Item G4
. .
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
MEETING DATE: 01/17/01
DIVISION: COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BULK ITEM: NO, TIME APPROX. IF POSSIBLE
DEPARTMENT: AIRPORTS
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Presentation From ComAir Concerning Jet SeNice Into The Key West International Airport
ITEM BACKGROUND: ComAir has informed us that they will be replacing their existing turboprop aircraft with a regional
jet on their Key West/Orlando run sometime this spring. Since we have not had regularly scheduled jet seNice at the
airport since 1991, this announcement is sure to generate a high level of interest in the community. Representatives from
the airline will provide details on the operation of the aircraft, and answer questions about the new seNice.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: None on this issue.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: In 1991 the community was happy to see the last jet leave the airport because of the
annoying noise levels that they produced. Now, ten years later the technology is such that new commercial jet aircraft
are as quiet as our existing turboprop fleet. And in this case, as per the attache9 analysis, the ComAir jet will be the
quietest commercial airliner to operate at our airport.
TOTAL COST: N/A
COST TO COUNTY: N/A
BUDGETED: N/A
REVENUE PRODUCING: N/A
AMOUNT PER MONTHNEAR: N/A
APPROVED BY: County Attorney N/A
OMB/Purchasing N/A
Risk Management N/A
SUBMITTED BY:
1:.~
DOCUMENTATION: Included X
To Follow
Not Required
AGENDAITEM#~
DISPOSITION:
/pjh
APD
CamAi..
ADelta Connection
Memorandum
Joseph B. Kauffmann
Director
Sales & Marketing
Comair, Inc.
Cincinnati/Nonhern Kentucky
International Airpon
P.O. Box 75106
Cincinnati, Ohio 45275
(859) 767-2550 Main
(859) 767-2969 Fax
jkauff@comair.com
To:
Commissioner Sonny McCoy
Date:
12/15/00
Peter Horton, Mgr. Key West International Airport ~
From:
Subject:
Comparison of Jet Noise to Noise Levels of the Existing Airline Fleet
As per your request, attached is the analysis comparing the takeoff and approach
noise levels of our existing airline fleet and the regional jet that Com Air is planning to
bring into Key West International Airport (KWIA) in the sp~ing of next year (March or
April).
The Com Air jet is the Canadair CRJ. The other types of aircraft and the airlines
that currently fly them into and out ofKWIA are as follows:
ATR42-300 and ATR 72-210 --- American Eagle
Beech 1900C --- Gulfstream (Continental) and US Airways Express
Cessna 402C --- Cape Air
Dash 8 ---US Airways Express
Embraer 120 --- Com Air (This aircraft will be replaced by the Canadair CRJ)
Frankly, I am amazed at how quiet the new Com Air jet is according to these
figures. It will be the quietest plane in our airline fleet on takeoff and is in the middle of the
scale on approach (slightly quieter than three and slightly noisier than the other three).
However, what is most important from an airport noise perspective is the fact that
the Canadair CRJ will be a little quieter, on both takeoff and approach, than the airplane that
it will replace, the Embraer 120.
cc. Mayor and Commissioners
County Administrator
~Ai\f'
f~
(;'4
'URS
December 11, 2000
Peter Horton
Director of Airports
Key West International Airport
3491 S. Roosevelt Blvd.
Key West. FL 33040
VIA FACSIMILE: (305) 292-3578
RE: Part 36 Noise Levels
Dear Peter,
The following are the estimated takeoff and approach noise levels measured in A-weighted Decibels
(dBA) for aircraft which currently, or are projected to, provide commercial service at Key West
Intemational Airport:
Ain:f1Ift
'ATR42-300
ATR72-210
Beech 1900C
Canadair CRJ
Cessna 402C
Dash 8
Embraer 120
Takeoff
66.4
72.3
66.5
62.7
68.0
67.1
63.2
ADD roach
84.7
62.2
77.0
81.4
74.0
80.6
81.8
The data listed above was taken from FAA Advisory Circular 36-3G. Appendix 2. dated 4/2/96.
Hope this helps!
Sincerely ,
URS Corporation
YeM~
Tom Clarke
Airport Planner
URS CorponltlOn
7650 West Courtney
Campbell C~ullllWay
Tampa. Fl 33607.1462
Tel: 813.286.1711
Fa.: 813.287.8591
NICK MILLER
MANAGER OF MEDIA RELATIONS
(859) 767-2550 Main
(859) 767-2832
(859) 767-2278 Fax
nmiller@comair.com
www.comair.com
COMAIR, INC.
ClNClNNA TIjNoRTHERN KE]\olUCKY
l"lTERc'JATIONAL AIRPORT
P.O. Box 75317
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45275
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Noise Measurement Tests Reveal
The COMAIR Jet Is The Quietest Jet Airliner.
.--.....-...."..
