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Richmond International Airport


eandslee

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Would it even be timely or economical to drive from Central VA to the Triad for a flight? As passenger counts continue to grow at RIC, I imagine we will see more direct flights to an expanding number of cities.

Still, congrats and good luck to the Triad. Hopefully Skybus proves to be successful longterm and the region can reap the rewards that would come with it.

I was just trying to be neighborly. :rolleyes: If anybody from Central Va picks GSO for low cost trips, it will likely be via added service from RIC to GSO on Skybus, and not by automobile. In fact, I think GSO would be a more popular Skybus destination than Columbus for Richmonders.

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Lexy, if a city bends over backwards enabling an airline to introduce and/or expand service, couldn't that create demand from other carriers for equal favors? Seems to me that subject arose when AirTran (under another name, I believe) started RIC flight several years ago. It did not last very long as a carrier in Richmond, but a year ago, it returned and is doing well.

I wonder what kind of enticements were made to lure the airline to re-start service and how did the 8 other airlines react?

Aren't reduced landing fees a big inducement?

Oh of course. Landing fees, gate space, gate rental, lease packages, tax breaks, etc. An incentive package can go a long way when it comes to attracting service on an airline, but if you don't have good yields and good O&D it's pointless to have a hub. The incentives didn't keep American's hub here in Nashville from leaving even though it was a fairly succesful hub in it's day. What those incentives did do was allow Southwest to come here after AA left and set up a large focus city for their operations and offer 85 departures a day. Far more than any other city our size. SO with that, you can see how those "deals" can work against you and for you at the same time. It's a gamble just like any investment that a city takes on.

Greensboro is great, but Raleigh has a nice Southwest presence and CLT is consumed with US Airways et all. Until they get a viable way to link all those communities together with fast transit, thinking that one city will act as the "main" city for transportation is a pipe dream. Each community has it's own identity and it's own way of serving its niche in the market. GSO is fine for an airline that wants somewhat limited, but good service to hubs and maybe perhaps a few point-to-point markets. But it by no means has the demand or the O&D to support a hub operation. BUT, with there being only 5 airplanes in their system, I can't imagine anymore than 10 or so departures a day so it could work. Keep in mind though...How many tails you put in the seats means nothing if you are not making any money off that overbooked airplane.

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Well, now I'd like to know "the rest of the story". I want to know what Richmond's bid was in all of this and why we decided that it wasn't good enough to pursue any further...in other words, what was RIC thinking? I'd just like to hear RIC's justification for not winning. Obviously, we were in the race at some point, I'd just like to know why things turned out the way they did. I think Richmond would be a better location for a hub (and I'm not saying that just because I'm from Richmond) because of the location and access to more people, etc. Perhaps RIC officials saw something that would make them defer. I have many questions...I hope there will be an official statement from RIC management about all this.

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Jet Blue is expanding in Florida markets. Cities like Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester will soon have JB service to Orlando and/or Ft. Lauderdale. And RIC also will have direct non-stop service once a day to Ft. Lauderdale beginning next month. I was told when checking in a week ago that RIC is hoping for a JB flight to Orlando, as well. The agent at the JB desk also told me that AirTran is doing quite well on its Richmond/Orlando flights.

According to www.justplanes.com, the RIC - Ft Lauderdale flight will be seasonal. This service is to discontinue on April 30, 2008.

Edited by Shakman
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I believe the RTD reported that if the "seasonal" flights are well received they could become year round.

I would like to see it become a year round service. A great alternative from flying into MIA, especially with all of the construction affecting the American Airline gates at MIA.

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In looking over airport (not city) destinations expected to begin service via Skybus from PTI, it's not a very impressive list: Bob Hope Airport at what used to be called Burbank, CA; a Portsmouth NH airport for Boston; St, Augustine for Jax, and one or two other rather obscure landing fields.

Doesn't a "light" carrier called Allegiant fly similar routes? It only connects smaller markets, but what is its "focus city?"

Maybe RIC still has a chance with Southwest.

Don't dispair, Eric. As Lexy and MicoMiles suggest, without saying it outright, maybe Mathiason and the Richmond Airport Authority acted prudently in not pushing for a Skybus hub.

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Don't dispair, Eric. As Lexy and MicoMiles suggest, without saying it outright, maybe Mathiason and the Richmond Airport Authority acted prudently in not pushing for a Skybus hub.

Well, that's what I'd like to hear from them. This is why I'd like to hear our side of the story. Why did the Richmond Airport Authority act how they acted? Were they really trying to get Skybus and fell short of incentives? Or, were they trying at first and then stopped after deciding that it wasn't prudent? It's clear to me that we were trying, at least for some period of time to land Skybus. Maybe the risk was too high. Anyway, I'd just like an explanation from the Richmod Airport Authority. I'm just hoping that we hear, at least, something of substance and not just a bogus story that they weren't pursuing Skybus (when we know that they were). If this was due to a prudent action by the Airport Authority through research and good business sense, then I can totally support their decision, but if it was a fault of the Airport, perhaps not acting quickly enough or had no more incentives to throw out (excluding any that would have made the deal imprudent), then I can be a little upset.

