As you know, there was a bomb threat this morning just as the Airport Advisory Group was beginning to hear public testimony and receive suggestions for questions to be posed to airline representatives on 12/17. I’m hopeful that a venue will be made available to receive those questions that were not heard. In the meantime, feel free to use the comments section of this post and I will make sure they get to the committee chairs.
Here are some starter questions:
Background: How much input did your airline have on the current proposal from KCAD before it was presented to Council?
KCI CPE on Fares: What impact does the cost per enplanement at KCI have on airfares? Are your fares set by market conditions or by the costs of operation? If market conditions, what does the likelihood of dramatically increasing the cost per passenger with a new terminal mean to the airline.
KCI Operations: What impact does KCI’s current terminal age/design/layout/infrastructure have on your airline’s decision to bring flights here? Are there physical issues now that if changed would increase or decrease service?
KCI CPE on Service: What impact does the cost per enplanement of KCI have on your airline’s decision to bring flights here? If KCI’s CPE increased what would be the net effect on the number of flights if any?
Specific service questions for Southwest: You are currently the only airline with regular connecting service through KCI. Why do you currently connect through KCI? How does the current terminal work for you? What do you dislike and would like to see addressed? Does the cost per enplanement impact your connecting flights differently than non-stop flights? How do you see the current proposal impacting Southwest’s service to KCI?
If you’ve reduced flights to KCI over the past 3-5 years, have any of those reductions been due to the current terminals or condition of the airport?
These are all good questions but I think the best is the one about how much input the airlines had at the beginning. If the city spent millions of dollars to ram a new terminal down our throat and no one bothered to ask the airlines in advance what they would want in a new terminal then the people in charge need to lose their jobs.
What one thing could KC do or not do to attract more flights?
The only thing that gets more flights in or out of MCI are persons lining up with their Dollars to buy flights! The only reason people do that is because they need to come to or leave the area. It’s NOT because they just love to walk through the Airport.
One thing that I’m quite assured about, is the fact that if Ticket Prices go up substantially because of new construction, We Will see fewer Persons taking trips!
Will you add flights to and from KCI if a new terminal is built? Do you believe that the current proposal of a terminal with less gates than we currently have will motivate you to add more flights?
I’d like to ask the international airlines what the chances are of us getting non-stop flights to Europe if we build a new airport.