Springfield loses D.C. flights

5 comments May 14th, 2008

Cuts in the airline industry continue to hit Downstate airports. The latest is Springfield, which is losing its daily United Express flight to Washington D.C. Here’s a key point that resonates with Rockford’s experience with United Express:

United agreed to switch one of five Chicago flights to the Washington route in return for a $1.4 million revenue guarantee. The funds included a $390,000 federal grant, up to $200,000 from a Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce economic development campaign and the remainder from the airport.
The flight will return to the Chicago route in July.
Passenger numbers just never reached a profitable level, and the subsidies became too expensive, airport board chairman Frank Vala said Monday.
“We’re going to be under the whole commitment ($1.4 million), but not by much,” Vala said.
He added that the airport board will think long and hard before offering revenue guarantees to a new carrier.

Before United announced it was exiting RFD, there was a lot of lobbying to get a Washington, D.C. route here. Obviously, United isn’t just cutting back here, but nationwide. Gonna be a tough time for smaller airports.

Vala is quoted as saying SPI has some upstarts looking to come in if they can get revenue guarantees, but the airport is reluctant. It’ll be interesting to see if those are some of the same ones RFD is talking to…

Today’s fuel price musings - the $4 gas watch is on

Add comment May 14th, 2008

Prices are up to $3.95 a gallon in parts of Rockford. If you see $4 regular unleaded, let me know at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com

Now on to the prices (data courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):

Gasoline: Rockford jumped more than four cents to almost $3.86 a gallon (remember, that’s the metro area, so it includes the stragglers along with the $3.95s). It was the second-largest increase in the state (Quincy jumped almost 11 cents to $3.94 a gallon), though most of the state did go up. We’re still only seventh in the state in gas prices, but I’m not sure how long that will last. The state average increased more than two cents to almost $3.93 a gallon. The national average increased almost three cents to $3.76 a gallon. All prices referenced are records until further notice. Illinois is tied with my home state of New York with the fourth-highest gas prices in the nation.

Diesel: Rockford increased more than two cents to $4.47 a gallon. Most other metro areas in the state rose today too, but we’re now alone with the third-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average rose more than two cents to $4.48 a gallon. The national average increased three cents to $4.42 a gallon. Illinois has the 13th-highest prices in the country.