Patrick Mulhearn, executive director at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, is a frequent flier, especially to Los Angeles. And he loves flying out of Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.
“It’s really spectacular,” he tells Business Report in the cover story from its new issue. “It’s just so convenient and so easy.”
But when Mulhearn’s really in a hurry to get to L.A., he flies out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (airport code MSY), where he can get a nonstop flight. You can get pretty much anywhere in the world from Baton Rouge’s airport (BTR), but unless you’re going to Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas or Houston, you’ll have to make a connecting flight or two. It’s particularly frustrating to fly east when you’re trying to go west, Mulhearn says.
“Direct flights are not a luxury; they are a necessity for economic development,” he says. “Time is money.” Also, money is money, and flights out of New Orleans are usually cheaper due to fiercer competition.
There’s no telling how many film and TV productions Baton Rouge has lost because it doesn’t have a direct flight to Los Angeles, Mulhearn says; MTV’s Scream recently moved to New Orleans partly for that reason. It’s such a big deal to him that he wouldn’t mind seeing $1 million taken out of the state’s film incentive program to lure a direct Baton Rouge-to-L.A. flight.
Unfortunately, the potential daily ridership to L.A. isn’t enough to support a direct flight, says Ralph Hennessy, BTR’s assistant director of aviation. And when it comes to attracting passengers and flights, BTR is at a decided disadvantage because New Orleans, as one of the nation’s most popular tourist destinations and thus a more attractive option for the airlines, is within easy driving distance. According to a BTR-commissioned study released in November, about 63% of fliers who live in the airport’s primary and secondary “catchment areas”—an industry term for target markets—use other airports, primarily Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
Even in this challenging environment, BTR holds its own pretty well, officials say. Some $400 million in physical improvements have been made over the past two decades, and it is served by three of the four major carriers.
But the number of passengers flying through BTR—not unlike many other peer airports—has fallen for three straight years, with a 4.1% decline in 2015 to 753,443. The energy sector’s slump and general airline industry trends are among the culprits, officials say, although BTR’s passenger volume is up 2.4% for the first quarter of this year. The airport study, conducted by local consultants Emergent Method, says BTR should focus on business travelers, who already are the airport’s primary users and are more likely to change their travel habits than vacationers. It suggests a number of changes to enhance the overall airport experience, including better food and gift shop options, faster Wi-Fi, and stronger Louisiana- or Baton Rouge-specific branding.
But the most important improvement for attracting business fliers—adding more direct flights—won’t happen without the local business community’s support, the study notes. As airport officials take a fresh look toward the airport’s future, now is the time to decide what BTR can and should be.
Read the full cover story also which includes infographics about the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, its anticipated 2016 revenues and expenses and an airline fares comparison chart. Send your your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
