Article originally posted by The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise directed to: http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/fort-knox-federal-credit-union-pledges-10000-toward-travel-bank    

Fort Knox Federal Credit Union pledges $10,000 toward Travel Bank

By John Friedlein   Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 7:00 pm The News-Enterprise ELIZABETHTOWN — The Elizabethtown Airport Board recently received its first five-figure pledge for its travel bank, which will guarantee some revenue for the first airline that decides to start local commuter flights. Fort Knox Federal Credit Union has pledged $10,000 to the Central Kentucky Airline Service Travel Bank. Those who give money to the Travel Bank get it back after they buy tickets for flights. And money for the pledges will be collected only after an airline commits. The bank’s president and CEO, Bill Rissel, said in a press release: “We view the development of airline service at (the airport) as one of this community’s most important goals.”

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

Article originally posted by The (Hodgenville) Larue County Herald directed to: http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?029+article+News+20090706124108029029001

 

 

LaRue could benefit from E’town’s commuter service
Airport consultant addresses Hodgenville Rotary Club meeting

 

By Ben Sheroan

Commercial jet flights from Elizabethtown to major airline hubs could feed off job growth at Fort Knox and provide a gateway to other local opportunities, according to a consultant appearing before the Hodgenville Rotary Club.

Luke B. Schmidt, who grew up in Hardin County, has been hired to help the airport board develop and market its plan for a return to commuter service.

“From our point of view, it’s all about jobs and the future of the region,” Schmidt said Thursday.

He said providing convenience for business clients will protect jobs in the region. The service also will connect the area to the global economy and better serve Fort Knox, which is Kentucky’s largest airline user. The post’s flight needs are expected to grow in 2010 when the Human Resource Command relocates in the new complex under construction.

Instead of the noisy prop planes that served Addington Field briefly a couple decades ago, the airport is negotiating with three companies that service major carriers in hopes of landing daily jet connections.

A key element of the deal is demonstrating a commitment to the airlines. Schmidt’s current emphasis is explaining the value of a Travel Bank. He is collecting monetary pledges from potential travelers, which would serve as an initial revenue guarantee for the airline.

Once an airline is secured, the airport would send invoices for the pledges and the money would show a commitment to the airline.

It is not a cash contribution. Customers would recover their money as they use the flights out of Elizabethtown. The individual or business would be reimbursed by the local airport board for the full cost of any travel originating or terminating at EKX, the travel designation for the Elizabethtown Regional Airport.

Schmidt called it the “last big push” in an effort to secure the flights.

In previously promoting this effort, the airport collected 72 formal resolutions of support from city and county governments and business associations such as Chambers of Commerce. If commuter service is secured, the airport expects to draw from a 24-county area, Schmidt said.

In anticipation of securing three daily flights, Schmidt said several steps are under way. The airport board is working with the Transportation Security Administration to deal with clearance and safety issues. It has received approval to upgrade its current instrument landing information to an ILS glide support system. Improvements planned at the field include another four to five inches of pavement to support heavier jets, development of an access road from a nearby fire station to the runway and some necessary fencing.

The airport board is committed to allow free parking, which Schmidt predicts will be a major attraction to flying from Elizabethtown instead of catching a commuter flight in Louisville or Nashville.

At the Rotary meeting, Schmidt displayed a 3-D illustration of the proposed 25,000-square-foot, glass-enclosed terminal to be constructed once an airline is secured. He said the building, which will take 13 months to erect, will include a business center and restaurant as well as baggage handling and ticket stations.

Schmidt also said the airport board has “a funding source identified” to finance the building, but he did not provide specifics.

Article originally posted by The (Leitchfield) Record directed to: http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?106+article+News+2009063001638106106001

 

Elizabethtown Airport could boost Grayson’s appeal
Topic discussed at Chamber luncheon

 

By DeAnna Lasley

An expansion of Elizabethtown’s airport, including a return of commuter flights, Regional Airport promises benefits for Grayson County, a consultant said.

