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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > August > 04 > Entry
Editorial: Airport garage helps Dayton keep edge
Next time you fly out of the Dayton International Airport, parking will be different. That could be good or bad, depending on your perspective.
Travelers who want close-in covered parking (and are willing to pay for it) will be pleased. Those who liked the cheapest economy lot the way it was will have to get used to a new setup.
For Dayton, the new $35 million parking garage is a key step in a thoughtful, long-term strategy designed to give the airport an edge in competing for more flights and lower fares and even the effort to attract businesses to the region. Yes, a parking garage can help do all those things.
Parking is commonly a big moneymaker for airports. In Dayton, parking income will be close to half the airport’s $26 million in annual revenue. The new garage is expected to increase parking income by $6.6 million.
The airport’s plan is to use that money to reduce even more the amount it charges airlines per passenger for each flight. Former Director Iftikhar Ahmad (who just left for the top job at New Orleans’ airport) made driving down the airlines’ enplanement costs his top priority.
Dayton now charges airlines just $3.50 per passenger per flight, down from $14 in 2006. Interim Director Walter Krygowski said the goal is to get below zero — to actually allow airlines to earn a small amount back for every passenger who passes through Dayton. If the airport can achieve that, it will be one of very few in the country to do so.
Dayton is on a mission to maintain a reputation for having cheaper flights than nearby airports in Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. A quality airport with low fares makes the region more attractive to businesses that depend on transportation.
Many travelers are willing to pay extra for a garage. While the structure technically is a “short-term” parking area, you can park all day for $18. That’s three times what the cheapest airport parking lot cost, but actually cheaper than the highest daily rate of $25 for the short-term lot that used to be where the garage now sits.
Considerably more of the airport’s parking areas will be in the higher cost range, from $12 to $20 a day. But the economy lot remains $6 a day and is still close enough that many customers will walk or take a shuttle to the terminal.
To generate more non-airlines revenue, Dayton also wants to attract retail stores and restaurants to the airport concourses. And it’s developing outlying areas of its property for commercial tenants.
Holding down costs for airlines has been working so well that competing airports, especially Cincinnati’s, have been complaining about Dayton stealing business. On top of that, Cincinnati has seen a dramatic reduction in flights from what was once a thriving Delta Airlines hub. The result has been a closed concourse, raising alarms. Officials there have resolved to make new investments to make that airport competitive again.
The new parking garage might not seem like a big deal, but it helps protect Dayton’s reputation as a convenient, inexpensive place to fly from.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: City of Dayton, Editorials, Scott Elliott, Transportation
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By jd
August 4, 2010 7:54 AM | Link to this
I fly all over the country and the Dayton airport is a dump when compared to any other good airport. Business travelers are going to use the long term, only people who want to get ripped off are going to park in the building.
By Scott
August 4, 2010 8:08 AM | Link to this
It is amazing how people can be negative even about a positive thing. People like jd lead pathetic lives woith their negetivity. I fly alot too and Dayotns airport is fine.
By Fly by night
August 4, 2010 8:49 AM | Link to this
Kind of like the bridge to nowhere. Looks nice but nobody parking in it.
By Davidss2
August 4, 2010 9:49 AM | Link to this
Scott must not fly much of anywhere out of Dayton or he’d recognize how inbred the airport is. When the progressives who talk about regionalism start suggesting Dayton give the airport the Montgomery County people to operate instead of keeping their own little union fiefdom, I’ll believe it has a chance to improve. Otherwise, it’s owned and run by the City of Dayton; maybe they can put up speed and redlight cameras everywhere on the airport property? But I won’t be going there to shop so skip putting in the stores!!!
By ironmyke
August 4, 2010 9:59 AM | Link to this
Hope the strategy to attract more service works. For now the noticeable impact is a very significant cost increase for travelers as well as much less convenience for those who have to use the economy lot.
By Karline
August 4, 2010 10:27 AM | Link to this
I love the Dayton airport. I typically fly AirTran or US Airways and not only do those airlines excel in customer service and on time departures, but the staff at the Dayton airport is very friendly. The TSA agents are nice, unlike some of the larger airports I fly to. I think we have a good thing in the Dayton airport and it’s one of the many things Dayton has that I am proud of.
By Nobody
August 4, 2010 2:42 PM | Link to this
Wow jd, Dayton may not be a glamorous airport, but their motto, easy to and through is spot on. I am traveling next month and made sure I could get a flight out of Dayton. It’s one of the best airports I have ever used.
By JD
August 4, 2010 7:10 PM | Link to this
It’s hard to get places there, the amenities are lacking, the carpet is dingy. The employees are good, the TSA professional. Used to be you could get a lot of places directly, now it seems everything is a connection. The huge expensive parking garage is not something I expect will draw travelers to the airport. Sorry, that’s the way I see it. I travel monthly to and through a lot of nice airports, Dayton’s doesn’t rank in the top 20.
By John G
August 4, 2010 7:39 PM | Link to this
jd is correct, the Dayton airport is a dump. The restrooms are hideously outdated and poorly maintained. The carpet and chairs in waiting areas are aged and in poor condition. Food options are extremely limited and it still takes way too long to get your luggage.Iftikhar Ahmad was “praised” by people who apparently never used the airport. His move to New Orleans is ironic since that airport is also a dump. BTW, the covered garage at CVG charges $13 per day and is as close to the terminal as Dayton’s.
By Stephen Lahanas
August 4, 2010 7:43 PM | Link to this
The garage is a good first step towards to helping to revitalize the region - much more can be done with the airport though…
By JaneDoe
August 5, 2010 4:53 PM | Link to this
The airport has always had short term parking. Without the garage it used to cost $25 per day. The difference now is that short term parking is inside a garage and the price went down to $18 per day. How can that be a bad thing.
By Mark W
August 5, 2010 7:20 PM | Link to this
I used to live in the Dayton area and now return there 4-5 times a year through the Dayton airport. I also travel through a number of airports across the country every year. As an airport experience, DIA isn’t anything special, but with only an hour to kill before a flight, and a desire to get to my hotel after I arrive, I’m not looking for a great life experience in an airport. DIA is small enough that it’s probably the easiest airport to get to and through, coming or going, of the ones I use.(Well, except for the occasional inexplicable delays in baggage getting from the plane to baggage claim, but that happens everywhere.)
By Ed Borden
August 9, 2010 7:04 AM | Link to this
YOU CAN’T KEEP AN EDGE YOU NEVER HAD. I travel a lot and Dayton’s airport is inconvenient, dirty, and a place I avoid at all cost. The baggage claim process is as slow as LAX or Newark. How can that be with so little traffic. Oh boy, a big parking garage. Whoopdi doo!