Indianapolis International Airport wants overseas flights, and it’s willing to pay to get them. As it turns out, that’s a fairly common industry practice.
International service, or non-stop service to major domestic points, is valuable to an airport. It not only brings business from passengers, it also boosts the airport’s and the city’s standing when convention planners and business are planning events.
With new trans-atlantic service starting to airports as small as Providence, Hartford and Newburgh, NY, Indianapolis has its heart set on London, but would happily settle for another major European city.
It had been offering an incentive package worth about $50,000, including such items as banners, floor decals and online ads, but got no takers. Now, working with the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, it’s ready to pony up as much as $400,000 over the first 2 years of service, with the actual amount based on the frequency of flights. That offer brings it up to about the industry standard.
So, the next time you see one of those new service announcements, you’re entitled to wonder who’s paying what to whom!
