.
Are those one-way flights?
I should have mentioned the fares I quoted were for round trip.
ps – didn’t check for Reagan. Historically they were always the highest. The BWI figures aren’t much different than those for IAD. Within 10 bucks.
I’ll still dare you to book a round trip SDF (IND was not in your original guarantee) for a DC area airport of your choosing (DCA, IAD, or BWI) for $152.
… and btw my destination is Fairfax.
One of few the local organizations that I have faith in is GAGE. If this helps them we ought to give it a shot. If it works, that’s great, if not, we’ve added to the national debt that will screw up our kids’ lives for the next 50 years.
I agree completely that GAGE has the charter in place to make a profound positive difference on this region. It always has. If the original intent of GAGE can be achieved it can make a big difference. The shortcomings of the past are political tampering with the fundamental goals of the organization, insufficient funding to attract and retain the kind of team to make it happen, and the vacuum of equity investment that is Evansville. GAGE was designed perfectly. Achieving that perfection will take adequate funding to address all of these deficiencies and the will to remove politics from a position of control.
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