"It is interesting to note that the
Canadair Regional Jet is even
quieter than many current turbo-
prop aircraft," explains Appleton.
The Canadair Regional
Jet is so quiet that it can operate
from airports with stringent restrictions.
COMAIR, the North American
launch customer for the
Canadair Regional Jet, is
scheduled to take deli very of
their first twinjet in early 1993. Up
to this point, the 16-year old airline has operat-
ed turboprop and piston aircraft.
"
The 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet is
proving to be the world's quietest jet air-
liner, operating well under FAA Stage 3 noise
requirements, following flight and noise
measurement tests in May.
"Airlines operating turbine equipment are well
aware of the fact that aircraft noise is at the top
of the FAA's agenda," says David Mueller,
chairman and CEO of COMAIR. "It is very
satisfying to know that the first jet COMAIR
will be operating not only meets the stringent
Stage 3 requirements, but is actually well
below specified levels.
"Our results indicate that the Canadair Regional
Jet is quieter than any other commercial jet on
the market and even quieter than many equiva-
lently sized turboprop airliners." says Tom
Appleton, executive vice-president, Bombardier
Regional Aircraft Division. "Airlines that
operate the Canadair Regional Jet will be able
to fly in and out of airports with even the most
stringent noise restrictions, such as Washington
National in Washington, DC, and John Wayne
in Orange County, California."
"Everyone in the airline industry is aware of
the impact that aircraft noise can have on the
surrounding community, and it's important to
note the tremendous strides that airline, air-
frame and engine manufacturers have made
over the years to address these concerns,"
adds Mueller.
The extended range version of the aircraft
(51,000 lb.) was rated at 78.6 EPNdb at take-off
(lOA db below Stage 3 noise limits), 82.2
EPNdb for sideline (or 11.8 db below limit),
and 92.1 EPNdb during approach
(5.9 db below limit).
The noise evaluation tests, performed in May
1992, also indicated that the Canadair
Regional Jet noise contour area for take-off
and approach at 80 dBA is 74 per cent smaller
than the BAe 146-200 and 64 per cent smaller
than the Fokker 100 under similar conditions.
Contours indicate the area affected by aircraft
noise at a specific decibel level or above.
These fiqures place the Canadair Regional Jet
significantly below the British Aerospace 146-
100 (often considered the quietest jetliner) and
the Fokker F50 turboprop.
Aircraft noise is generated by the engines and
the configuration of the airframe during flight.
For example, on approach, an aircraft will
have all flaps extended to increase wing lift.
This action not only slows the aircraft down,
but also generates noise.
Canadair has worked closely with General
Electric, the manufacturer of the aircraft's
engines, and with the engine nacelle manufac-
turer, LTV, to design a quieter aircraft. The
CF34 engine's basic design and high bypass
interested in the reaction of other carriers to this
feature of our airplane. We believe we've
developed a highly reliable aircraft that greatly
enhances an airline's ability to react to new
route development'and increased frequency in
markets, while proving to be
environmentally friendly to the
neighboring community. It's a
win-win situation for both the
airline and the community
it serves,"
Canadair Regional Jet Noise Comparison
(Certified External Noise EPN dB)
. BAE 146-100 ~ Stage 3 Noise limit
. Fokker FSO
o Canadalr Regional Jet ( Series looER )
102
17
fa
CD
...
~17
12
T7
n
rake-off
~
The noise contour for Calladair's
/win jet is 20 per cent smaller
than originally estimated.
SIdeline Approach
Cumulative
The Canadair Regional Jet is quieter
than any other jet and even some
turboprop aircraft.
Noise Contours
Take-off and Approach
80 dBA
MD-82 (4.4 sq.ml.)
~ -----
Boeing 737-500 (2.3 sq.ml.)
ratio of 6.2 to I make it a very
quiet power-plant. In addition,
the fan module has more than
twice as many exit guide vanes as
blades to reduce noise levels
significantly, and the nacelles
incorporate special noise attenua-
tion treatment. Canadair engi-
neers also devoted considerable
time and effort to develop a very
smooth structure to minimize
aerodynamic noise.
BAe 146-200 (1.9 sq. mi.)
...u.;:!M~~~E - - - - -:~\;f~;:~~.>~
Fokker 100 (1.4 sq.ml.)
Canadalr Regional Jet (0.5 sq.ml.)
~-_~,u--J ~
~-----'" ~
:a.o .... 1. .... "u. 4.0 ....
~ .
DIstance to TouctKfown Distance from brake release
(miles)
"Whether you look at the entire
noise contour or any of the individual certifica-
tion measuring points (take-off, sideline,
approach), it is clear that many communities
will benefit, " says Appleton. "We'll be very
.
(
A. DELTA CONNECllON
Delta Connection, Inc.