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Well, that's what I'd like to hear from them. This is why I'd like to hear our side of the story. Why did the Richmond Airport Authority act how they acted? Were they really trying to get Skybus and fell short of incentives? Or, were they trying at first and then stopped after deciding that it wasn't prudent? It's clear to me that we were trying, at least for some period of time to land Skybus. Maybe the risk was too high. Anyway, I'd just like an explanation from the Richmod Airport Authority. I'm just hoping that we hear, at least, something of substance and not just a bogus story that they weren't pursuing Skybus (when we know that they were). If this was due to a prudent action by the Airport Authority through research and good business sense, then I can totally support their decision, but if it was a fault of the Airport, perhaps not acting quickly enough or had no more incentives to throw out (excluding any that would have made the deal imprudent), then I can be a little upset.

I'm with you there. I can see your points because I feel when my airport here in Nashville gets shafted by another airport close by, I wonder what the heck anyone at BNA was thinking too! LOL!! Problem is, we may never hear what was going on behind closed doors regarding Skybus unless you ask a board member off the record.

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Well, that's what I'd like to hear from them. This is why I'd like to hear our side of the story. Why did the Richmond Airport Authority act how they acted? Were they really trying to get Skybus and fell short of incentives? Or, were they trying at first and then stopped after deciding that it wasn't prudent? It's clear to me that we were trying, at least for some period of time to land Skybus. Maybe the risk was too high. Anyway, I'd just like an explanation from the Richmod Airport Authority. I'm just hoping that we hear, at least, something of substance and not just a bogus story that they weren't pursuing Skybus (when we know that they were). If this was due to a prudent action by the Airport Authority through research and good business sense, then I can totally support their decision, but if it was a fault of the Airport, perhaps not acting quickly enough or had no more incentives to throw out (excluding any that would have made the deal imprudent), then I can be a little upset.

RIC authorities are smart enough not to put "all their beans in one basket". If they offered all kinds of incentives for Skybus to open a hub in RIC, I am quite sure all the other airlines serving RIC, who happen to be larger the Skybus, will want some kind of modification to their incentive packages as well....... if one is in place.

The one thing RIC officials will not do is tarnish their existing relationships with the current airlines, especially AirTran and JetBlue, by offering outrageous incentive packages to another airline!

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The one thing RIC officials will not do is tarnish their existing relationships with the current airlines, especially AirTran and JetBlue, by offering outrageous incentive packages to another airline!

And that right there might very well be the key. RIC fought tooth and nail to land the low-cost carriers currently serving the region.... definitely wouldn't want to disrupt the equilibrium.

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And that right there might very well be the key. RIC fought tooth and nail to land the low-cost carriers currently serving the region.... definitely wouldn't want to disrupt the equilibrium.

I agree with that as well. No sense ruining an already good relationship with our current LCCs for an LCC that's just starting and may or may not be around next month. It would just be nice for airport management to actually say so.

Edited by eandslee
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The awarding of a Skybus "focus city" to Carolina's Triad doesn't even get a mention in today's inRich. I doubt Airport Manager Mathiason, other airport officials, the City of Richmond and the State of Virginia pursued the possibility with much enthusiasm. I wonder what other cities on its roster Skybus considered? As far as I can determine, only The Winston Salem Alliance claimed RIC was on the short one/two list.

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And that right there might very well be the key. RIC fought tooth and nail to land the low-cost carriers currently serving the region.... definitely wouldn't want to disrupt the equilibrium.

Airline news of the day : JetBlue drops Columbus (CMH) and Nashville (BNA)

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...a709afb13fa.htm

Like I said earlier, the airline business is tough.

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Airline news of the day : JetBlue drops Columbus (CMH) and Nashville (BNA)

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...a709afb13fa.htm

Like I said earlier, the airline business is tough.

I can totally see why these markets were eliminated. Columbus is now saturated with Skybus and Nashville has a big LCC presence belonging to Southwest airlines.

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Try this...

Jet Blue

Thanks, CommRE. That did it.

I'm always sorry to see any city lose air service -- especially BNA in this instance.

The Jet Blue agent at RIC told me that the airline is trying to get approval for service that would connect its proposed RIC/Ft. Lauderdale flight to another at Lauderdale bound for Bogota, Columbia -- though I can't imagine much traffic to that country from Richmond. However, there would be plenty of other Jet Blue flights arriving Lauderdale for the connection.

Edited by burt
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No wonder we lost out on this deal. Our $50 Million dollar offer was nothing compared to the $57 Million offered by PTI. Unbelievable! That's a huge amount of money toward an airline that only has 5 aircraft! PTI better hope Skybus survives or they are going to be way worse off! See for yourselves:

Skybus deal worth up to $57 million

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Thanks, CommRE. That did it.

I'm always sorry to see any city lose air service -- especially BNA in this instance.

The Jet Blue agent at RIC told me that the airline is trying to get approval for service that would connect its proposed RIC/Ft. Lauderdale flight to another at Lauderdale bound for Bogota, Columbia -- though I can't imagine much traffic to that country from Richmond. However, there would be plenty of other Jet Blue flights arriving Lauderdale for the connection.

The area does have a fast growing Hispanic population. However, most the of ones I have met are from Central America not South America.

Speaking of international flights, I had no idea RIC has customs. I remember seeing it while flying to SAT via IAH.

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