633 replies to this topic

[drc72]

Isn't Bradley much bigger than TF Green in RI? But yet their getting $15 million more than we are.  

[uconn99]

BDL used to be a lot bigger than PVD back 10-15 years ago. Today BDL is about 1 or 1.5 million more passengers a year, althought MHT in Manchester is still smaller than both BDL and PVD by a decent amount of passengers.

BDL has far more cargo than any airport in New England except for Boston.

[paul514]

JimSawhill, on Jan 27 2007, 01:24 PM, said:

MadVlad:

     Who knows. We might be a hub for NWA. It would be nice!

JimS

I don't think Hartford will ever be a hub for any airline. It's not geographically positioned to be a hub, and there isn't enough of a population base. Hubs tend to be in areas that offer good connection opportunities like Chicago, Detroit, etc. Also there's been a tendency by large carriers to trim service the smaller hubs and downsize other cities to regional jets. If cities like Columbus, Pittsburgh, St. Louis cannot maintain hub status then Hartford has no chance. Even as a Northeast transatlantic gateway it cannot compete with JFK, Newark or Boston.

It's not a bad thing that Hartford is not a hub, just ask many residents in hubs dominated by a single carrier how much they pay for tickets. What BDL needs is to attract more airlines, for instance Air Tran and jetBlue. Some routes to Atlanta and to Florida by the former and nonstop flight to California on the latter would be good.

[beerbeer]

When air traffic was growing by huge percentages in the 90's.  Bradley was one of the slowest growing airports in the country.  And the DOT was patting itself on the back and the Courant was reporting the growth as good news.  Nothing helps the incompetent like the ignorant.

[MadVlad]

paul514, on Jan 29 2007, 07:44 PM, said:

I don't think Hartford will ever be a hub for any airline. It's not geographically positioned to be a hub, and there isn't enough of a population base. Hubs tend to be in areas that offer good connection opportunities like Chicago, Detroit, etc. Also there's been a tendency by large carriers to trim service the smaller hubs and downsize other cities to regional jets. If cities like Columbus, Pittsburgh, St. Louis cannot maintain hub status then Hartford has no chance. Even as a Northeast transatlantic gateway it cannot compete with JFK, Newark or Boston.

It's not a bad thing that Hartford is not a hub, just ask many residents in hubs dominated by a single carrier how much they pay for tickets. What BDL needs is to attract more airlines, for instance Air Tran and jetBlue. Some routes to Atlanta and to Florida by the former and nonstop flight to California on the latter would be good.

I just saw a Frontier add for service directly to Denver.  That's a start....

[TaylorG4444]

I completely agree with the idea of CT having it's own Port Authority because the DOT is a bunch of brainless twits. A step further would be to make it impossible for anyone in the DOT currently "responsible" for airport decisions to be involved with the newly organized Port Authority. New minds = new solutions = new $$$$.

[TaylorG4444]

Denver is a great start, but new and existing carriers just won't be trying to expand BDL's market unless they see a considerate demand for a particular destination. Air Tran most likely would not star ATL service for atleast another 5 years and JetBlue to the west coast won't be happening even though I think a BDL-OAK route would be great. Something that people need to remember is that ALL of the legacy airlines are focusing their efforts towards INT'L travel. Expanding domestically isn't on their radar right now. However, depending on how well BDL-west coast does in the next 5 years we MIGHT see additional service there via SFO or OAK.

[T52]

I am not certain if the law has changed but I own a small plane and ran a small private public use airport in Connecticut from 1991 through the early 2000's. There was a State Statute that prohibited non State owned airports from receiving Federal funds in theory to allow the State to receive more (Windor Locks, Hartford, New Haven, Willimantic, Oxford, Danbury, Bridgeport, Danielson and New London). Other states do not have this regulation and that may account for some of the disparity. That law may have been changed or may be under review as I am aware of a program that provides Federal funds for municipalities to purchase small airports and there are some applications in the works.

[JimSawhill]

All:

     I'd love to see the following at BDL.

Airlines:

     1) JetBlue
     2) AirTran
     3) USA3000 (an airline that flys to Stewart Airport (Newburgh,NY) from St.Pete/Clearwater Airport)

Other improvments:

      1) lounges to conduct businesses in
      2)Commuter train service.

