Southwest Airlines expected to announce CVG
01-04-2017, 10:09 AM
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Southwest Airlines expected to announce CVG
Southwest Airlines expected to announce it's coming to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport - Story
Southwest Airlines expected to announce it's coming to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
WCPO Staff
HEBRON, Ky. - Southwest Airlines is expected to come to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport after announcing it is pulling out of Dayton on Wednesday.
The move to CVG is expected to be announced at a 3 p.m. news conference.
WATCH for details on WCPO and WCPO.com
"I can't confirm anything but we are working on some news regarding new service for Southwest Ohio," Dan Landson of Southwest Airlines Media Relations, emailed WCPO.
Southwest is ending its Dayton service on June 3, so CVG service might begin shortly after that.
Last summer, CVG offered new incentives to Southwest and other airlines beginning this week. The offer waives landing fees, gate use fees and ticket counter fees. An existing carrier or new entrant – like Southwest - could also receive marketing support.
Such incentive programs have become increasingly important in attracting new airlines, CVG officials said, although airports are restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration on their type and duration.
"As we go out and talk to airlines, we typically get 20 minutes; a lot of people call it speed dating," said Adam Kressler, director of air service development at CVG. "Eight out of 10 times, (they're) going to ask about our air service incentive package – and it's been a short conversation up to this point, because we didn't have it."
The airport board ultimately approved $150,000 in marketing support for flights to a new target market.
CVG has identified nine such target markets, which include many West Coast destinations, namely Long Beach, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, San Diego and Orange County-John Wayne, but also Dallas, Houston and Chicago-Midway – destinations where there's strong demand but no direct routes, said Bobby Spann, CVG vice president of external affairs.
"It's a very competitive environment that we find ourselves operating in," Kressler said. "We think we've built a really good program. It's not the most aggressive in the world, but it certainly gets us to the table and makes us part of the conversation. We're on par with our regional peers with the dollar amounts we see."
The addition of Southwest, following its low-cost colleagues Frontier and Allegiant last year, would be a welcomed boost to CVG, which has been trying to regain its footing since Delta removed its hub. CVG, meanwhile, has become one of the leading cargo airports in North America through its DHL worldwide hub.
CVG reported its 27th straight month of local passenger growth in November. Year-over-year local passenger volume grew 15.6 percent and exceeded 500,000 passengers, making it the strongest November for local passenger volume since 2001, the airport said. Total passenger volume, which includes connecting passengers, was also up 10.3 percent, making November the 19th consecutive month for total airport growth and the best overall November since 2010.
“We continue to see fantastic results in passenger growth at CVG, due in large part to lower fares and the steady expansion of air service options,” said CEO Candace McGraw.
Southwest operates three daily flights between Dayton and Chicago Midway. Southwest had reduced its Dayton flights by 16 percent as of November from the same month in 2015. The airline flew less flights from Dayton airport than American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
“Decisions to leave a city are never an easy decision,” said Landson. “We have a responsibility to send our people and our places to where they are needed the most. Our main focus right now is on our impacted employees and assisting them to find positions throughout Southwest’s network so they remain among the 53,000 that make Southwest great. We truly appreciate the support shown by the Dayton community.”
WCPO will update this story.
Southwest Airlines expected to announce it's coming to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
WCPO Staff
HEBRON, Ky. - Southwest Airlines is expected to come to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport after announcing it is pulling out of Dayton on Wednesday.
The move to CVG is expected to be announced at a 3 p.m. news conference.
WATCH for details on WCPO and WCPO.com
"I can't confirm anything but we are working on some news regarding new service for Southwest Ohio," Dan Landson of Southwest Airlines Media Relations, emailed WCPO.
Southwest is ending its Dayton service on June 3, so CVG service might begin shortly after that.
Last summer, CVG offered new incentives to Southwest and other airlines beginning this week. The offer waives landing fees, gate use fees and ticket counter fees. An existing carrier or new entrant – like Southwest - could also receive marketing support.
Such incentive programs have become increasingly important in attracting new airlines, CVG officials said, although airports are restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration on their type and duration.
"As we go out and talk to airlines, we typically get 20 minutes; a lot of people call it speed dating," said Adam Kressler, director of air service development at CVG. "Eight out of 10 times, (they're) going to ask about our air service incentive package – and it's been a short conversation up to this point, because we didn't have it."
The airport board ultimately approved $150,000 in marketing support for flights to a new target market.
CVG has identified nine such target markets, which include many West Coast destinations, namely Long Beach, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, San Diego and Orange County-John Wayne, but also Dallas, Houston and Chicago-Midway – destinations where there's strong demand but no direct routes, said Bobby Spann, CVG vice president of external affairs.
"It's a very competitive environment that we find ourselves operating in," Kressler said. "We think we've built a really good program. It's not the most aggressive in the world, but it certainly gets us to the table and makes us part of the conversation. We're on par with our regional peers with the dollar amounts we see."
The addition of Southwest, following its low-cost colleagues Frontier and Allegiant last year, would be a welcomed boost to CVG, which has been trying to regain its footing since Delta removed its hub. CVG, meanwhile, has become one of the leading cargo airports in North America through its DHL worldwide hub.
CVG reported its 27th straight month of local passenger growth in November. Year-over-year local passenger volume grew 15.6 percent and exceeded 500,000 passengers, making it the strongest November for local passenger volume since 2001, the airport said. Total passenger volume, which includes connecting passengers, was also up 10.3 percent, making November the 19th consecutive month for total airport growth and the best overall November since 2010.
“We continue to see fantastic results in passenger growth at CVG, due in large part to lower fares and the steady expansion of air service options,” said CEO Candace McGraw.
Southwest operates three daily flights between Dayton and Chicago Midway. Southwest had reduced its Dayton flights by 16 percent as of November from the same month in 2015. The airline flew less flights from Dayton airport than American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
“Decisions to leave a city are never an easy decision,” said Landson. “We have a responsibility to send our people and our places to where they are needed the most. Our main focus right now is on our impacted employees and assisting them to find positions throughout Southwest’s network so they remain among the 53,000 that make Southwest great. We truly appreciate the support shown by the Dayton community.”
WCPO will update this story.
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