"Corpus Christi Airport officials look to busier future"

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Airport officials look to busier future
$3.8M in new funds will improve runway, master plan
By Alison Beshur
The Corpus Christi (TX) Caller-Times


Trade and tourism traffic should improve at the Corpus Christi International
Airport after millions of dollars are used to improve its runway, officials
said Monday. 

"We've done our homework and knew this is something that we needed," said
Jerry Kane, chairman of the Corpus Christi International Airport board. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $3.8 million to the airport to
purchase a $650,000 fire-fighting aircraft rescue vehicle and $500,000 to
update the airport's master plan, Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz's office
announced Monday. 

The remaining $2.65 million will be applied to rehabilitating and improving
the existing runway during the next few years, Kane said. 

Although Kane declined to go into specifics about potential airport clients,
he said the improvements would positively affect cargo and tourism uses. 

"We think there will be some routes created from this, whether it's new
airlines or existing," Kane said. 

For more than a year, the airport has tried to secure direct service to Las
Vegas with Allegiant Air and flights to Monterrey, Mexico, via Aerolitoral,
a subsidiary of Mexican carrier Aeromexico. 

Mark Peterson, vice president of marketing and sales for Allegiant Air, said
the airline hasn't finalized decisions for service. 

Since Corpus Christi was included in a list of 20 to 30 possible new
markets, service has been added to at least nine other secondary markets or
areas without low-fare, nonstop flights. 

"It (Corpus Christi) is on our radar," Peterson said. "It's an ongoing
review process." 

'A conference call' 

Aeromexico officials could not immediately confirm or deny negotiations,
said Cristina Sorondo, spokeswoman for M. Silver Associates and the Mexican
carrier. 

John Valls, business development analyst for the airport said, "We expect to
resume negotiations with them (Aerolitoral) in the near future. We are
trying to set up a conference call with them, but schedules haven't
permitted." 

The awarded funds should magnify improvements already made to prevent
passenger leakage or loss of travelers to other departure and arrival cities
in the area, Kane said. 

'People want to fly' 

"People want to fly out of Corpus Christi again," Kane said without citing
specific examples. "We're retaining them." 

Earlier this month, Continental Airlines announced it would initiate new
service to Mexico City from both San Antonio and McAllen airports. 

Derald Lary, director of aviation for McAllen-Miller International Airport,
said service to Mexico City will open up routes to destinations in Latin
America. 

Daily flights with Northwest Airlines to Memphis that began Monday will open
up more than 700 routes for Rio Grande Valley travelers, he added. 


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