Luke Schmidt, who works with the Elizabethtown Regional Airport’s board, presented several potential benefits of having jet service and commuter flights 30 miles away to a crowd of  Grayson County Chamber of Commerce members on June 25.

Fort Knox, the largest airline user in Kentucky, will have possibly the most to gain from the regional airport, saving nearly $1 million a year. However, surrounding counties can benefit through the airport’s one-step access to larger hubs such as Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago and Cincinnati.

Schmidt said expanded Addington Field, which is located off Ring Road near one of  Elizabethtown’s industrial parks, could make Grayson County more attractive to potential industries and businesses. It also would bring the county closer to the global market. The airport will serve a 24-county area.

EKX is seeking a major airline for regional jet service with 50-passenger planes and competitive fees. Once an airline is chosen, a state-of-the-art passenger terminal will be built.

A major attraction: Front door parking will be free.

Funding for the expansion is being taken through subscription or a travel bank. The subscriptions would be payable after the airline is contracted. Subscriptions would be repaid as the subscriber used the airport, on a dollar-by-dollar basis.

Schmidt said ideal subscribers would use the airport regularly for business and pleasure. Larger industries would be asked to subscribe at the $25,000 level or greater.

Expansions at EKX are not anticipated to have a big affect on Leitchfield/Grayson County Airport. The local airport is used by smaller planes and mostly by independent pilots.

Kirk Collard said the local 4,000-foot runway was sufficient but challenging to land a jet, as compared to the 6,000-foot runway in Elizabethtown.

Article originally posted by The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise directed to: http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/commuter-flight-effort-endorsed

Commuter flight effort endorsed

Hardin County’s three chambers of commerce give thumbs up

By John Friedlein

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm

By JOHN FRIEDLEIN

 

jfriedlein@thenewsenterprise.com

ELIZABETHTOWN – Hardin County’s three chambers of commerce — in their first joint endorsement since embracing a more regionalist outlook — on Thursday expressed support of a push to re-establish commuter service at the local airport.

“The reason Hardin County is as prosperous as it is, is because of transportation,” said Tim Asher, president of the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. He mentioned the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, U.S. 31W and Interstate 65.

Jerry Howard, who serves on the Radcliff-Hardin County Chamber board of directors, said to grow, the area must grow its transportation.

Regional Chambers United — which also includes the Vine Grove Chamber — has scheduled a forum for 11 a.m. June 29 at the airport. During the event, the public can talk to Airport Board members and see the facility and an architect’s rendering of a proposed terminal, said Radcliff Chamber President Mary Jo King.

The three chambers  coming together behind the project speaks volumes about what this community wants to do, Airport Board consultant Luke B. Schmidt said.

Mark Haynes, chairman of the Elizabethtown chamber’s board, said, “We want to speak as one voice.” His group has asked members to write letters in support of the effort.

Three major carriers have identified this as an expansion market, Schmidt said.

“Central Kentucky is on a roll,” he said, mentioning the realignment of Fort Knox and a potential electric vehicle battery factory project in Glendale.

“There is no other part of the state that is going to have this kind of growth over the next five to 10 years,” he said.

From Elizabethtown Regional Airport, daily flights could go to connecting hubs such as Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and Charlotte, N.C.

There was a commuter service here in the ’80s.

To help get one back, Schmidt for the past few weeks has been touting an initiative called the Partnership for Central Kentucky Airline Service Travel Bank. It would provide a pool of perhaps $2 million, which will be guaranteed income for an airline. The way it works is donors put up money in advance and get their contributions back through ticket purchase reimbursements.

The response so far has been very positive, Schmidt said.

John Friedlein can be reached at (270) 505-1746

Article originally posted by The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise directed to: http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/may-17-editorial-innovative-airline-incentive

 

 

May 17 editorial: Innovative airline incentive

By The Staff

 

Monday, May 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm

If there is any reward for creative thinking, the Elizabethtown Airport Board’s efforts to bring commuter air service to this growing community and its 23 neighboring counties surely will succeed.

