The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce members were presented with the plans and ideas of the Elizabethtown Airport Board Thursday, June 25.
Article originally posted by the (Leitchfield) Grayson County News-Gazette directed to:http://www.gcnewsgazette.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Elizabethtown+airport+plans+to+offer+more+convenient+services+%20&id=2882934-Elizabethtown+airport+plans+to+offer+more+convenient+services+#1
Elizabethtown airport plans to offer more convenient services
by Theresa Armstrong Reporter tarmstrong@gcnewsgazette.com
The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce members were presented with the plans and ideas of the Elizabethtown Airport Board Thursday, June 25.
The board has proposed turning Elizabethtown Regional Airport into a regional jet airline service for Elizabethtown and central Kentucky. The commuter air service proposal is designed to provide a minimum of three outbound and three inbound flights daily to a major hub that offers an extensive global route to both national and international cities.
Luke Schmidt, President of L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC, and consultant to the Elizabethtown Airport Board presented the chamber members with several of the things the board has been working on to achieve their goals.
“We have been in discussions with three major airlines,” said Schmidt. “At this point we can not identify the carriers due to confidential nature of this, but each of these airline services offers an extensive global route.”
The EKX airport is one of Kentucky’s most modern airports with a 6000 foot runway with plans to offer a brand-new, state of the art passenger terminal which will feature a business center, dedicated military departure lounge for the soldiers at Fort Knox, a restaurant and free parking at the front door, reported Schmidt.
The last piece of the puzzle to making these designs a reality is raising the necessary funds and Schmidt presented the Partnership for Central Kentucky Airline Service Travel Bank as a way to raise the money.
This partnership is a strategy which is designed to provide a revenue guarantee to the first airline which confirms its intent to provide scheduled passenger airline service to the Airport.
“Revenue guarantee programs are an important part of any community’s strategy to develop new passenger airline service,” said Schmidt. “In fact, it is a requirement that has worked successfully in varying forms across the country.”
The Travel Bank works when a potential users of the passenger airline makes a pledge to the Travel Bank.
As the company or individual who made the pledge travels on the airline the fare of the flight is reimbursed until the entire pledge amount is refunded.
Once the proof of travel has been submitted, the Travel Bank will issue a check in the amount of the cost of airline ticket, up to the amount of the pledge.
Travelers have two years from the opening of the airport to receive reimbursement.
The total amount of the pledges raised will be conveyed to potential airlines as the EKX revenue guarantee for the first two years of service.
The travel bank works to put passengers on the flights by encouraging regional air travelers to purchase tickets and use the new service.
The travel bank also provides the airline with a golden opportunity to showcase its new service and to promote all of the travel options which will become available to Central Kentucky travelers.
More detailed information on the Travel Bank can be found by contacting Luke Schmidt at lbschmidt@lbschmidt.com or (270) 292-2898