P.O. Box 75317
Cincinnati, OH 45275-5317
Phone: 859-767-2509
Fax: 859-767-2278
CONTACT: Corporate Communications
859-767 -1500 '
www.delta.com
DELTA CONNECTION CARRIERS POISED
TO ENHANCE GROWTH AND MARKET LEADERSHIP
LARGEST REGIONAL JET ORDER IN HISTORY BOOSTS DELTA CONNECTION'S
ROLE AS LEADING OPERATOR OF REGIONAL JETS
CINCINNATI- JULY 28,2000 - The Farnborough 2000 air show in the United Kingdom
ends today with Delta Connection well positioned to offer an increasing array of regional
jet service to more customers and new markets. Delta Connection carriers Comair and
Atlantic Southeast Airlines completed the largest regional jet order in history at
Farnborough.
The CRJ transaction was first announced on March 29, 2000, when Comair, ASA and
Bombardier Aerospace signed letters of intent covering 94 firm CRJ aircraft and 406
options. Prior to completing the agreements, ASA increased the number of firm orders
by 10. ASA will use the additional 10 CRJs to replace 20 percent of its Embraer Brasilia
(EMB-120) turboprop fleet beginning in September 2001.
Comair and ASA have placed firm orders for a total of 104 CRJ 100, CRJ200 and
CRJ700 Series regional jets. The agreement also includes options on an additional 396
CRJ aircraft. The order for up to 500 Canadair Regional Jets allows Com air and ASA to
continue upgrading their fleets to jets, pursue strategic market expansion and enhance
Delta Connection's position as the world's leading operator of regional jets. It also helps
Delta Connection move closer to a goal of eventually becoming the first regional carrier
system to offer jet service exclusively to every market it serves, said David
Siebenburgen, president and chief executive officer of Delta Connection.
"Travelers have made their enthusiastic preference for regional jets loud and clear. This
order illustrates Delta's commitment to meet the needs of customers," Siebenburgen
said. "The new aircraft will enhance Delta's already extensive network of flights
connecting passengers to its hubs and strategic point-to-point markets. This helps Delta
achieve its goal of being able to take passengers from anywhere to everywhere."
Comair and ASA will accept delivery of the 104 firm aircraft between December 2000
and November 2004. The order includes 25 70-seat CRJ700 aircraft and 79 CRJ100
and CRJ200 aircraft with a mix of 40, 44 and 50 seats. The airlines have option rights for
a mix of CRJ100, CRJ200 and CRJ700 series aircraft with delivery dates reaching out
to 2010.
The order keeps Comair on track to convert to all jet by the end of this year every flight
out of its main hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Delta operates
its second largest hub at the Cincinnati airport. Comair also plans to convert its entire
fleet to regional jets by the end of 2001.
Together, Comair and ASA now have firm orders for 291 Bombardier CRJ aircraft,
including 23 CRJ 100 and CRJ200 aircraft and 32 CRJ700 aircraft from previous orders.
Of those firm orders, 132 have been delivered.
Regional jets are a vital component of the Delta network. Regional jets allow Delta
Connection to feed customers to the Delta network from markets that are not large
enough to economically support Delta's larger mainline aircraft. The jets also give Delta
Connection the flexibility to develop new regional jet markets that currently lack
scheduled jet service, or any scheduled service, linking them to major airlines.
"Customers benefit because regional jets allow us to provide service in smaller markets,
markets that may develop into big jet markets," Siebenburgen said. "Regional jets also
benefit smaller markets because regularly scheduled jet service helps attract new
business and economic growth to those regions."
Delta Connection, Inc., Comair and ASA are wholly owned subsidiaries of Delta Air
Lines. The Delta Connection system operates more than 150 regional jets among its
carriers, which also include partners SkyWest, Trans States and Atlantic Coast Jet.
Atlantic Coast Jet recently received FAA certification to begin Delta Connection service
on Aug. 1.
Delta Connection manages the Delta Connection carrier program. Delta Connection
coordinates the operations of Delta Connection carriers to provide the most innovative,
extensive and efficient connecting service network in the airline industry. For more
information about Delta Connection and Delta Air Lines, visit www.delta.com.
####
Reprinted from Air Transport World February 2000
Air Transport World
Regional Airline of the Year Comair
Regional
Airline of the
Year Comair
Comair is what other Regional airlines aspire to be.
SinceATWfirst honored it in 1990, this Delta Con-
nection carrier has become the most consistently
profitable and continually
growing Regional airline worldwide. For these and
other reasons, Comair is our Regional Airline of the
Year for 2000.
A tightly knit management team led
by Chairman David Mueller, Presi-
dent and CEO David Siebenburgen
and CFO Randy D. Rademacher
helped Comair log some impressive
statistics over the years. Here is an
airline that:
.Carries around 500,000 passen-
gers each month from hubs in
Cincinnati and Orlando-6.4 million
customers annually.
