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www.mybaycity.com September 11, 2009
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Local Users of MBS Airport Projected to Save $7 Million Annually

Study Says Shift of Passengers from Freeland to Flint Has Reached Plateau

September 11, 2009       1 Comments
By: Dave Rogers

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Ground was broken with U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, of Midland, who coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and sponsored funding bills in Congress
 

A study estimates that increased use of MBS International Airport, Freeland, by area travelers will save about $7 million per year through time and cost travel benefits.

A $48 million terminal expansion project got underway Aug. 27 at the airport with a groundbreaking attended by Bay City and Bay County officials, among other notables.



The 75,000 square-foot project is expected to be completed by 2013. Construction of the new terminal is expected to add about 250 jobs to the Mid-Michigan economy and to give local travelers more incentive to book flights here rather than using Bishop Airport, Flint, or Detroit Metro.

Ground was broken with U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, of Midland, who coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and sponsored funding bills in Congress, on hand for the ceremonies.

"This is an example of a shovel-ready project that will put people to work immediately in construction jobs, and create new long-term job growth for the region by attracting new businesses," Camp said.

"The project really sets the foundation for the airport to be around -- and be a strong part of the community -- for the next several decades," said MBS Airport manager Jeff Nagel.

In 2007, Rep. Camp won Congressional approval for his request for $1.34 million for the MBS for the project. The appropriation was part of the 2008 transportation spending bill, included in the omnibus spending bill.

An aviation consulting firm, the Boyd Group, of Evergreen, Colorado, has concluded that the rate of traffic leakage from the MBS service area to Bishop International Airport, Flint, "has essentially plateaued."

The firm, noting the ongoing goal of enhanced air service at MBS, said in a report that the data "point to a stabilization in the relationship of the two airports in terms of traffic shifts."

MBS reached a high mark in enplanements with over 300,000 in 1998. The figure has steadily decreased each year, believed to be impacted by increased use of the Flint airport.

"The levels of leakage to Flint have been of concern to the airport over the past eight years," the Boyd study said. "As Bishop International's population and business base grew, it supported -- and has successfully attracted -- substantial new levels of air service.

"In addition, Flint has been the beneficiary of intense competition between Northwest and AirTran, resulting in almost tit-for-tat increases in service, which in some cases have not proved to be sustainable."

The enormous in-migration to Oakland and Genesee counties that has supported Flint's strong traffic growth is now slowing, the firm cited. Also, improvements in highway access to Detroit Metro has re-directed some traffic back to the Detroit airport. "Furthermore, the Flint airport traffic dynamic has a logical limit to the passenger levels it can generate, and that limit today appears to have been reached.

The study noted that Flint in 2005 experienced a decline in enplanements, after several years of meteoric growth. However, Bishop International is expected to have enplanement growth at or slightly above the national average, with limited additions of new service.###

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"The BUZZ" - Read Feedback From Readers!

keyboardkid4 Says:       On September 14, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Leakage to Flint's Bishop Airport will continue as long as the cost of a comparable ticket flying from MBS remains significantly higher than flying from Flint.
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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