Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)

[Jerseyman4]

^If anything, the new interchange will likely provide lighting but i doubt all of Bryan Blvd will ever get it.

[sax184]

We talked about this in April, May, and July.

I don't blame the PTI AA leader for fighting for his airport, but this just looks pathetic.

An angry Piedmont Triad Airport Authority chairman had sharp words for Delta Air Lines on Thursday, saying the carrier charges artificially high prices at the airport and is largely responsible for steep declines in passenger numbers there.

Henry Isaacson faxed his complaints in a letter to Gerald Grinstein, Delta's chairman and chief executive officer, and sent copies to the mayors of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem.

"As a result of Delta's pricing and inventory policies at (Piedmont Triad International Airport)," he wrote, "your traffic has plummeted at the airport. And, because you have been the largest carrier at GSO, the airport's traffic has dropped significantly."

Earlier this year, US Airways dropped fares to 33 destinations from PTI and has managed to minimize its loss of passengers here from 228,000 last year to 215,000 this year-to-date.

Delta, by comparison, has seen a huge loss in passengers

[nowensone]

Wow, I had no idea PTI was in trouble, had just assumed that the new FedEx runway meant it was a good location and that it was too trafficed for use of existing runways with the passenger carriers. So what happens in this scenario if the Triad continues it's modestly high growth rates? Does another airline fill the niche? Or do we all just drive to RDH or CLT and be happy with that?

EDIT - clicked Submit early (as usual): At what point does NC's growth (and CLT/RDH airports) become so great that PTI becomes the overflow airport and go the other direction and really add flights and terminals?

[sax184]

Wow, I had no idea PTI was in trouble, had just assumed that the new FedEx runway meant it was a good location and that it was too trafficed for use of existing runways with the passenger carriers. So what happens in this scenario if the Triad continues it's modestly high growth rates? Does another airline fill the niche? Or do we all just drive to RDH or CLT and be happy with that?

EDIT - clicked Submit early (as usual): At what point does NC's growth (and CLT/RDH airports) become so great that PTI becomes the overflow airport and go the other direction and really add flights and terminals?

They can try to get Delta/USAir to work on fares, or try to recruit a new low fare airline or non-lowfare airline to spur competition, drop overall fares at PTI, and get passenger traffic back up. The reason why this letter is a bad sign is that I'm sure there are already people, particularly at PTI, trying to accomplish these things with nothing to show thus far.

[Roadgeek]

You've also got to take into account that Interstate 73 will be apart of this section of Bryan Blvd I believe.

[Jerseyman4]

^For a little while, yes.

Made my #2000 post yayyyyyy

[suburban george3]

Once again while searching for airline tickets, my best deal was out of Charlotte. Greensboro was a lil' more competitive this time but still in total saved over $125 for the tickets to fly out of Charlotte. Greensboro NEEDS a low cost carrier!!

[intcvlcphlga]

I just bought a ticket to PTI for Thanksgiving. It cost 2.5x as much as before 9/11 and 1.5x as much as the ticket last year. It's time for Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point business leaders to start agressively recruiting jetBlue to PTI. The airport was in jetBlue's original expansion plans as they looked at CLT, RDU and Richmond.

[urbanesq]

I live on the westen edge of the Triangle and usually fly out of RDU because of proximity and pricing. The exception, though, is during Furniture Market. If I have to travel on business during that time, I almost always find better deals in and out of GSO.

[sax184]

More bad news. PTI down 17% from last October, and its two major airlines may merge, further cutting competition.

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but Greensboro ought to be getting serious about the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.

[DanRNC]

How the heck is it possible for this airport to survive with this major drop in travel month after month? The population in the Triad is increasing meanwhile the airport is dying. If this merger between US Air and Delta goes through, this airport is history (although I don't know if regulators will allow this merger).

[suburban george3]

I really wish PTI would aggressively pursue a low cost carrier. When I compare flights, I rarely find anything competitive from PTI and end up booking out of Charlotte and occasionally Raleigh/Durham. I would much rather drive the 30 min to PTI instead of 1.25 hrs to Charlotte or 2 hrs to Raleigh. But when the savings is as much as $100 per person to fly out of these other airports, I will choose the drive.

[sax184]

I really wish PTI would aggressively pursue a low cost carrier. When I compare flights, I rarely find anything competitive from PTI and end up booking out of Charlotte and occasionally Raleigh/Durham. I would much rather drive the 30 min to PTI instead of 1.25 hrs to Charlotte or 2 hrs to Raleigh. But when the savings is as much as $100 per person to fly out of these other airports, I will choose the drive.

I'm sure PTI is doing this right now, and failing to attract such a carrier.

[suburban george3]

I miss the days of Continental and the "Peanuts" fares. There was talk of PTI becoming a potential hub at that time and people from Charlotte and the Triangle were being bussed here due to the low fares.

Oh well, we see how quickly a few years can change things in the airline industry.

[suburban george3]

In today's WSJ, it's reported that fares at PTI increased by 17.3% during the 3rd quarter of '06, the fifth largest jump in the nation! RDU had an increase of 11.1% while CLT actually decreased 0.73%. This is bad news for our airport which is facing declining passenger counts and revenues. We need a discount airline in here BAD!

Without it, PTI will be solely a business commuter and cargo facility.

WSJ Business Briefs with article on PTI Fare increase.

[cityboi]

some good news. a new discount carrier could help lower the fares at PTI which would boost passenger traffic.

http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/local_state/...x?storyid=81378

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

[sax184]

Definitely a break in the bad news for PTI. If the new carrier can compete successfully to St. pete and Orlando, prices on other flights to those destinations ought to come down, and help traffic in general at PTI.

Of course, there's an interesting wrinkle here. Allegiant Air is based out of Las Vegas. I wonder how the furniture industry would feel about a direct flight from Vegas to PTI?

[cityboi]

Definitely a break in the bad news for PTI. If the new carrier can compete successfully to St. pete and Orlando, prices on other flights to those destinations ought to come down, and help traffic in general at PTI.

Of course, there's an interesting wrinkle here. Allegiant Air is based out of Las Vegas. I wonder how the furniture industry would feel about a direct flight from Vegas to PTI?

yea that would be very interesting.

[RDUairport]

I hate to get off topic but could anyone give me an update on the current status of the Fedex hub? I thought this would be the most appropriate place to ask... I look forward to seeing if the opening of the Fedex hub along with the Honda Jet plant may help stir up a bit more passenger traffic for PTI.

[cityboi]

The FedEx Hub is already under construction. It should be open by 2009 because they also have to build a third runway at PTI for FedEx.

[RDUairport]

Does anyone have any pics of the construction going on. I would like to just get a visual of the progress if there is any. Thanks!!

[Route]

I'm just amazed this is still in process. This has to be the slowest project of all time. It was announced when i still lived in Greensboro then a few years later i moved to Hong Kong now 5 years in Hong Kong and the thing still isn't open.

[cityboi]

I'm just amazed this is still in process. This has to be the slowest project of all time. It was announced when i still lived in Greensboro then a few years later i moved to Hong Kong now 5 years in Hong Kong and the thing still isn't open.

Yea that was like 9 years ago. amazing isnt it.

[crowe1856]

Does anyone have any pics of the construction going on. I would like to just get a visual of the progress if there is any. Thanks!!

There's a decent number of construction photos at the PTI website:

http://www.flyfrompti.com/airport_projects.asp

[cityboi]

I just saw a new report showing the steel beems being put in place for the first building. The FedEX Hub is actually going to be like a campus rather than one big building. Its going to have a total of 9 buildings. The 3rd runway at PTI will be complete in time for the FedEx opening.