The Rhode Island Airport Corporation and state Economic Development Corporation should be commended for an aggressive – and thus far successful – effort to bring low-fare airline carriers to T.F. Green Airport.
While it may have stung a bit when JetBlue signed on with Logan International Airport in Boston, the recent arrival of Independence Air and the impending arrival of Spirit Airlines this fall put T.F. Green in a strong position to capitalize on the growing low-cost air travel market.
Dulles, Va.-based Independence Air offers eight nonstop daily flights to its hub, Washington Dulles International Airport. Florida-based Spirit will offer daily nonstop flights from T.F. Green to Detroit, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers.
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It is worth noting that Spirit considered both Logan and Manchester Airport before selecting T.F. Green.
“We did an extensive study of candidates and we liked this airport the best,” said Spirit President and Chief Executive Officer Jacob M. Schorr. “The government leaders have done a wonderful job with getting transportation to and from the airport and in keeping airport costs down for carriers.”
Schorr specifically mentioned that T.F. Green’s plans to extend its main runway and the expected development of a Warwick Intermodal Station were factors in the company’s decision.
Tapping into the low-fare air travel market makes economic sense. Consider the National Business Travel Association’s June 2004 “Mid-Year Survey of Corporate Travel Managers.” According to the survey, 86 percent of the 265 travel managers queried use low-fare carriers to some degree. That number is double the result of a similar survey in 2000.
“It is not shifting that way entirely, but as those airlines become more available and corporate travel managers look to get the most for their clients’ money, we see more corporate use,” said Caleb Tiller, a spokesman for the travel association.
And there is more evidence that T.F. Green and low-fare carriers are a good fit.
Southwest Airlines, the nation’s largest low-fare carrier, announced last week that it is shifting nearly 90 flights around the country. The airline is freeing up planes so that it can add flights in more lucrative markets. Among those more lucrative markets is Rhode Island. Southwest, which began service out of T.F. Green in 1996, plans to add another flight out of Rhode Island beginning this October.
Adding Independence Air and Spirit to the mix at T.F. Green should bode well for the economic health of the airport, which has long been an integral part of the state’s economy.
