For most of us, Golden Triangle Regional Airport is a convenient alternative to flying out of Birmingham.
For those who don’t fly often, or rarely fly out of GTRA, the airport can be an afterthought, little more than an exit sign we pass as we drive along Highway 82.
Yet even those of us who never fly benefit from GTRA in ways we may never consider.
On Thursday, nationally-recognized airline consultant Mike Boyd shared his thoughts on the industry – and GTRA’s position in the industry — at an open forum presented by GTRA at the Ritz in West Point.
The picture he painted shows a profound change in the industry and illustrates just how fortunate we are to have an airport is well-positioned to meet the challenges that now confront regional airports throughout the country.
Within 10 years, Boyd predicts, the changes that have been put in place or those that lie just beyond the horizon, will mean that four of the state’s seven regional airports will no longer be viable for scheduled passenger service.
By his estimation, GTRA will join the airports in Jackson and Gulfport as the only regional airports able to serve passengers on a regular basis.
The focus is no longer on getting as many passengers as possible — airlines have cut flights by 16.2 percent over the past year — but on maintaining the most profitable flights.
As the number of airline carriers decreases — from 21 carriers in 1983 to nine today — more and more regional airports are being abandoned.
And, as airlines change their fleets to larger planes, only the airports that can consistently fill those seats will survive.
How does all this affect the non-traveler in the Golden Triangle?
The answer is simple: For the industry we have in our area, and future industries, passenger service is absolutely critical, especially when it comes to maintaining and attracting international business.
Boyd put in simply: “Can a businessman in Beijing, China, get here by connection air service?”
If the answer is yes, our area is a viable site for business; if not, the answer becomes less certain.
Over the past decade-plus, the Golden Triangle has been uniquely blessed to have tapped into the global industry. Companies from Russia, France, Israel and Japan have chosen to locate facilities here in what, by the world’s standards, is an obscure little community. GTRA was an important factor in those decisions.
The airport will continue to be a key factor in future growth, both for U.S. companies and international companies, says Boyd.
So, even though, we may not fly out of Golden Triangle often, we all benefit from the airport’s role in bringing jobs to our area. The economic impact of those jobs touches us all.
The future of industry in the Golden Triangle is bright.
The GTRA’s role in that is something we should not take for granted.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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