"Cincinnati airport revenues to take flight in 2005"

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Airport revenues to take flight in 2005 
Fees, businesses boost budget 4.6% 
By Bob Driehaus 
The Cincinnati (OH) Post


The business of travel at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
is set to grow briskly in 2005, despite DHL cargo's plans to leave in
October. 

The Kenton County Airport Board approved a budget Monday night that projects
a 4.6 percent increase in revenues to $97.22 million. 

The jump is fueled by more flights and more fliers and all the revenue they
bring, including more money from landing fees, more business for stores and
more parking garage revenue. 

Landing fees for Delta Air Lines and other major users in 2005 will be about
$1.24 per 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight. That's slightly lower than the
$1.25 they paid in 2004. 

For smaller users of the airport, the landing fees will be range between
$1.45 and $1.55 per 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight. 

Delta's continuing financial losses and the loss of DHL cargo to the
Wilmington, Ohio, airport have done nothing to sway Cincinnati/Northern
Kentucky from continued growth. 

The airport will have nearly 700 daily departures by early 2005, compared
with 635 a this year. The airport currently has 659 daily departures. 

For the first 11 months of 2004, the number of passengers using the airport
has jumped 15 percent to 979,195. The airport projects 2004 will be the
second busiest year in its history, trailing only 2000, the last full year
before the 9-11 attacks devastated the industry. 

The numbers are looking up for secondary services, too. Among those: 

.  Parking revenue: The airport will take in $1.2 million more in 2004 than
it budgeted, and it projects 2005 will net another $1 million to bring the
total to $17.5 million. 

.  Car rentals are expected to rise to $4.56 million, compared with $4.29
million in 2003. That's good news, too, for Northern Kentucky Tri-Ed, the
economic development group for Northern Kentucky, which draws most of its
revenue from car-rental taxes. 

.  Restaurants and bars are expected to take in $5.54 million, compared with
$4.88 million this year. 

A new study of the 50 busiest U.S. airports ranks Cincinnati/Northern
Kentucky third in the number of cities it serves with non-stop departures. 

With 132 non-stop destinations, only Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson and
Minneapolis International Airport offer more.


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