. Had a record net income of
$132 million on revenues of $763.3
million in its 1999 fiscal year, a mar-
gin of 17.3%.
.Was ranked in the top 20 in
shareholder returns among all US publicly traded
stocks by the Wall Street journal; its stock has split
eight times since February 1985.
. Pioneered the fleet conversion from turboprops
to regional jets in the US. Its only dilemma is finding
enough lift and terminal space at Cincinnati to han-
dle its growth.
Comair offers more than 758 daily departures to
89 cities in 32 states and three countries systemwide,
with hubs at CincinnatilNorthern Kentucky and
Orlando International airports. In anticipation of
further growth, it placed a $1 billion follow-on order
last year for 30 50-seat Canadair RJs to add to the 90
it already operates, plus 20 of the soon-to-be-certifi-
cated 70-seat version, the CRJ700.
If all past and present orders and options are real-
ized, Comair will have spent around $4 billion on jets.
It already operates more RJs than any other carrier
worldwide and expects to be an all-jet carrier by the
end of 2001. To help facilitate this goal, it plans to
acquire 30/40-seat jets very soon to replace its fleet of
just under 20 Brasilia turbo-
props.
In addition to buying more
aircraft, Comair will spend
$25-$50 million on new
headquarters, maintenance
and training facilities this year
and will upgrade its relatively
new Cincinnati terminal com-
plex. Completed in 1994, the
terminal has 53 gates, stores,
restaurants and offices.
Comair is more than an airline. Its Aviation Acade-
my in Sanford, Fla., trains hundreds of
pilots annually and plans are under-
way to develop an airline-management
program for employees wanting to
become better managers. Called
Comair University, it will provide
training in such areas as communica-
tions, leadership and business prac-
tices.
Comair has come a long way since
David Mueller and his father, Ray-
mond, launched the airline in 1977
with eight employees and flights to
three cities in Ohio using three small
piston-powered aircraft. Today its
network has expanded from its
Cincinnati home to as far away as
Nassau, Bangor and Houston Bush Intercontinental
Airport.
Delta Air Lines, which designated Cincinnati as a
hub in December 1996 and has enjoyed enormous
growth there-in part because of Comair-is well
aware of its Regional partner's standing in the indus-
try. So much so that Delta signed a definitive agree-
ment last October to acquire Comair for $1.8 billion,
a bargain by most observers' estimates.
Comair has operated as a wholly owned sub-
sidiary of Delta as ofJanuary '00. Since the
announcement, Rademacher has been elevated to
Comair president while Siebenburgen now heads the
Delta Connection network with direct responsibility
for Comair and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, another
wholly owned subsidiary.
We could list additional reasons why Comair
reigns supreme among its peers. Suffice to say that
the editors ofATWfelt it highly appropriate to again
honor this airline before it enters into the next stage
of its development.
. .
_d
Copyright@2000 by Penton Media, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Bigger Isn't Always Better
Small airports could see phenomenal growth as
_._.___._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.___._._._._._._._._._._a_
regional jets revolutionize air service
By Jennifer Michels
The creation of the 50-passenger re-
gional jet (RJ) is doing for smaller
communities around the nation what
the Boeing 767 did for international
destinations-namely, opening them up to a
new world of service. If industry experts are
correct, the smaller jets also will propel air-
line ticket sales opportunities to new levels.
Consumers have long sought more af-
fordable air service, and in the past year their
pleas have been joined by civic officials clam-
oring for more---and cheaper-air service to
boost business in their areas. While Con-
gress, consumer advocates and the airlines
work on solutions to fix the state of airline
competition, the growing number of RJs
revving up on the tarmac is slowly but surely
alleviating some of the problems.
Industry experts predict that increased
use of the smaller planes will improve air-
line service to hundreds of U.S. cities that
cannot sustain major airline jet operations.
"Small communities have been the sacrifi-
ciallambs of airline deregulation," says
Morris Garfinkle, a member of the Proposi-
tion RJ Coalition and president of GKMG
Consulting. The coalition, which was fonned
to promote more service to smaller commu-
nities, is comprised of airports, airport author-
ities, community leaders and state
transportation officials.
According to Garfinkle, the in-
dustry is in the middle of the most
intense competition debate since
deregulation in 1978, and Congress
should be aware of how new RJ
service stimulates traffic. A study
conducted by the coalition conclud-
ed that there are 485,000 untapped
passengers per day that could be
served by RJs. The airports that
would benefit the most from un-
constrained RJ service, according
to the study, are Memphis, Wash-
ington-Dulles, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Dal-
lasIFort Worth and Charlotte, N.C.
(Since the report was written,
Northwest announced a significant expan-
sion of RJ service to Memphis.) The re-
searchers found that there are also 1,452 p0-
tential RJ markets where no daily jet service
exists today.
