Baton Rouge scored a significant victory earlier this summer, when regional carrier Via Airlines announced it would begin direct nonstop air service in September to both Austin and Orlando. But to keep the service here—and, significantly, expand it—local travelers will need to utilize it, particularly in the first few months, according to Ami Vizer, chairman of the board of the 21-year-old carrier.
In a speech to the Baton Rouge Rotary Club today, Vizer encouraged the business community to make the new service successful by taking advantage of it rather than, say, driving to New Orleans, where Louis Armstrong International Airport has far more direct, nonstop flights.
“We need community support,” Vizer said. “We need communities that care.”
Vizer explained how changes in the industry over the past decade have made it more challenging for airlines to operate and less cost effective for them to offer direct service between small and mid-sized markets. Among those changes are consolidation—in just 10 years, the number of carriers nationwide has decreased from 116 to 20—and a shift toward larger airplanes.
“Becoming a new airline is more difficult and more expensive,” he said. “So you have less players and less organizations that can become players.”
Baton Rouge Metro Airport helped secure Via in partnership with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber by offering its standard airline incentive package, as well as a promise of advertising support and a commitment from BRAC to help with promotions and networking opportunities.
Vizer says incentives and marketing support are important, but the community has to commit to supporting at the grassroots level as well. He outlined four steps local travelers can take to keep Via in Baton Rouge:
—Spread the word among friends and family to let people know the airline is here and offering service.
—Make bulk purchases. Companies and organizations booking group travel should do so through the new airline.
—Promote Orlando and Austin as destinations for work and play, especially during the first few months. “This is where you create initial momentum,” he says.
—Commit to “no leakage,” meaning don’t book flights out of New Orleans that could be booked from Baton Rouge. “You would be amazed how many people drive to the New Orleans airport and how much money this community is losing as a result,” Vizer said.
Vizer could not provide metrics on how many Baton Rouge passengers need to utilize the service to Austin and Orlando, which will initially be offered several times a week each, in order to make the flights successful. But he says the goal is to make the flights profitable so that the airline can begin to offer daily service and, ultimately, multiple flights per day, as well as flights to other markets.
