News From Routes Americas Delegates
INDIANAPOLIS EYES TRANSATLANTIC LINK
Securing a nonstop transatlantic link remains high on the agenda for Indianapolis International Airport (IND) as traffic continues to climb back to 2019 levels, director of air service development Maggie Bishop has said.
The airport, which hosted Routes Americas in 2020, has been without direct flights to Europe since Delta Air Lines paused its Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) route at the onset of the pandemic.
“Indianapolis is the number one unserved US market to Europe,” Bishop said. “We’re a $1.9 billion airline market with promising future development in business and tourism investment as well as major events on the calendar like the Indy 500 and 2024 NBA All-Star Game.”
IND recorded passenger numbers of 8.7 million during 2022, marking a rise of 21% on the previous 12 months and back to 91% of 2019, which was a record year for the airport.
Key projects underway at IND include a $190 million runway reconstruction project to enhance capacity. The project, which is expected to be fully completed during 2024, has been supported with more than $100 million in FAA funding.
Location: HNS1
ATLANTIC CITY SEEKS TO GROW HUB CONNECTIVITY
Sun Country Airlines will launch its first regular scheduled service to at Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) during the upcoming summer 2023 season with a new route from Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
Commencing May 1, the nonstop flights will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, providing onward connectivity to the West Coast through the airline’s MSP hub. The arrival of Sun Country increases the number of airline partners offering scheduled service from Atlantic City to two, alongside Spirit Airlines’ mainly Florida-focused network.
ACY airport director Tim Kroll said the new Sun Country route would help to further grow Atlantic City’s traffic, which recovered to 955,947 passengers during 2022, equivalent to about 84% of pre-pandemic levels. In addition to targeting further point-to-point destinations, he added that ACY is working to increase hub connectivity to stimulate further inbound demand.
Atlantic City, the destination sponsor for Take Off North America 2023 in August, serves visitors and residents of Atlantic City, central and southern New Jersey, coastal shore regions and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Location: S19
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TARGETS UNDERSERVED MARKETS
The Dominican Republic concluded 2022 with tourist numbers 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
“We worked closely with our airline and tour operator partners with a plan to recover capacity and as a result of that we experienced a notable increased in tourist arrivals via air with a total of 7.1 million visitors, surpassing the 4.9 million visitors from the previous year,” said Fernando J. Abreu, director of airline relations at the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism.
The tourism sector accounts for 15% of the Dominican Republic’s GDP and employs about approximately 899,000 people, either directly or indirectly. Abreu said the ministry is working hard to expand the number of direct routes from unserved and underserved markets.
“We have allocated significant resources towards enhancing our country’s infrastructure with the objective of attracting and converting potential travelers into visitors,” he added.
Location: HNS5
MILWAUKEE IN TOURISM PUSH
Approximately 5.4 million travelers passed through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), Wisconsin, in 2022, up by 20% on the previous 12 months. The year of growth was propelled by the launch of JetBlue Airways in March, which now flies nonstop from MKE to New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Boston (BOS). Delta also added daily nonstop service to JFK during the year.
Pat Rowe, director of air service development, said Milwaukee’s profile is on the rise as a tourism destination.
“Milwaukee is a focus city for Viking and other international cruise lines traversing the Great Lakes to Toronto,” she explained. “As the recent host of the Ryder Cup, and with 10 of the top 100 public golf courses nearby, MKE is the starting point for avid international golfers. Nearly 800 international companies have operations in Wisconsin, employing 128,000.”
She said future developments in the city include Milwaukee’s convention center doubling in size and capacity next year, while the city will play host to the Republican National Convention in July 2024, where the next Republican presidential candidate will be chosen.
Location: HNS4
COLOMBIA’S VISITOR ARRIVALS GROW
Inbound tourism to Colombia is continuing to surge, with the number of international arrivals up by 18% on 2019 levels during January this year, according to ProColombia tourism vice president Gilberto Salcedo.
The country attracted 454,727 foreign visitors in the first month of 2023, representing an increase of 63.5% compared to January 2022. Salcedo said the rise came after tourism numbers recovered to pre-pandemic levels during 2022 of more than 4.5 million visitors.
“At ProColombia, we have been working hard towards enhancing our tourism industry to make it more sustainable, meaningful and impactful with the local communities and in harmony with all forms of life. And the world is noticing Colombia more than ever,” he explained.
Despite recent turmoil in the country’s domestic aviation industry following Viva Air’s decision to suspend flights, Salcedo said the market remains strong, with a number of operators seeking to expand service to and from Colombia.
“Colombia is connected to 26 countries with more than 1,200 weekly air frequencies with an availability of more than 218,000 weekly seats,” he said.
Location: P6-8, P25-27
ZEROAVIA CELEBRATES AIRCRAFT MILESTONE
ZeroAvia in January completed the first flight of a retrofit 19-seat Dornier 228 commercial aircraft using its prototype hydrogen-electric engine, bringing the era of zero-emission flight one step closer. The 600kW engine is the largest to be tested by the company to date.
“We expect to certify this technology and be flying passengers and cargo in 9-19 seat aircraft by 2025,” head of business development Rama Myers said. “In the medium term, we are already well advanced in designing a larger system to support 40-80 seat turboprops and up to 90 seat regional jets into the latter half of the decade.”
Longer term, ZeroAvia’s vision is to develop hydrogen-electric engine in every aircraft.
“That will start with narrowbody aircraft, a segment we are confident in having the systems to support within 10 years, and thus meaning our technology is applicable to solving the majority of aviation emissions, CO2 and beyond,” Myers said.
Location: S32
BOEING BUOYED BY LATEST ORDERS
Boeing closed out 2022 with 774 commercial aircraft orders and delivered 480 jets. The manufacturer has started 2023 with Air India’s selection for up to 290 Boeing aircraft, including 737 MAXs, 787s and 777Xs, as well as orders from Saudi Arabian flag carriers Riyadh Air and Saudia for a combined 78 787s, with options for a further 43 aircraft.
“As the airline industry expands its recovery, we are seeing strong demand across our product family, particularly the 737 MAX and 787,” a spokesperson for Boeing told Routes. “We remain focused on driving stability within our operations and the supply chain as we work to deliver for our customers in 2023 and beyond, while continuing to take the appropriate steps to safely certify the 737-7, 737-10 and 777X.”
The spokesperson said Routes Americas will provide another opportunity for Boeing to connect with its customers and showcase its family of widebodies and their capabilities in connecting short-, medium- and long-haul destinations worldwide.
Location: P23
AEROPUERTOS MEXICANOS OUTLINES DEVELOPMENT AMBITIONS
Aeropuertos Mexicanos is a newly established airport company consisting of Aeropuerto Internacional de la Riviera Nayarit (TPQ) and Aeropuerto Internacional de Puerto Escondido (PXM). The group has set out a strategy to improve airport facilities, including the runway, apron, terminals, lounges, and amenities such as shops, restaurants and restrooms.
“Our primary objective in attending Routes Americas 2023 is to gain insights, knowledge, and expertise on the latest trends and innovations in airport operations, management and development,” Aeropuertos Mexicanos CCO Alejandro Muñoz de Cote Ortiz said.
“Ultimately, our goal is to acquire knowledge and insights that can help enhance airport operations and provide an exceptional experience for passengers and stakeholders.”
Location: HNS6