Currently RJs represent only 3.1 percent
of the daily seats flown in the U.S. Of those
RJs flying, more than 60 percent are operat-
ed by two airlines---Continental and Delta-
according to the coalition. Those two appear
to have cornered the RJ market, because
they are the only two major airlines not con-
strained in the number of regional flights that
can be operated under scope clause provi-
sions in their pilot contracts. Pilot contracts
have slowed the migration toward greater
Comair uses more
regional Jets than
any other airtine.
use of the RJ because pilots fear that more of
their high-paying jobs will be shifted to RJs,
which would pay less. Pilots at American, for
example, are concerned that about half of all
American Eagle passengers are not connect-
ing to the mainline carrier. But the coalition's
study concluded that RJ service rarely substi-
tutes for larger mainline flights, and in fact
usually supplements those flights. The intro-
duction of RJs on routes usually replaces
larger turboprop aircraft as well, which are
then used to replace smaller, noisier turbo-
prop aircraft-the least favorite of travelers.
Delta Connection carrier Comair is the
largest operator of regional jets in the world.
It operates 76 Canadair regional jets (CRJs)
and recently signed a $1 billion jet order for
50 more CRJs, split between 20 for the new
70-seat jets, and 30 for the 50-seat variety.
In Crescent Springs, Ky., across the
river from Comair's Cincinnati headquar-
ters, Journeys Travel finds that passengers
enjoy the CRJ mainly because it is quiet
and comfortable. Vanessa Culp, a travel
consultant with Journeys, says the air-
planes are "real modem and [offer] a less
bumpy ride." Clients also like the fact that
Comair's RJs are, on average, only 3 years
old. "They like that there are two seats on
each side, and no middle seat, so the seats
Airlines
seem a little bit bigger and the aisles a little
bit wider," says Culp, who adds that while
there is no meal service on the short
flights, passengers don't expect one.
According to Culp, frequent flights and
destinations such as Chicago, Detroit and
New York attract many business travelers,
but Journeys Travel is also seeing more
leisure travelers book RJ flights now that
Comair flies to Orlando; Nassau, Bahamas;
and Myrtle Beach, S.c. Its Comair Weekend
Traveler Booklet also is selling well. The
booklet is $319 for four one-way tickets that
are transferable, but must be used on Satur-
days, Sundays or Mondays. "That usually
beats any fare out there," Culp says. Agents
also like Comair's customer service. Several
have said that when they have problems, Co-
mair is courteous and helpful.
Popular Choice. The irony of the RJs'
popularity is that the airlines were slow
to warm up to the idea of using them. In
the last year that has changed dramati-
cally, and RJ manufacturers have assem-
bly lines tied up for the next decade in a
mad scramble to fill orders. The other
main regional jet being flown today,
aside from the Canadair RJ, is the
Brazilian-made Embraer EMB-145. Co-
mair was the first U.S. airline to begin
flying the CRJ. In 1993 it inaugurated RJ
service to 15 cities.
In just six years the number of cities
being served with some type of regional
jet by U.S. airlines has grown to 159. Co-
mair now operates more than twice the
number of daily RJ flights than its next
largest operator, Continental Express.
Comair has allowed Delta to increase its
operations at Cincinnati by 70 percent
from 1992 to 1999. Regional jet service
accounted for 65 percent of that growth,
according to the RJ coalition. It also al-
lowed Delta to move its larger aircraft to
Atlanta, where it routinely sets new pas-
senger boarding records. In Cincinnati
markets, and to points beyond Cincinnati,
RJ service has added 3,300 passengers a
day to Delta's system. And, the coalition
says, the RJs actually stimulate significant
amounts of new traffic.
One good example of the effect RJs can
have on a community can be seen in Fargo,
N.D. For years Fargo's only jet link was to
Minneapolis on Northwest. Then United
started operating regional jet service from
Fargo to Denver and Oricago. That service
ended up generating flights to 86 new mar-
kets, according to the RJ coalition. The same
thing happened in Chattanooga, Tenn. Unit-
ed started operating RJs from Chicago to
Chattanooga, and the latter now has service
to 29 new markets.
Happy Clients. RJs may be revolutioniz-
ing air service for the smaller communi-
ties, but agents also know what the
smaller jets are doing for the retail indus-
try-providing satisfied clients.
Carolyn Schultz, an agent at Carlson
Wagonlit Travel's Crestview Hills, Ky., of-
fice, says travelers like the 2x2 seating and
smooth flights. In addition, the RJs also fly
faster than planes of comparable size. Per-
haps the most telling of all is, when asked
what passengers complain about concerning
the RJs, Schultz-like many agents-paus-
es, and then answers: "I haven't heard any
complaints." @
@Reprintedfrom TRAVEL AGENT, August 16,1999 AN ADVANSTAR . PUBLICATION Printed in U.S.A.
