Cedar Rapids airport director to talk with businesses about attracting low-fare carrier

The new director of The Eastern Iowa Airport plans to meet with Corridor business leaders to discuss what it will take to attract a low-fare airline to the community.

Tim Bradshaw, who started work Monday, said business travelers are the largest users of the airport and typically spend the most for air fares because they usually are unable to book flights in advance. Bradshaw said attracting a low-fare carrier will depend on the will of the community.

“Most of the low-cost carriers want some type of revenue guaranty or  subsidy to bring the service in here,” Bradshaw said. “You run the risk of when the money goes away or they're not making enough, they're going to ask for more or leave.

“One of our competing airports (Quad Cities International in Moline) provides a huge subsidy to a carrier. If that's what the community wants, we need to understand it's a hard game to play.”

Bradshaw said attracting Frontier Airlines to Cedar Rapids remains a viable opportunity to offer service to Milwaukee.

“Milwaukee has really become a great hub with connecting flights to the East Coast,” he said. “Frontier is starting to look for new areas to serve. We have good numbers in terms of customers flying to places like Boston and New York.

“We're going to be talking with the business community over the next few months to see what they want and what we can support and sustain.”

Bradshaw said Cedar Rapids enjoys a level of air service that airports in many comparable communities would love to offer.

“We've lost a few flights, but we've managed to maintain our connection with the legacy carriers,” he said. “I think the upcoming merger of United and Continental offers some real opportunities for Cedar Rapids.

“We have a top 10 list of destinations and I'm going to be working with our marketing director, Pam Hinman, to convince airlines to offer service to those communities.”

While Bradshaw and the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission do not set air fares, he said the airport will continue to “keep the  airlines on task” when fares are not competitive with those at competing airports.

Bradshaw, previously deputy executive director and chief operating officer for the Louisville Regional Airport Authority in Louisville, Ky., replaced Dan Mann, who left in February to accept a similar position in Columbia, S.C.