North Coast Online

Niagara Falls International -- Still Not A Good Idea

The Buffalo News remains opposed to building a new terminal at Niagara Falls Airport and correctly identifies the impetus behind the project.

NFTA and local public officials have concentrated, correctly, on making the Niagara site a major air cargo facility, and trolling for Falls tourism and casino-related charters. Strong efforts must continue in those areas, because that’s where the potential is greatest. But the push for regular air service is motivated by political pressure rather than operational reality. The record is thoroughly convincing — every single airline that has started scheduled service from Niagara Falls has failed. Small-scale and vacation-targeted scheduled flights could be an added value — but they alone cannot justify the cost of a new terminal. [emphasis mine]

Regularly-scheduled jumbo jet service is the only sensible justification for a new terminal -- and the NFTA should at least have a "promise" from an airline for that before we just let them build.  Using the $9.5 million in casino revenues on the airport will not result in noticeable economic development and will have wasted those funds.  Niagara Falls can't afford to squander them on a, um, wing and a prayer.

Under The Radar

I'd thought the matter was still in the discussion stage, but I was wrong.  It looks as if we're getting another airport  though you'd have to search hard to find the announcement which is buried on page D3 of today's Buffalo News.

The Niagara Falls International Airport will move a key step closer to having a new passenger terminal on June 11 when bids are let for construction of the planned $27.5 million facility.

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said interest is expected to be strong for work on the two-level, 65,000- square-foot terminal. Under the current timetable, bids will be opened June 24, construction will start in October and the new terminal will debut in July 2008.

I guess it's a done deal.  Who knew?  Hey, it's only $27.5 million and every dying city should probably have two airports. 

But except for the NFTA's own rosy predictions, I've read only one economic justification for this project -- and that was from Artvoice, that powerful local advocate for capitalism and business which has been in favor of it for years.  I never did quite figure out their interest.  Could a few lofts-for-artists be tucked away in the plans for Concourse B?

[UPDATE:] I would think that an announcement of this importance might have rated front-page treatment in the News.  But maybe hiding big stories is part of their strategy to ensure that we keep buying the dead-tree version and read it from cover to cover.  If that's the case, it's worked.

Now, excuse me while I finish.  I'm even going to do the Cryptoquip and Jumble puzzles today -- their solutions might well tell us that the new Peace Bridge designs have been finalized.

Breakthrough!

Congratulations to the people of Niagara Falls who appear finally to have awakened to the fact that a bit of the responsibility for building on the success of the Casino lies with them.

Millions of people from all over the world visit Niagara Falls each year, but the same cannot be said of U.S. residents. More Americans visit Long Island than Niagara Falls. New York City, the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes region each draw more annual tourists than Niagara Falls, Percy said.

“We will focus on bringing more people to Niagara Falls and keeping them on the American side,” said Percy, alluding to the dominance of the booming Canadian side of the falls.

The organization also plans to use $1.4 million in state and federal funding to build a new Visitor Center at Rainbow Boulevard and First Street, near the the Rainbow Bridge.

There's been a great deal of frustration (and glee from casino naysayers) that a new city hasn't magically sprung up around the Seneca-Niagara casino and hotel in five years.  Call it the "Field of Dreams" theory of development which worked so well in that movie. In the real world, though, you actually have to tell people that you've got something worth seeing.

Maybe the Falls has finally realized that.

Cargo Hub Instead Of Airport Flub

Y'know, sometimes I'd swear that someone at the Buffalo News is reading this puny blog.

NFTA has on its drawing board a $27 million plan for a new passenger terminal at the Niagara Falls airport, with the financial details to be presented to the NFTA board later this month. But while there is real potential for more charter flights to and from the world-famous tourist destination, the board should consider what may be an unwise and illogical use of limited resources to steer any significant number of passenger flights away from NFTA's existing service at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. [emphasis mine]

Nah, not likely.  Nonetheless, the News is correct in pointing out that the surest future for the Falls airport lies in air-cargo with the occasional tourist charter, and they've got a study from UB to support them.

The right flight, as documented by a new study by grad students from the University at Buffalo, is to develop the Niagara Falls airport as a cargo hub.

The UB study showing the potential to attract giant air cargo carriers to the Niagara Falls airport was enthusiastically and properly embraced by the leadership of the outfit that runs it - the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.

NFTA honchos were happy to hear that big air freight carriers are keen to find new landing fields with traits such as theirs. That means a long runway that can handle today's giant aircraft, and proximity to both an international border and fully developed highway and rail facilities.

What remains now is for our elected representatives to stand up. Representatives Slaughter and Reynolds along with Governor Spitzer need to emphasize to Niagara Falls residents that their future is much better served by a cargo hub that would pump money into the economy than by ephemeral promises of 747's bringing in thousands of Japanese tourists.

Niagara Falls

On the expansion of the Niagara Falls airbase, the Buffalo News concludes:

Of course, as the closure scare demonstrated too well, it is unhealthy to put too many eggs in the government basket. Niagara Falls needs to focus on leveraging the advantages of the casino, the air base expansion, the redevelopment of Third Street and - lest anyone forget - the proximity of a world-class waterfall to keep growing an economy that remains weak.

