Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | September 26, 2022 13 Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon at a press conference earlier this month announcing the launch of Spirit Airlines' new nonstop service to Jamaica. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Passenger targets Pre-pandemic, about 7 million passengers used Bradley each year. Passenger traffic is rebounding as the worst of the health crisis continues to fade — through June of this year Bradley saw 2.73 million passengers, up 57% from the same time period a year earlier, but down 18% from 2019. Dillon said his goal is to reach 10 million passengers at some point in the future by recruiting more airlines and direct flights. Breeze Airways this summer started nonstop service between Bradley and Las Vegas, Jacksonville and other cities. Domestically, "Seattle is still a primary market we're after," Dillon said, because that city and Connecticut are both aerospace industry epicenters, with Boeing there and Pratt & Whitney here. Demand exists for connectivity between Connecticut and the Pacific Northwest, Dillon said, and Seattle would also serve as an additional jumping-off point for flights to Asia. He's also aiming for more direct flights to cities like Austin and Milwaukee, "where we're seeing a fair amount of demand," from their data collection on passengers, which includes studying zip codes of passengers and flight destinations, whether direct or connecting. This helps the authority know where passengers are coming from and where they are going, and to gauge new potential direct-flight markets. Sometimes passengers are willing to drive to New York or Boston for a direct flight instead of catching a connecting flight from Bradley. "So, when we see that we have enough passengers per day going to a particular destination, that becomes a target city, and that's information we share with the airlines to try to educate them on the potential market," he said. "We try to determine why we have people traveling to those destinations … and we have demonstrated time and again that if we have nonstop service, (to a certain destination) we will capture 80% of the ridership." The airport authority also studies Connecticut's business environment to see any connection between local and national companies and potential business travel destinations. Bradley's size and proximity are an added bonus for passengers who might prefer a small airport to New York or Boston, and it was Bradley's smaller size that perhaps helped it lead the way in airport recovery in the post-COVID world of air travel. "The pandemic set back aviation in general across the country," he said, with overall air travel at one point falling 97%. International flights The CAA was active throughout COVID negotiating with airlines and working to add more runs. Leisure travel led the recovery, riding on people's pent-up demand for vacations, Dillon said. "We climbed our way back, and while we're not fully recovered, we've made a lot of progress," he said. Business travel hasn't returned as robustly, Dillon said, and it's now a waiting game to see how that market bounces back. Looking ahead, resuming Aer Lingus flights to Dublin, Ireland, and offering regular direct flights to London are also on his priority list. Aer Lingus suspended flights out of Bradley in 2020, but could resume them next spring, Dillon said. "A lot of that is going to depend on their view of the business travel market … because that's a very important component to that trans-Atlantic service, but I do feel very confident we'll see Aer Lingus back here in the very near future," he said. He's also trying to get nonstop service to London. "I think that would be one of our most successful routes," for both business and vacation travelers and due to the high level of connectivity for other spots in Europe, he said. But like the Jamaica deal, putting together all the moving parts, and being patient as well as persistent, is key. "It takes years to educate airlines and get them onboard," he said. "Some of the work we've done with Spirit to educate them on the market, combined with the revenue guar- antee, is really what put it over the finish line." RNs | LPNs | CNAs | Respiratory Therapists bristolhealth.org/hiring Bristol Health is looking for YOU – an EXCEPTIONAL healthcare worker As an integrated delivery network with deep roots in the community, we make a critical impact on the people we serve. Not only do we want our patients to live their best lives, but we also want our employees and their families to have the resources they need to thrive. When you work here, you can feel confident in knowing that you're making a difference in a place that supports you personally and professionally. Join the team that's delivering healthcare the way it should be! NMLS #402928 You manage your business. We'll help improve your cash flow. chelseagroton.com/growthatbusiness or call 860-448-4295

• Cover