Direct flights to Charlotte promise easier travel, and broader economic opportunities for Centre County
By Matt Farley
More options for flying to and from State College Regional Airport are coming this fall with the addition of direct flights to Charlotte, North Carolina. Local leaders hope the expanded service will bring broader economic benefits to the region beyond added convenience for travelers. While news of the direct flight service to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport was only recently announced, it’s the result of a years-long effort led by the State College Air Service Alliance.
Greg Scott, president and CEO of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC), says the alliance was formed through a collaborative, community-driven economic development plan for the county.
“We hired a consultant and worked for over a year, talked to about 150 stakeholders, and developed a strategy focused on several different pillars,” says Scott. “One of those pillars was the built and natural environment, and within that was a goal focused on increasing air service at the State College Regional Airport. Prospective businesses looking to locate here and existing companies told us how difficult it was to get to and from State College for themselves, their clients, business partners, Penn State researchers, and visiting professors. We really wanted to make improving air service a priority.”
This assessment led to the creation of the State College Air Service Alliance, an equal partnership among the CBICC, Centre County Airport Authority, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and Penn State University. They set out with a goal to work together to attract and retain air service, the results of which are beginning to pay off this fall. Eric Englebarts, president and CEO of the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, says the new direct flights will benefit the region.
“The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau is proud to support the State College Air Service Alliance and the collaborative efforts to strengthen commercial air service in Centre County,” says Englebarts. “Reliable and convenient air service is essential to growing Happy Valley as a destination for leisure travelers, sporting events, conferences, meetings, and special events. Better air service makes Happy Valley more accessible to visitors from across the country.”
While pooling their resources helped the alliance jumpstart the process, adding North Carolina as a direct flight option was not a quick decision or guaranteed outcome. Rather, the group spent time collecting a wide array of data to not only decide which routes would be most beneficial to area residents and visitors, but also to make a compelling case for why a major airline should commit to a new service.
“We conducted what’s called an airport leakage study. It looked at everyone living within about a 60-mile radius of the airport who had flown during the previous year,” explains Scott. “The study gave us several important findings. We learned that 87% of travelers in our region flew out of airports other than State College. We also found that those 13% who did use State College were primarily business travelers rather than leisure travelers. Finally, the study showed where people were ultimately flying. The top three destinations were all in Florida, followed by Las Vegas and Chicago.”
Beyond the study, the alliance also asked the community which direct flights they wanted, and the top requests were Charlotte, Florida, and Detroit (which had been previously offered). The next part of their strategy involved raising money for the Fly State College Fund, a community fund designed to provide incentives and reduce the risk for airlines considering new routes.
“Airlines want to see local investment through what’s called a minimum revenue guarantee,” says Scott. “Before this fund existed, we’d have conversations with airlines, they’d ask what incentives we could provide, and we’d scramble to raise money at the last minute. It was inefficient and rarely successful.”
The alliance raised roughly $200,000 in just six months, with funds contributed by the county, several organizations, and nearly 100 individual contributors. Raising money for the fund continues to be an ongoing effort in hopes of attracting additional routes in the future. Once the alliance had the data and funds they needed, they began having conversations with several airlines who were interested. Discussions with American Airlines became serious this past spring.
“Honestly, I expected it would take another year before American Airlines committed to Charlotte. Fuel prices and other industry factors weren’t ideal, so the announcement this spring surprised me. But I think it demonstrates the strength of the alliance’s proposal and the strategy we developed. They saw the demand and believed the Charlotte route could succeed. We put together a package, they said yes, and service begins Oct. 5. Tickets are already on sale and booking well,” Scott says.
The nonstop service operated by American Airlines will complete two roundtrip flights daily, departing in the early morning and evening. Because the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is currently American Airlines’ second largest hub in the United States, the additional lights will not only help people who want to travel directly to North Carolina, but will also better connect the rest of the country and the world to Centre County. While this is exciting news for frequent flyers, the alliance also underlined the economic impacts it will have for the region.
“Every additional traveler supports our hotels, restaurants, retailers, attractions, and other local businesses while generating tax revenue that benefits our community,” says Englebarts. “As we continue to grow as a destination, convenient air access becomes an increasingly important part of that success. From a tourism perspective, expanded air service allows us to compete for larger sporting events, conferences, and group meetings that might otherwise choose destinations with easier access.”
The addition of more direct flight services also has implications for Penn State University, one of the partners in the alliance. Sara Thorndike, Penn State’s senior vice president for finance and business, treasurer and chief financial officer says the university views the new service as an important investment. “Penn State is invested in seeing the airport grow and expand service. It’s important for the University in this evermore globalized world, and it’s important for the economic future of the region,” says Thorndike. “Penn State is a global university, with students joining us from around the world and faculty conducting research worldwide. Having direct flights to State College from an international hub like Charlotte makes the world more accessible for our students, staff and faculty. This is a great thing for the area’s growth. It also makes State College more accessible for our alumni, Penn State Athletics fans, prospective students, and tourists, whether they are coming to a football game at Beaver Stadium or looking to explore all that Happy Valley has to offer.”
“I really believe a strong transportation hub like an airport leads to a healthy economy and economic growth,” says Scott. “Overall, improved air service helps us stay competitive with other Big Ten universities that already enjoy stronger airline access.”
Looking ahead, there will be a few ways the airport and the alliance measure the success of this initiative. One of the metrics they’ll be looking at is whether or not ticket prices decrease within the next year. Their research has shown that the addition of more routes at other airports increases competition and tends to reduce fares, in this case by lessening the need for people to drive to airports in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and other nearby cities.
Ralph Stewart, executive director of the Centre County Airport Authority, hopes the prospect of more competitive prices will make flying out of State College more attractive.
“Our security lines are very quick, parking is easy, and the walking distances are short. We have all those things in our favor,” says Stewart. “And by adding more service between the airlines, it usually has a positive effect on ticket pricing. We’re optimistic some of that will happen. The nice thing about Charlotte is that it’s both a business destination and a leisure destination. It’s very attractive for a lot of types of travelers, and we think that’ll help reduce the number of people who choose to drive to a larger airport instead.”
While the direct flight service to North Carolina is just getting off the ground, the State College Air Service Alliance is already considering additional flight options for Centre County. Some of the destinations they have in mind include Denver and Florida, though they have nothing formal to announce at this time. “Even if it’s only seasonal, we’d really like to see that happen someday,” says Stewart. “Hopefully within the next six months to a year, we’ll have additional service to some new cities and new parts of the country. We really want to grow the airport, expand the locations and services we offer, and make it a great asset for Central Pennsylvania residents and businesses.”
Greg Scott emphasizes the importance of having the State College Air Service Alliance in place in terms of giving them a strong foundation to pursue additional flight routes.
“There have been many efforts over the last 10 to 15 years to improve air service, but I think what made this one different was having a thoughtful strategy and a unified community effort. By bringing together the Air Service Alliance, collecting the right data, creating a funding strategy, and having those resources ready before approaching airlines, we put ourselves in the strongest possible position. It shows what can happen when an entire community shares a common goal and works together toward it. And we’re not done. Every day we’re working toward landing another direct route.” T&G
Matt Farley is a freelance writer in State College.
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