JimS

[JimSawhill]

beerbeer, on Jan 29 2007, 12:14 PM, said:

It's freaking amazing. Connecticut receives the least amount of Federal Aviation Authority money of any state in the nation. And state and federal officials say they can’t figure out why.

The disparity in funding is notable among the New England states. While Connecticut received $4.7 million from the FAA in 2005, Massachusetts was awarded $51.8 million, New Hampshire was doled out $21.1 million and Rhode Island got $20.1 million. Maine also received nearly three times the amount of Connecticut’s FAA appropriation with $18.4 million in FAA funding and Vermont received more than double at $10.9 million.

Even the U.S. Virgin Islands got more, with $5.2 million.

Hmmm...

     Interesting! I know Bangor (ME) Airport and Portland (ME) Jetportboth getplanes from oversees if Logan is closed, so maybe that is why they get more than us. Vermont gets more then us?? Wow!

    I'd love to see a CT PORT AUTHORITY. Besides BDL, I'd put the 3 ports (Bridgeport, New Haven and New London), RAILBANKED RAILROADS, Tweed-NewHaven, Sikorsky and Groton/NewLondon airports in the CPA, too. Any comments?

JimS

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

JimSawhill, on Jan 31 2007, 10:26 AM, said:

All:

     I'd love to see the following at BDL.

Airlines:

     1) JetBlue
     2) AirTran
     3) USA3000 (an airline that flys to Stewart Airport (Newburgh,NY) from St.Pete/Clearwater Airport)

Other improvments:

      1) lounges to conduct businesses in
      2)Commuter train service.

JimS

Spirit Air also.  They have flights from Boston to Myrtle Beach for $150 RT.

[uconn99]

Hartford gets plenty of diversisons when Boston and NYC has bad weather. I once saw 15 International wide bodies @ BDL one summer day.

[penetcostal_iglesia_faith]

uconn99, on Jan 31 2007, 03:15 PM, said:

Hartford gets plenty of diversisons when Boston and NYC has bad weather. I once saw 15 International wide bodies @ BDL one summer day.

Maybe something happen for a reason, you just never know is like the the enemy trying to mess up CT and we can won the BATTLE  but we can fall but can get right BACK UP!    

Edited by penetcostal_iglesia_faith, 31 January 2007 - 05:21 PM.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

http://www.courant.c...-headlines-home

That's bad news however you look at it - BDL better get with the rail service and added flights ASAP.

[uconn99]

Hope this isn't any indication on how the flight is selling......




http://www.nwa.com/offers/bdltatl/

[Whaler0718]

I don't think they're selling at all yet b/c service doesn't start until July, does it?  I mean it makes sense to me that they'd offer a big promotion at first to bring attention to the route.  I may take a trip to Europe this summer but I'm not nearly ready to start planning it.

[blink55184]

Jet Blue would be awesome.
Nice new planes, every seat with their own tv screen.

Dont know if they still are, but for a while there, they were doing nonstop NY to Boston or vice versa for $25 one way, bought 7 days in advance

[blink55184]

According to this, posted 2 days ago, the CDOT plans on doing more for the Groton-New London airport than anywhere else!!

http://www.ct.gov/do...Q=328374&A=1527

Theophrastus Bombastus, on Feb 2 2007, 09:08 AM, said:

http://www.courant.c...-headlines-home

That's bad news however you look at it - BDL better get with the rail service and added flights ASAP.

That really is a BIGG IF though. I lived in Newburgh for 2 years, it is no picnic.

Just as you cross the bridge into Newburgh over the Hudson, 84 just falls apart. It is in bad shape, the airport is old, the city is having ALOT of crime/drug issues(not that that will defer air travelers..just saying..)

[beerbeer]

I'm glad Northwest is running a promotion for its new Hartford/Amsterdam route. That's how grow ups do it.  They don't just cross their fingers and hope folks get on board.  NWA is proactively marketing the route.  I know marketing is a foreign word in Hartford but in the real world it's how things are done.

[uconn99]

You can already buy tickets for BDL-AMS and onward.  BDL-AMS in july is around $950, cheaper than NYC, BOS and DTW. I am sure fares will come down a bit closer to summer.