Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/833859
2017 | Doing Business in Connecticut 81 Transportation B usiness in Connecticut only happens when things are moving, and a solid transportation infrastructure is essential to keeping things on the go. For a small state, Connecticut has a lot of moving parts — with travel by air, road, rail and water — and a series of recent announcements and upgrades are poised to benefit businesses in 2017 and beyond. Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, the state's larg- est airport, has successfully added new airlines and service routes and continues to eye further expansion. About 50 percent of travel in and out of Bradley is business-related — more than at other comparable-sized airports, says Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), which operates the airport. "We have a great corporate business, and we've established a great relationship with the business community," he says. "is is a great market. ere's a lot to offer airlines in this market. It's a matter of going out and educating airlines and getting them to understand this market." More routes In January, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and CAA officials announced low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines would launch nonstop service in the spring from Bradley to several destinations, including Myrtle Beach, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. In February, they announced United Airlines would begin seasonal nonstop service between Bradley and San Francisco In- ternational Airport (from June to September), and that Norwegian Air International would soon start offering nonstop service to Edin- burgh, Scotland. Dillon says much of the airport's success in attracting airlines is due to the CAA, which was created in 2013. Previously, the state Department of Transportation managed the airports and was constrained by state regulations in how it could solicit business and provide incentives, he says. "at's one of the reasons the Connecticut Airport Authority was created as a quasi-public agency, to be a lot more nimble," he says. Continued on page 82 > MetroNorth trains, such as the one pictured, are increasingly popular. Ridership increased in 2016 over 2015 by 20,000 passengers for a total of 40.5 million. PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK