"Tourism, Mississippi airport officials pledge unity"

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Tourism, airport officials pledge unity
By DAVID TORTORANO
The Biloxi (MS) Sun Herald


GULFPORT - Tourism and airport authority officials held a joint meeting
Monday to underscore their need to work closely together.

The meeting was prompted in part by remarks tourism officials made last week
about the need for more flights at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

Al Hopkins, president of the Harrison County Tourism Commission, said Monday
that the airport authority and tourism commission routinely work together.

"Certain things we do in coordination. Certain things we don't," said
Hopkins, who last week said demand for seats is high and the time had come
for the county to make a pitch directly to airline executives.

Frank Genzer, chairman of the airport authority, said the authority had
discussed the need for some joint meetings in the past, but scheduling
conflicts got in the way.

He said he realized a joint meeting was important after reading about
Tourism Commission remarks in The Sun Herald.

"We're sensitive to any negative comments on the airlines," Genzer said,
pointing out that the authority regularly meets with airline officials.

Genzer pointed out that in 1996 a jet service task force was organized and
eight years later the airport is moving toward jet service only. The last
propeller-driven flight will be in December.

"We don't want to have them potentially putting in larger planes. When the
market is there they will increase service," Genzer said.

Bruce Frallic, executive director of the airport, pointed out that
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport has an 81 percent load factor for
flights. That compares to about 65 percent in New Orleans and Mobile.

Frallic said the airlines typically try incremental increases, like
replacing smaller jets with larger ones, rather than inundating an airport
with seats that might go unused.

Frallic said there's no doubt that demand outstrips the supply, but he
predicted that as the number of hotel rooms and condominiums rises, the
service to the airport will increase as well.

"There's no question we can work together," said Hopkins.

"I'm really happy we're going to work closely together," Frallic added.


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