Airport Results Show Price Does Matter

It's looking more and more like Delta Airline's decision to reduce local air fares as much as 60 percent was a pretty prudent idea. The airline announced airport usage up 30 percent in the first month after the move. Today, officials at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport released results from a survey taken a few months ago about people's thoughts related to local airfares and how it affected flying and DRIVING patterns.
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Survey Points to CVG OpportunitiesNearly 17,000 Weigh In On Fares
March 31, 2009 - The results of the Air Service Survey are in, and they point to significant opportunities at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport for carriers that can offer low prices.Of the nearly 17,000 business and leisure travelers in the Tri-State who took the survey, fully 97 percent said they were more likely to use surrounding airports because of price. The informal survey was developed by the Regional Air Service Development Committee, a group of airport, business and economic-development leaders formed to address airline and airport issues within the community. The goal of the survey was to help paint a clearer picture of the region's air travel habits in order to identify service gaps and opportunities for growth. Data collected through the survey will help direct the continuing efforts of the airport to improve fares and expand air service.Committee Chairman Arlyn Easton said, "The survey makes a pretty strong statement. Business people are thinking of costs more than ever. They are being told to use the cheapest flights."Easton said he was amazed at the number of people who participated. "The fact that almost 17,000 people took time to take the survey makes the results even more impressive, and it shows how important air travel is to our community," he said."The survey, without question, reflects that the community will respond positively to lower fares in and out of CVG," said Doug Moormann, vice president of economic development at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. "In essence, it affirms Delta's new and far more competitive pricing structure. We, as a community, must continue to protect and nurture our air service, as its value is virtually incalculable." Since the survey was launched, Delta Air Lines announced reductions of 5% to 60% on most fares at its CVG hub. The airport estimates that annual savings to local passengers could total in the tens of millions of dollars.CVG Board Chairman H. Lawson Walker II says that the survey data confirms the wisdom of Delta's fare restructuring. "We are thrilled that Delta - and all the airlines at CVG - are acting on the concerns of local passengers, the business community and the airport."Survey results are available at http://www.cvgsurvey.com/.