Convention organizers are concerned that a reduction in the number of direct flights between Indianapolis and other cities could hurt their chances of attracting big events.
A $275 million expansion of the downtown convention center added hotel space and made Indianapolis a more viable option. But the decline in nonstop flights is a problem, said Leonard Hoops, CEO
of Visit Indy, the city’s tourism agency.
[. . .]
Indianapolis International Airport has an average of 140 daily nonstop flights to 34 destinations. That’s down from 176 such flights to 45 airports in 2008.
By comparison, Denver has 802 daily direct flights to 170 locations, and St. Louis has 236 daily nonstops to 61 places.
“Indianapolis has a lot going for it, but its biggest detraction is its accessibility by air,” said Dirk Ebener, CEO of Nuernberg Messe, an Atlanta-based convention management company. “If convention organizers think the lack of nonstop flights will hurt attendance, they’ll stay away.”
Jeez, "only" 140 daily nonstop flights to 34 destinations. Is that really such a big deal for convention business? For those of us living in the sticks, the "connecting flight" is a fact of life, the nonstop flight a rare luxury. Isn't having to run from one end of an airport to the other to make that connection with barely seconds to spare part of the adventure of flying? Grow a set, conventioneeers!