You'll notice that a new $24 million dollar passenger terminal at Niagara Falls Airport wasn't mentioned.  That's because everyone except the kids at Artvoice and the kids who now run the NFTA understand that dumping money into a second airport wouldn't make any sense.

The News is correct, it's the waterfall that's the attraction.  If Niagara Falls can just figure out how to capitalize on that, people will find a way to flock there.  Even if it means flying into an airport that's 20 minutes away.

If Two Airports Are Better, Then Why Not Three?

I've always maintained that were the NFTA to spend millions to renovate the Niagara Falls Airport, it would eventually have to chop landing fees below those at Buffalo to attract business.  Well, I was wrong,  they're not even waiting till the thing's built.

The NFTA board of commissioners Monday approved a $200,000 cooperative marketing program, combined with incentives to help bring the near-idle Niagara County airfield back to life.

"In order to attract service to Niagara Falls we have to do everything we can to market the facility," said NFTA Executive Director Lawrence Meckler. "This will give the airlines and other travel partners added motivation to take a chance on Niagara Falls."

The marketing effort, which kicks off Friday, includes such incentives as waiver of landing, terminal and apron parking fees for airlines that bring new regularly scheduled passenger flights and charter service to Niagara Falls. The service must operate a minimum of one, 50-seat flight per week for four consecutive months to qualify for the fee waivers. The fees can be waived for up to 12 months. [emphasis mine]

Can't anybody stop these people?  They have yet to make a clear statement about why a dying city should foot the bill for two airports about 15 miles apart.  The only salient point to the Falls strip is its runway which can land and launch fully-loaded 747's.  But there's nothing in this program which specifies that market.

Indeed, as I've pointed out before, the first new tenant in the Falls will be a brand new company flying aged 737's back and forth to Myrtle Beach; and the NFTA's new marketing scheme seems to want to build on that.  This boondoggle resembles less an economic development plan than it does an incubator for underfunded start-up airlines -- financed by us.

Look, Buffalo-Niagara International is one of the few public works projects we've done right in the last fifty years.  A modern, efficient airport doesn't make a city prosper, but it's certainly necessary to help it compete in today's economy and we've got that.  We should be focusing on building on what we have and not competing with ourselves.

There's absolutely no evidence that two airports improve the situation.  The NFTA is angling to get $24 million in funds to enlarge its little empire, and we shouldn't allow it until they prove their concept without stealing from what already exists.

 

The Little Airport That Could -- If Only We'd Pay For It

Remember when I speculated that the NFTA would only be able to market the Niagara Falls Airport by diverting business from Buffalo-Niagara?  Well, it's started.

If you come down with the winter blues this season, hang on until March.

That's when Myrtle Beach Direct Air and Tours will begin offering the first regularly scheduled passenger flights from Niagara Falls International Airport since 1998.

Starting March 7, you will be able to fly to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a round of golf or to soak up some sun for only a $99 one-way ticket.

The company will offer twice-a-week direct flights at the $99 price, as well as all-inclusive golf vacation packages, starting at $399.

"Our primary goal is to get people from the Buffalo area and Southern Ontario to come to beautiful, sunny Myrtle Beach to play golf and relax," said Myrtle Beach Direct President Judy Tull.

"Right now, it takes a minimum of six hours to fly from up there to Myrtle Beach. With our direct flights, you'll be here in two short hours at a great price."

Well, that's lovely -- and a two hour flight to Myrtle Beach for $99 is certainly attractive.  But, gee, I never would have dreamed that the relatively tiny Myrtle Beach airport could land 747's?  I mean, isn't attracting global, wide-body service into the Falls the goal?  Guess not.

Myrtle Beach Direct will employ 125-passenger 737-200s for its planned Monday and Friday flights. While its primary focus will be to lure area residents to South Carolina, it also plans to offer Niagara Falls packages to its hometown crowd.

They're flying 30 year old 737's -- the same planes that have been flying in and out of Buffalo for as long as they've existed.  For crying out loud, one of these babies could probably land in Batavia.

Myrtle Beach Direct Air and Tours is a start-up and given that it's operating with very old planes it's likely not as well funded as, oh say, Jet Blue was on its maiden flight.  That airline, you'll recall opened for business with a fleet of brand-new A320's with leather seats and seat-back TV's.  The Myrtle operation was likely enticed here by lower landing fees than are charged in Buffalo and I've always insisted that would be how the NFTA would market the Falls.

This airline should be setting up service into Buffalo.  Let's not forget that there are still several gates not even leased at BNIA and quite a few others used only a couple times a day.  Lawrence Meckler and the NFTA are taking revenue away from the existing airport and diverting it to the Falls to prop up the doubtful dream of resuscitating passenger service there -- with $23 million of our money.

Develop the Falls for air-cargo, that would be a true wealth-generator for western New York.  And if the NFTA could get a signed contract from a reputable international airline flying tourists here on 747's, even I might begin to rethink the whole thing.  And let's not forget the last airline that flew into the Falls.

The last time the Niagara Falls airport saw scheduled service was in the late 1990s, when Kiwi International Air Lines halted service to Newark after just 3¹/2 months. Over the last eight years, the airport has handled a few dozen charter flights.