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with purchase ora fare that is eligible for frequent flyer mileage credit. All standard Delta SkyMiles program rules and conditionS-apply.
The Sky's the Limit
Cincinnati-based regional carrier Comair is
gaining stature and may soon be a major player
By Jennifer Michels
The term "connection carrier" or "com-
muter" often conjures up the image of
passengers strapped into an 18-seat,
noisy tube headed for a town so smaIl
it requires three changes of planes to get
there. But taday's U.S. regional carriers are
anything but bit players in the airline busi-
ness, and some of them are poised to jet not
only ahead of their peers, but national air-
lines as well.
Comair, the largest independently owned
regional (Delta owns 21 percent), is on target
to break out of the pack in the near future.
And according to a Wall Street analyst, it
could soon be classified as a major airline. (A
major is an airline that takes in at least $1 bil-
lion a year in revenue; a national is any carrier
with more than $100 million in annual rev-
enue. Comair took in more than $500 million
in revenue in 1997.) Julius Maldutis of ernc
Oppenheimer recently predicted that Comair
will be making enough to fall into the major
category by the end of 1999 or early 2000. Ac-
cording to statistics compiled by A vStat Ass0-
ciates for the Regional Airline Association,
Comair carried 1,319,490 passengers in the
Comair
Headquarters: Cincinnati
Fleet: 67 Canadair Regional
Jets, 28 Emb-120 Brasilias
Routes: 80 cities in 28
states and three countries
Travel Agent Help Desk:
800-543-7308 (U.S.), 800-
543-7185 (Kentucky)
Ticket Policy: IATAN-accredit-
ed agents can buy a confirmed
space ticket for 75 percent oft
the full Y fare.
Web site: www.comair.com
Contact: 800-354-9822
first quarter of 1998, second only to American
Eagle's Simmons Airlines, which carried
1,393,185 passengers. Continental Express
carried 1,136,061, and none of the other re-
gionals broke the 1
million mark.
One reason Co-
mair is catapulting to
the top of the list is be-
cause it operates the
largest fleet of region-
al jets in the world.
The airline, which
began setvice in 1'J77,
was the North Ameri-
can launch customer
for the 50-seat Can-
adair Regional Jet
(RJ) in 1993. Comair
hopes to be operating
80 jets in a year and is considering acquiring
the larger, 70-seat Canadair RJs. Because it
got a jump on ordering RJs, which are now
desperately sought by many airlines, it will
have more seats than other regionals.
Traffic Records. For several months in a
row, Comair has set new traffic records. In
July Com air carried 558,653 passengers,
marking the first time the carrier broke
550,000 for a single month. For the first six
months of the year, passenger enplanements
were up 14.6 percent to 2,882,841, which is
more passengers than national carriers Reno
Air and Hawaiian Airlines flew during the
same period.
The airline attributes its success to the
"passenger appeal" of the jets: All Comair
flights feature cabin setvice with flight atten-
dants, and the Canadair RJ's 2x2 seating
configuration eliminates the dreaded middle
seat. The craft is commonly referred to as the
quietest jet in the world. Martin Sheridan,
owner of Cincinnati-based First Travel,
agrees the RJs' rapid delivery to Comair is
elevating the airline to "a different stratum"
from other commuters. Robin and Susan
Schneider, co-owners of Columbus, Ohio-
based Twin Horizons Travel, say when they
run into clients who refuse to fly a regional
airline, they tell them about regional jets.
"We have people who avoid commuters in
general and will wait for several hours to
take a major airline," Robin says. "We try
and sell the aircraft too," adds Susan.
Comair believes it also has an advantage
with its strategic niche at CincinnatilNorthern
Kentucky International Airport, which is one
of the top alternatives for passengers who
want to bypass congested Chicago-O'Hare. In
April, lATA rated the Cincinnati airport as
the most convenient hub in the U.S. for the
second year in a row. One month earlier, Co-
mair had announced plans to make a $25 mil-
lion investment to ex-
pand its operation at
Cincinnati instead of
at Orlando, where it
has 15 gates. Sheridan
says one of Comair's
big selling points is its
high number of fre-
quencies to Cincin-
nati, where it has its
own terminal.
Though many still
think of Comair as a
small regional carri-
er, the carrier's tenta-
cles are far-reaching.
The airline offers connections to 450 cities
and 80 countries served by Delta from Or-
lando, and through its codeshare with Bel-
gium's Sabena, Comair can now get travelers
to the Middle East. In mid-July, Sabena and
Comair agreed to codes hare to Brussels
from five cities through Cincinnati. Passen-
gers can connect to more than 100 destina-
tions from Sabena's Brussels hub. Codeshar-
ing flights between the two carriers began in
February, and include flights to Brussels
from seven U.S. cities.
