"Williams Gateway Airport meeting service goals"

Monday, December 4, 2006

Airport meeting service goals
By Vanessa White
Independent Newspapers

 
Williams Gateway Airport is poised to become a large reliever airport for
Phoenix Sky Harbor and also one of the four largest employment centers in
Maricopa County.

The announcement of the addition of two airlines - Sky Value USA and Western
airlines - is a major step toward the future goals of the Williams Gateway
Airport.

"What we're accomplishing here is a vision of developing Williams Gateway
into not only a large job center, but also the passenger airport we have all
been looking forward to becoming in the past few years," said WGAA Executive
Director Lynn Kusy.

Mr. Kusy said the airport provides more than 1,500 jobs, which he expects
will grow to nearly 17,000 jobs at the airport in the next 20 years.
Additionally, Mr. Kusy anticipates the entire airport area will grow to
100,000 people working on and around the airport, which would rank it among
the county's top five job centers.

"From a passenger service standpoint, Williams Gateway Airport will be
accommodating almost 10 percent of the Valley's commercial service.
Travelers will have the choice when considering flights to other domestic
cities and our goal is to make that choice just plain easy for them," Mr.
Kusy said. 
 
Flights to Gary, Ind. and Bellingham, Wash. are part of Mr. Kusy's goal.

Starting Dec. 15, Sky Value USA will have two weekly non-stop flights out of
WGA to Gary, Ind. arriving at 9:24 a.m. and departing WGA at 10:30 a.m.
Mondays and Fridays on the 162-passenger Boeing 737-800. Ticket prices will
range from $79 to $129 each way.

"Gary airport is located about 25 miles from the Loop of Chicago and the
driving time is about 30 minutes," said Chris Curry, director of the
Gary/Chicago International Airport. "You can get to the loop quicker from
Gary than you can from O'Hare."

Additionally, Mesa Mayor and WGAA Governing Board member Keno Hawker said a
tie to Chicago will be beneficial come spring training season. The Chicago
Cubs train at the Hohokam Stadium on Brown and McKellips roads in East Mesa.

"Everybody knows that Spring Training is around the corner and there are a
lot of Chicago Cubs fans, so I know that will be a popular flight," Mayor
Hawker said. 
 
Sky Value USA Chief Executive Officer Darrel Richardson said the airline
chose Mesa as their fifth location because it fit their concept, which they
consider the air travel concept of the future.

"The new wave in this industry is going to be the small regional airports
located next to a major city," Mr. Richardson said.

Sky Value is also considering a third weekly flight out of WGA on Wednesdays
and will watch bookings for the next few months to see if an additional
flight is needed.

According to Sky Value Executive Vice President Gabrielle Griswold, 40
percent of the airline's bookings are for the Mesa area.

Similarly, beginning Jan. 19, 2007, Western airlines will offer four weekly
nonstop flights out of WGA to Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles north of Seattle,
which serves the Seattle and the Vancouver, British Columbia region.

The Bellingham International Airport flights will arrive at 5:55 p.m. and
depart from WGA at 6:35 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays on the
150-passenger Boeing 737-400.

Inaugural fares are $59 each way until March 14.

"This is a very exciting time for us at Western and we couldn't be more
pleased to include Williams Gateway Airport in our inaugural flight plan,"
said Western Chairman and Founder H. Curtis Tronsdal. "We look forward to
growing this relationship as we move forward and anticipate becoming a key
player at Williams Gateway."

Gilbert Mayor and Chairman of the WGAA Board of Directors Steve Berman said
the airline additions are something the board has dreamt of for a long time.

"People flying out of Williams Gateway have a real treat. We have free
parking out front. There are short lines. It's a comfortable atmosphere,"
Mayor Berman said. "The airlines we have attracted are very cost-effective.
This will help our whole region grow." 
 
The addition of the airlines comes just after the WGA terminal underwent
lobby improvements, including expanding the parking lot to 500 spaces and
rearranging the ticketing lobby to allow for improved passenger flow.

The addition of the Gary/Chicago International Airport as a destination has
also raised the question of a possible name change for WGA.

"I thought that was interesting that Gary/Chicago has used that as an
identifier for their proximity to Chicago," Mayor Hawker.

Gary Airport Director Mr. Curry said the identifier is imperative.

"We have chosen to become the Gary/Chicago International Airport because
there is no explanation required when it refers to the proximity of Gary to
Chicago," Mr. Curry said. "When you say Mesa, Arizona or Williams Gateway
Airport, it requires an explanation. I urge WGA to go forth and adopt the
Phoenix name because it will help with your marketing."

There is no further word on a possible name change.

Mr. Kusy said the direction the airport is heading is the goal of the
airport's future, including keeping developers at bay.

"Community leaders have guided this effort for many years and have protected
the airport from residential encroachment. Because of their commitment to
protecting the airport, it is taking off," Mr. Kusy said. "We have to
continue to fight that battle against residential and developmental
encroachment on the economic engine that is the airport."

Mayor Hawker said he is satisfied everyone has finally identified WGA as a
job center in the East Valley.

"Once this terminal fills up, we have plans for an expansion terminal on the
east side and that will connect to a freeway that will be built 10-15 years
from now called the Williams Gateway Freeway," Mayor Hawker said. "That
freeway is going to connect to 200 square miles of state trust land that
over the next 10-50 years will be sold and another one million people will
be living on this side of the Valley."

In September, WGAA received 10 noise complaint calls from nine people. WGAA
Community Outreach Coordinator Patrick Oakley said noise complaints are
typically from military jets and helicopters as the newer jets are quieter
because of stricter Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

"Noise control is something the industry looks at closely," Mr. Oakley said.
"In the future, they will continue to better the technology."

Flight reservations for both new airlines, as well as flights already being
offered to Las Vegas from WGA, can be booked through the WGA Web site at
www.flywga.org or by calling (480) 988-7600.

"We are on the fringe of being discovered and being a real economic power
generator," Mayor Hawker said.

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************