Now it’s our turn.

News yesterday was released that Denver-based Frontier Airlines will initiate service at CVG effective May 17th. This coming after an announcement earlier in the month that Frontier’s service in Dayton would be coming to an end on May 31st.

Frontier’s announcement stated that CVG will see flights to Denver six days a week (no Saturday service), with daily departures at 6:15am. The timing of the departure is perfect for the business community who look to get to their destination as early as possible and this timing will enable connections through Denver to Frontier’s other 73 destinations.

As an added benefit, Frontier also announced introductory air fares of $99 each way for the first six weeks or so, adding even more good news to their press release.

Congratulations need to go to the officials at CVG who continue to court every low cost carrier in the country. This effort continues on nearly a weekly basis, year after year, as they try to sell the benefits of serving the CVG airport and the surrounding region to airlines around the country. Of course, and as I have maintained for years, one of the things working against CVG getting a low cost carrier is how woeful our support has been for such carriers in the past.

The most notable example was Air Tran who tried to operate from CVG for nearly three years before pulling out in 1998 - due to a lack of support. Their boardings were dismal, because travelers opted to fly Delta instead as they matched the lower Air Tran fares. Air Tran left and fares rose right back to their historically high levels, leaving our community once again screaming for lower fares and another low cost airline.

Well, now we have a low cost airline and it’s our turn to step up and support Frontier’s service to CVG.

There are more than a few intelligent donkeys in the audience who waste absolutely no time in downplaying the Frontier news, citing that the CVG airport once enjoyed 673 daily flights and now see 179 daily departures. Will one airline providing one flight a day really make that big of a difference?

First of all, CVG will more than likely never return to the days when nearly 700 flights a day graced our skies. That was a different era, one where Delta’s growth was fed by the nation’s thirst for jet travel. In those days, propeller commuter aircraft were still prevalent throughout the country and when CVG became the first all-jet HUB in the nation, passengers responded in record numbers. At that time CVG was stealing passengers from other HUBs and airlines because of the novelty (at that time) of all jet travel. Once other airlines added regional jets to their fleet, the passengers from other Midwest cities returned to their previous airline of choice (which was many times far more convenient) and the boardings at CVG dropped accordingly.

Obviously the merger of Delta and Northwest also sunk our HUB as the majority of connecting flights at CVG have now been relocated to the larger Detroit HUB. Yes, we still enjoy non stop service to 37 of the top 40 business markets in the country, but certainly a far cry from what we once enjoyed.

The arrival of Frontier at CVG is big news because it reflects a change in the perception of CVG. Before, airlines would shun entering the market because of the diminished yield (profit) per flight. The competition with Delta and the region’s history with low cost carriers caused many to look at other airports when the topic of expansion was at hand. No longer, as Frontier has decided to give CVG a shot.

If the region shows support, additional flights will be added to Denver and it’s at that point we will begin to attract serious attention from other low cost carriers, such as Jet Blue, Spirit, Allegiant, Vision and (perhaps) Southwest Airlines. As we support Frontier is will be a clear and unmistakable message to other airlines that it is indeed time to join the party.

The airport officials have done their job, now the rest is left to the community who travel for business and leisure. Support Frontier’s arrival at CVG and we will see more service to more cities and lower fares as a result.

Clearly, it’s our turn to respond and I hope we can rise to the occasion.