While it is growing quickly, Comair takes
special care to keep agents in the loop.
Whenever Comair begins service to a new
city, it offers agents an educational seminar.
It also offers them perks that many regionals
do not, such as an agent-only help desk open
weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The airline offers fam trips when it starts
setvice to a new city from Orlando or Cincin-
nati. Comair representatives also will assist
agents with presentations to corporate
clients. The Schneiders say the sales repre-
sentation Comair gives agents is "superior"
to that of other regional airlines. "Comair
still values your business," Susan says, while
Robin says the airline is "still concerned
about the way you are getting taken care of."
She adds that Comair is excellent at keeping
her agency informed of new programs, and
Sheridan says, "We have always found them
to be very good to work with." I!!I
Comair's success has analysts
believing major status is next.
@Reprinted from TRAVEL AGENT, August 31, 1998 AN ADVANSTAR . PUBLICATION Printed in U.S.A.
R ' " ~h-\C',
SELECT ,.(;~,
;. ~ ~ ' 1.' P ~'
Regional jets like the CRJ are transforming commuter airlines
By AIXA M. PASCUAL CINCINNATI
thrilled, a feeling that commuter-airline
passengers usually get only in dicey weath-
er. "I have some reservations when I'm
told I'm flying a Delta Connection flight,"
said Paffenroth, uttering the dreaded
words that often indicate a slow, noisy,
cramped trip in a turboprop. But for him
this flight is preferable even to one on a
bigger but crowded Delta Air Lines jet.
Paffenroth is one of the 7 million pas-
sengers who are basking in the relative
comfort, speed and convenience of re-
gional jets-the 50-seat versions of bigger
planes like the DC-9 or Boeing 737 that
are changing the commuter-airline busi-
ness and causing reverberations among
the major airlines. Introduced in the U.S.
in 1993 by Comair, a Cincinnati-based car-
rier and Delta partner, the twin-engine
CR], made by Montreal's Bombardier, has
become the mainstay of Comair's fleet.
The CR] and a rival regional made by
Brazil's Embraer are steadily supplanting
turbos. They had been stalled only by pilot
unions at American Airlines and United
Airlines, which have insisted that their
ROBERT PAFFENROTH, A REGIONAL
account manager for Lucent Tech-
nologies, was relaxing on a recent
flight from Cincinnati, Ohio, to
New York City. He had left his
home in Pittsburgh, Pa., the pre-
vious afternoon and flown to Raleigh, N.C.,
via Cincinnati and at 4:10 p.m. the next day
was on his way to his office on Long Island.
He had traveled all four legs on Comair's
50-seat Canadair Regional Jets. He was
, P'-
, SELECT .~,:
SMAll WONDEr"
Comair is using
Canadair Regional
Jets to take on its
bigger rivals in
some markets
cinnati to Appleton,
Wis., a paper-indus-
try center, on 30-seat
Embraer turboprops.
It now has six flights a
day to Appleton, five of
which use 50-seat jets.
Says Michael Fletch-
er, a service engineer
with Voith Sulzer Pa-
perTechnology who
travels frequently to
Appleton: "This flight
puts me in the heart
of the papermaking
industry in Wisconsin
in minimal time." Giv-
en a choice, Fletcher
prefers to fly on a jet.
"When I get off the
plane, I'm in much
better shape," he says.
"The difference is night and day. There's
no debate about whether it's better." (Al-
though the jets are more comfortable,
there is no indication that they are any
safer than turboprops.)
In larger markets, regional jets are be-
ing used to complement the big tubes.
Cincinnati to N ew York's LaGuardia is one
of the Comair routes that was out of range
members, not lower-paid commuter pilots,
fly the jets.
But that barrier is crumbling under the
weight of economics and consumer prefer-
ence: nearly 200 jets are on order, and by
the year 2002 they will replace more than
75% of the turboprops. "There's a rapidly
developing dynamic," says Mike Boyd,
president of Aviation Systems Research,
an aviation-consulting firm. "In the next
few years, megacarrier systems- Delta,
United and American-will be stampeding
to take turboprops out of the system and
replace them with jets." Indeed, Ameri-
can's pilots recently agreed to allow the
company to buy as many as 67 regional jets.
The big guys were beaten to the punch
by Comair, a commuter airline partly
owned by Delta that now uses CRJs for
80% of its seating capacity. The carrier is
adding one jet a mQnth at least until the
end of 1998, with conditional or-
ders for 12 and options for 45. "The
regional jet has really allowed them to
go out there and serve some markets they
couldn't serve with the turboprops," says
Robert Holscher, director of aviation at
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Interna-
tional Airport. "It's allowing feed into this
airport by markets that couldn't be
served profitably by Delta."
