Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or kelgazzar@coxohio.com.
CINCINNATI — Business choices, consolidation and economic circumstances beyond anyone’s control have all contributed to the overall cut in service at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Operations in the airport account for billions in economic impact for the entire region, particularly as a job creator and sustainer as nearly half of the jobs created by the airport belong to workers who live in Ohio, according to a 2005 economic impact study of the airport by the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center.
Businesses in the transportation industry are the primary beneficiaries from the airport, receiving about 37 percent of the airport’s total economic impact of $4.5 billion, according to the Economics Center.
But since the mid-2000s, the impact on the region’s economy has resulted in lost jobs, and going forward, may discourage businesses from coming to the area.
Cincinnati-based corporation, Chiquita, recently expressed interest in relocating its headquarters to a location with more connections to international destinations. The airport’s only international destination is to Paris, France, down from four in 2005.
Its lease at its current location on East Fifth Street in downtown Cincinnati runs through 2012.
“We are talking with all airlines who are considering expanding or starting service at CVG and we know carriers face several challenges right now, including the economy and airline consolidation,” said airport spokeswoman Barb Schempf. “We also know that as carriers consider their expansion plans, CVG is an optimal choice – thanks in no small part to the dynamic business climate here in the Tristate.”
The once vibrant airport with Delta as its primary airline, is now down to 53 non-stop flights in 2011 in comparison to 140 in 2004 after a series of cuts by Delta and other airlines.
The airport has lost more than two-thirds of its flights since 2003, according to CVG statistics.
As a result, some businesses have gone elsewhere for their travel needs, even as far as regional airports, like the Butler County Regional Airport in Hamilton.
Why? Convenience, efficiency and cost. CVG is one of the most expensive airports to fly in and out of in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
CVG ranks fourth, with an average domestic fare price of $465.75. Karen S. Halsey, president of Middletown-based Better Built Construction Service, said she would prefer to fly out of Dayton International Airport, but sometimes doesn’t mind paying a “couple hundred dollars more” if there is a direct flight out Cincinnati.
“Often times I have time fly out of Cincinnati, but once you get to the airport, Dayton is easier to get in and out of,” Halsey said.
Comparatively, Dayton is the 56th most expensive airport in country, with an average domestic fare of $342.20.
“If I have to choose between making a connection and it being more expensive, I would take the direct flight,” Halsey said. “We do have a budget for travel that we have to be mindful of.”
Butler County Regional Airport Director Ron Davis said spanning the last decade, more and more businesses have their own corporate planes based at the regional airport.
Businesses like AK Steel, JTM Food Group and Clippard Instruments are based at the airport, to name a few, according to Davis.
“As more businesses locate around the airport, it’s definitely much more now than even 10 years ago — the number of based aircraft has increased by 75 percent since 1999,” Davis said.
One of those companies is Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc., a Fairfield-based manufacturer of miniature pneumatic valves, cylinders and fittings. Company President Bill Clippard said it’s easier to have presence in Butler County rather than using the Cincinnati or Dayton airports.
“We do a bit of both, commercial travel for longer flights, but for a lot of our trips, we have a number of pilots in the company and get to cities that are a lot harder to get to schedule-wise with the airlines,” Clippard said.
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