Eastern Iowa Airport launches ‘fly local’ travel policy

CEDAR RAPIDS - Business travel is the bread and butter for airlines when it comes to ticket revenue.

So the Eastern Iowa Airport is launching a 'fly-local” policy to demonstrate the support of regional employers, local governmental entities and business organizations.

Participating companies and organizations will encourage their employees to first explore the option of using the Cedar Rapids airport if a flight is available, within four hours of driving time to and from competing airports - Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Ill., or the Des Moines International Airport - and is within $300 of the lowest priced tickets at a competing airport.

Airport Director Marty Lenss said pledging support for the fly-local program does not commit a business, governmental entity or organization to use a specific number of flights.

'The fly local travel policy is a way for us to strengthen our air service recruitment and retention message when we visit the airlines,” Lenss said. 'We can list companies and organizations that are supporting the airport by pledging to use it for business travel.”

Iowa City Area Development Group was the first organization to sign the pledge of support for the airport's fly-local travel policy.

'The strength of our airport is a vital component of our economic health,” ICAD President Mark Nolte said. 'By having companies and employers sign this fly-local policy, it gives the airport more ammunition to go and press the airlines that there's a market here and we value our airport.”

The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce and Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Development also have signed the pledge. Lenss said those signing the pledge agree to have their identities disclosed to the airlines in meetings with airport representatives, but they can withhold public disclosure.

'There also is some flexibility in terms of the difference in ticket price and driving or ‘windshield' time to competing airports,” Lenss said.

A market analysis prepared for the airport found that 86 percent of the 1.75 million passengers in the total market use the Eastern Iowa Airport. The remaining 14 percent use competing airports, typically the Quad Cities airport or the Des Moines airport.

'If we could capture 7 percent of the passengers using competing airports, that could mean an additional flight or destination when an airline is evaluating service,” Lenss said.

Five years ago, a similar market analysis found that 68 percent of passengers were using Cedar Rapids airport. Lenss said the decision by AirTran, a discount carrier, to end service to the Quad Cities airport in 2012 after 15 years helped the Cedar Rapids airport with passenger retention.