Faced with the grim prospect of depending on government, corporate or individual altruism —  at a time of declining revenues and profits — to come up with financial incentives to persuade a commuter airline to do business here, the board and consultant Luke B. Schmidt developed what seems to be a win-win-win solution. Win for the community, win for an airline, win for local businesses, organizations and individuals who depend on air travel.

Setting up service to provide the hoped-for minimum of three outbound, three inbound flights daily would be a costly proposition for an airline. Of course they, too, are suffering financially these days. To help offset those start-up costs for one of the three airlines considering connecting Elizabethtown with larger hubs, the airport board is asking air travel users to pledge money to the Partnership for Central Kentucky Airline Service Bank.

The first airline to offer service would use those contributions, possibly as much as $2 million, to take the necessary steps to begin restoring commuter air service to this area. Contributors would get their money back through ticket reimbursements as they use the service.

Time is short to complete negotiations to land a regional airline that is a dependable operation affiliated with a major carrier. The campaign to finance the Travel Bank is designed to last three months. By then, it should be known whether the lithium-ion battery research and manufacturing campus backed by a coalition of at least 50 companies will be locating here. Pressure already is building on the community from anticipated growth to be completed at Fort Knox by 2012, especially the Human Resources Command.

The Army was the single largest user of commercial air line service in this region, even before the expected 7,600 new positions were assigned to Fort Knox. The battery facility will add significantly to that. A potential for 350,214 passenger trips was estimated before the NATTbatt potential was revealed. Location of the multi-use facility here will be a huge enticement to a commuter airline, just as the airline will be a big attraction to any business considering locating here.

The Travel Bank is the kind of innovative thinking that should be rewarded, but its success really will depend upon the ability of local businesses and organizations to see beyond their immediate circumstances to visualize the investment opportunities and take advantage of them. They will not have to put up the money right away.

Just think: No more 4 a.m. alarms to make an early morning flight in Louisville. No more anxious, pre-dawn races against the clock up Interstate 65. And no more dreading the parking lot exit booth.

– This editorial represents a consensus of The News-Enterprise editorial board.

Article originally posted by The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise directed to: http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/battery-factory-charges-airline-push

 

 

Battery factory charges airline push

By John Friedlein

 

Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm

By JOHN FRIEDLEIN

jfriedlein@thenewsenterprise.com

ELIZABETHTOWN — Those pushing for commuter flights at the local airport have received another carrot to help lure an airline here.

Gov. Steve Beshear last week announced that a hybrid and electric vehicle battery plant may locate in nearby Glendale.

“It’s a huge, huge project,” Airport Board consultant Luke B. Schmidt said. “It just lends itself to air travel.”

Anytime there is a major economic development of that type, it strengthens the case that this is a viable market, he said.

Elizabethtown Regional Airport already could tout the Base Realignment and Closure initiative, which will grow Fort Knox over the next couple of years.

Both BRAC and the lithium-ion battery plant are expected to create thousands of new jobs and spur development of other businesses in the area.

Commuter flight proponents already have marketed the Glendale announcement to the three airlines considering service to the area. Schmidt said he has received positive feedback.

The battery factory — which may be dependent on federal economic stimulus funds — is a consortium of 51 companies called NAATBatt.

Because so many businesses are involved, a lot of employees would travel here, Schmidt said. Suppliers and customers may also use the airport.

A local industrial development official said a member of the consortium already has flown into Elizabethtown.

Also, a survey showed the most popular destination for commuter passengers would be Detroit. This area has strong ties to the auto industry because of its many parts manufacturers.

Back in the ’80s, Piedmont Airlines and Delta served the airport. But the market at that time didn’t deliver enough revenue.

If airport officials can restart such as service, they plan to move forward on a multi-million-dollar passenger terminal.

The chances of this happening are likely better because airlines, Schmidt said, are expanding. He said he was happy to see an announcement about service coming to a small market in Kansas, next to the Fort Riley Army post.

While the cost of fuel is not sky-high anymore, the recession has been a challenge for getting an airline here.

“We’d like to see a little stronger economy,” Schmidt said.

John Friedlein can be

reached at 505-1746.