The regional jets have changed
the economics of commuter flights and,
by extension, the markets that can be
served. In smaller markets, most
commuting passengers have no
choice but to fly on turboprops,
anything from the 19-seat Beech 1900
to the 70-seat ATR-72. But the new
minijets can fly at higher altitudes and
faster speeds than turboprops. Com-
air had five daily flights from Cin-
"When I get off the plane, I'm in much better shape;' says one CRJ flyer
SELECT
of the turboprops. Delta, the nation's third
largest carrier, is using Comair's smaller
jets in at least two dozen cities-among
them Minneapolis, Orlando, Kansas City
and Philadelphia-to adjust capacity when
demand is too low for bigger jets. Delta has
pulled 737s or MD-80s out of such cities as
St. Louis, Allentown and Wilkes-Barre, Pa.,
and let Comair offer service. "All our service
now from St. Louis to Cincinnati is Comair
service," says David Anderson, a Delta ex-
ecutive in Cincinnati. There are even some
advantages to the smaller jets. Says Paffen-
roth: "This is every bit as quick as a large
plane, and it loads and unloads much faster.
And there are no middle seats."
For the regional carriers and their affili-
ates, it all means more profits. The Canadair
Regional Jet has a sticker price of $18 million,
vs. $7.5 million for an Embraer Brasilia, a
popular 30-seat turboprop, but because the
jet generates higher revenues, it has been
profitable for Comair since its first month of
operation. It has also fueled growth for Com-
air. The carrier's revenues have more than
doubled since 1993, the year Comair started
flying jets, to $564 million in fiscal 1997.
Profits have risen meteorically: last year
Comair posted net income of $75.4 million,
an increase of 291 % from 1993. Passenger-
load factor, a critical measure, increased
to 55.9% last year, from 46.1% in 1993.
The success of the little jets at com-
muter airlines has forced the powerful pilots'
unions at the big carriers to throttle back
their opposition to them. American Airlines
has finally ordered jets from Bombardier
and Embraer, after making a deal with its
9,000 pilots on who would fly them, a con-
tentious point in the negotiations that nar-
rowly averted a strike by the pilots' union
earlier this year. American and the pilots
have agreed on the acquisition of 67 region-
al jets, capped at 70 seats, to be flown by
American Eagle pilots, who typically earn
$35,000 a year-a third of what a big-jet jock-
ey makes. Last month United's pilots also re-
lented, allowing the airline's commuter part-
ners to fly regional jets on some routes.
THE PILOTS CONCEDED THAT REGION-
al jets are the way of the future.
Com air plans to phase out its tur-
boprops over the next few years,
and Continental, which has re-
ceived 12 of the 50 Embraer jets it ordered
over the past year, is making similar plans.
Continental has options for 150 Em-
braers-more than enough to replace its
100 turboprops. Other commuter airlines
SELECT . :
flying jets include Sky-
West with 10, and Mesa
Airlines with seven in its
fleet and 10 on order. At-
1antic Coast, a United af-
filiate, will start flying its
three jets in December. Two weeks ago,
Midway Airlines announced it was purchas-
ing 10 CRJ s to increase frequency on existing
routes and to expand into smaller markets.
ARRIVAL
Passengers say
loading and
unloading are
quicker on the
regional jets vs.
bigger aircraft
THE REGIONAL JET HAS PROVED A BOON
to Delta's Cincinnati hub, its second
largest. Comair's 253 daily departures
have nearly doubled the traffic since
1993, to 4.7 million passengers in
1997, of which half are Delta customers.
Delta built a $345 million terminal, and the
hub continued to grow even as Delta lost
money from 1991 to 1994. The Cincinnati
airport last year became the fastest growing
among the world's top 72 airports.
Cincinnati is putting competitive heat on
Chicago. For Robert Goodman, 38, a consul-
tant for Alpha Delta Group in Atlanta who
travels regularly to Madison, Wis., flying
through Cincinnati is much more conve-
nient than connecting at Chicago's often con-
gested O'Hare. "I could fly to O'Hare and fly
United Express, but the connections are un-
predictable," said Goodman as he waited for
his connection on a recent Monday morning.
The likelihood that youll fly a jet on your
next short hop is increasing. Next year pas-
senger boardings on regional jets should
double, to 14 million. Comair is threatening
American's fortress hubs in Chicago and
Dallas and competing for traffic from cities
like Memphis, Oklahoma City and Wichita.
So American had no choice but to acquire re-
gional jets. "For us it's a competitive issue,"
admits American Eagle spokesman Mitch
Baranowski. "We need the regional jet to be
competitive with the other regional airlines.
For us the regional jet is key to our renais-
sance as a regional airline." And for the fly-
ing public, the regional jet is key to a short
trip without painful knees, a sore back and
a throbbing headache. .
REPRINTED THROUGH THE COURTESY OF THE EDITORS OF TIME MAGAZINE@ 1997 TIME INC
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