Candace McGraw’s recent speech about the goal to “reinvent” CVG comes as the airport looks forward to a non-HUB future. The airport’s CEO also stated the objectives of consolidating airline operations into one terminal, attracting a low cost carrier as well as exploring other possible revenue streams.
Aviation history suggests CVG is facing quite the challenge.
When Delta Air Lines announced their intention of making Cincinnati a HUB in the early ‘80s, the airport spent decades upgrading the airport’s facilities in anticipation of future growth. The possibility of additional revenue (created by airline landing fees, rent, etc) justified the millions of dollars which were spent as additional terminals and runways were constructed.
However, when Delta merged with Northwest much of the flight activity was trimmed, leaving the airport with an incredible facility that was barely being used. Yearly passenger numbers dropped from 23 million in 2005 to just over 7 million, while the airport management team was left scrambling to fill in the gaping revenue holes created by such a drastic reduction in flight activity.
Several low cost carriers were brought to Cincinnati, but a lack of community support forced Air Tran, Frontier and Vanguard to pull their service from the airport. Unfortunately, it is that woeful lack of community support for previous low cost carriers that is affecting the airport’s ability to attract new ones today.
The path to reinvent the airport will be a long one and the challenges will be many and hopefully the community will support any airline who decides to bring service to CVG.
At this point we need all the help we can get!
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Jay Ratliff has served as 700WLW's Aviation Expert since 2002, calling upon his 20+ year in the airline industry as a former General Manager for Northwest Airlines.
After being born in Frankfurt (that would be Germany, not Kentucky), Jay's family moved to Vandalia, Ohio where Jay spent his time learning to play the greatest game ever (baseball), by smacking the daylights out of fastballs from his next door neighbor Roger Clemens. (Disclaimer: At 9 years of age, this would have been a pre-steroid era.)
During his high school years at Carlisle High School, Jay spent most of his free time at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Center helping his Dad to build the condominiums at the course for a variety of Cincinnati sport's legends like Nancy Lopez, Ross Browner, Tom Seaver and others. In 1981 he watched his father build the ATP Tennis Stadium for the likes of Connors, McEnroe, Lendl and Borg.
Jay's passion for baseball continued thru 1983 when he was invited to tryout for the 1984 US Olympic Baseball Team. A torn hamstring six weeks before the tryouts ended his baseball dream. (He was able to write about the greatest game ever played for Reader's Digest, winning their Editor's Choice award and having it read by more than 88 million people worldwide.)
It was then Jay's attention turned towards the airline industry, where he loved the daily challenges of cancelled flights, delayed luggage (they weren't referred to as 'lost' until they were MIA for 90 days), weather problems and the always-wonderful Sunday after Thanksgiving! Cities Jay worked at included Monroe (LA), Florence (AL), Cincinnati, and Dayton. It was also during these years Jay was able to serve as the Travel Coordinator for the Detroit Lions - spending his Sunday afternoons on the NFL sidelines!
Jay continues that adrenaline rush by educating travelers with information specifically designed to help them find the cheapest of fares, resolve complaints, and having multiple options when flights are cancelled.
Jay lives in the Dayton area with his wife, Sherry and their two boys, and his older daughters serve as nurses to Dayton area hospitals.
If you have any questions, you can contact Jay through his Day Trading website - he is an avid Day Trader and teaches others on his system. (www.daytradefun.com)
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Mornings on Jim Scott's show