Kiwi was also a start-up that eventually went belly-up (financially speaking.) Start-up airlines often do.  Now, I wish Myrtle Beach Direct Air and Tours all the best of luck and I certainly won't be sorry if they prosper -- I love the idea of people making money.  But let's give them a few months to see how they do before we toast Mr. Meckler. 

And in the meantime let's ponder the common-sense of a shrinking city's need to build a second airport before we cut him a check.

On Lipstick, Pigs And Airports

Oh, goody!  I've been waiting for this issue to come up again.

New airline would like to use Falls airport

A Chicago-based "vacation" airline is eyeing the Niagara Falls International Airport as a 2007 destination.

Festival Airlines, a start-up carrier slated to take off later this year, is talking with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority about adding Niagara Falls to its flight roster.

"We're working hard to land regularly scheduled charter service to the Niagara Falls airport, and this is another strong lead," said NFTA Executive Director Lawrence M. Meckler.

"As we get closer and closer to building a new terminal, it's important that we have actual traffic to back up our passenger projections."

Well, that should be enough for the editorial staff at Artvoice to crank out a 10 page, rambling screed, devoid of any economic analysis, article in favor of spending whatever it takes to develop Niagara Falls Airport.  But why does this "vacation" airline need to land in Niagara Falls?

Festival Airlines representatives could not be reached to comment on their interest in Niagara Falls, but the airline is working with a consultant with personal knowledge of the Western New York and Southern Ontario tourism markets. Larry Lewin, a veteran Hyatt Gaming executive, had served as president of Niagara Casinos, the parent firm of Niagara Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara, from July 2004 through August 2005.

Oh, in other words, we don't know.  Looks, though, as if they have some local "contacts."  Could it be that the ethereal "vacation" airline is going to fly thousands of tourists into WNY on 747's -- planes that we know can't land at the hopelessly-outdated Buffalo-Niagara International Airport that lies just, oh, I don't know, 20 minutes down the road?

Festival plans to utilize a Florida-based fleet of 200-passenger Boeing 757s.

Oh.  Hmm.  I distinctly remember Eastern Airlines providing daily service into Buffalo on Boeing 757s in the mid-80s.  As I recall, there were no problems either.  They didn't have to limit their ticket sales to accommodate the "short" runways and, as far as I know, the only reason 757 service to Buffalo ended was because there just weren't enough damned people who wanted to come here to justify using them.

Be assured, though, the NFTA is on the job scoping out rationalizations to spend $23 million of your money to build another chunk of its empire.

Meckler said Festival is one of several "strong leads" the NFTA is pursuing to bring the nearly idle Niagara Falls airport back to life.

"We have a number of good prospects for both passenger and cargo flights," Meckler said. "We're feeling very good about the chances of having a lot more activity in Niagara Falls in 2007."

The NFTA also is in talking with Myrtle Beach Direct, a charter service that specializes in golf vacations in Myrtle Beach, S.C., about offering flights here next year.

Two cargo handlers, Virginia-based Gemini Air Cargo and Yangtze River Express, headquartered in Shanghai, also are considering hubs at the Niagara Falls airfield.

Other active leads include Eurofly, an Italian airline that flies charters to Milan, and Martin Air, a Dutch cargo carrier.

The NFTA wants to construct a new $23 million terminal at the Niagara County airport as early as next year. The authority needs about $4 million more to make the project a reality.

Whoa! Myrtle Beach Direct, that'll rock the local aviation market.  As for the cargo airlines, bring 'em on.  I'd be all for spending $23 million to upgrade the Falls to accommodate air-freight.  That's an actual wealth-producing, job-creating economic activity.  But please, let's get a signed contract first.

Government does not exist to gamble with its constituents' taxes.  Leave that up to the private markets. When Yangtze River Express promises to create a Niagara Falls hub if only we'll spend a few mill, then I say let's do it.  If we have to whore ourselves out, then, at least, let's get the customer in the room before we negotiate on the price.

It's fine to spend some money on make-up, but plastic surgery before the deal's closed is something we can't afford in these parts.

Old Habits Die Hard

Could there possibly be more to the story of Niagara Falls' destitution than the existence of an evil gambling casino?

That Airport Up In You-Know-Where

ArtVoice is out with yet another installment in its series trying to convince us to spend $30 million on a new passenger terminal in Niagara Falls.  Interestingly enough though, this one probably comes closer to allaying some of my fears than any to date.  But you'll have to wade through five very densely-packed pages of cheerleading, hype and trivia to get to the several sensible nuggets.

I'll have more to say on it in the next couple days.  In the meantime, read the article for yourselves.  As I said, there's some good stuff in there scattered around the um, not good.  As you read it, keep in mind the only issue we should be considering -- Buffalo-Niagara's economic development.

The airport in the Falls has two potential  paths (not necessarily mutually exclusive): passenger and cargo.  In a very poor region in a shrinking state, we might have to choose; does one or the other make more sense?  If you think that both do, then also think about what kind of business would have to be generated to pay for it.

After all, $30 million can find lots of places to get spent here.