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(Rockford Register Star) Unlikely Small-town Illinois airport excited over possibility of picking up flights to Honolulu by airline whose four 50-seat jets currently make 30-minute inter-island hops. Geography is clearly no one's forte   (rrstar.com) divider line 32
More: Unlikely, Honolulu, FAA, charter airline, Stansted Airport, strategic plans  
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1907 clicks; posted to Business » on 16 Dec 2011 at 8:03 AM   |  Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook   more»   |    Get this fabulous T-Shirt and impress the methane out of your friends! shirt it!



32 Comments   (+0 »)
   
 
Winning [TotalFark]
2011-12-16 05:42:59 AM
Rockford has a population of about 150,000. I wouldn't exactly call it a small town.
 
dbirchall [TotalFark]
2011-12-16 08:09:39 AM
Eh, according to Wikipedia, the airport in my podunk town of 50,000 has more gates than Rockford's, and sees almost 8x as many passengers per year. So I wouldn't call Rockford a small town, but I'd definitely say it has a small-town airport. There's what... one airline? Two scheduled flights a day? Unless you're in a box flying UPS, that is. :)

I think the bigger point is that the airport authority has been scammed into guaranteeing millions in revenue to an airline that claims it wants to fly from Rockford to destinations 4,000+ miles away in both directions, but doesn't own any planes bigger than a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200, with a maximum range about half that. A CRJ-200 couldn't even make it from Honolulu to the west coast, let alone to Illinois.
 
The_Homeless_Guy
2011-12-16 08:10:55 AM
Winning: Rockford has a population of about 150,000. I wouldn't exactly call it a small town.

Plus ohare sucks so hard that it has become the number 2 Chicago airport. They advertise flying out of there as a less stressful alternative.
 
The_Homeless_Guy
2011-12-16 08:14:33 AM
The_Homeless_Guy: Winning: Rockford has a population of about 150,000. I wouldn't exactly call it a small town.

Plus ohare sucks so hard that it has become the number 2 Chicago airport. They advertise flying out of there as a less stressful alternative.

Meant to say third (midway!)
 
strothgar
2011-12-16 08:28:19 AM
I love flying out of RFD. Free parking, less hassle, and still a pretty good deal over the economy airlines.
 
Charlie Sheen's Liver
2011-12-16 08:39:51 AM
If by small town you mean 150,000 people and 45 minutes from the NW Chicago suburbs, then yeah small town airport.

Geography is clearly not subbys forte
 
Robo Beat
2011-12-16 08:45:38 AM
Rockford International Airport...

Would that then be an RFIA?
 
Winning [TotalFark]
2011-12-16 08:59:25 AM
strothgar: I love flying out of RFD. Free parking, less hassle, and still a pretty good deal over the economy airlines.

I flew down to Orlando out of that airport in 2005 and it was a pleasant enough flight. I haven't flown out of there since.

The place was tiny at the time, I don't know if they've added on to it since then.
 
Robo Beat
2011-12-16 09:20:52 AM
If they do it right, I suppose if they had enough service at RFD you could attract all those people from Madison (MSN is super-expensive, no matter where you're going), or people who live on the NW end of Chicagoland that are willing to drive a bit farther to not have to put up with going to O'Hare.
 
beta_plus
2011-12-16 09:26:21 AM
It's not that far from Chicago. Sounds like if you lived in the Western suburbs/ex-urbs it would be much nicer than O'Hare.

//O'Hare just sucks
 
Generation_D [TotalFark]
2011-12-16 09:31:30 AM
Winning [TotalFark]
Rockford has a population of about 150,000. I wouldn't exactly call it a small town.

Anything under 500K population is 1) big fish small pond, or 2) a suburb. Looks like Rockford made it to #2

sprawl on, Chicago, sprawl on.
 
Chilkoot Charlie
2011-12-16 09:32:45 AM
strothgar: I love flying out of RFD. Free parking, less hassle, and still a pretty good deal over the economy airlines.

If they are successful in doing anything but throwing tax money away, you can kiss the free parking goodbye. FWIW, I expect the charter company to fly as long as the airport is willing to pay them to fly. As soon as the guarantees stop, so will the flights.

Oh yeah, and they'll lease some used-up, clapped-out, Boeing or Airbus narrow-body that can just barely make the flight, on paper, with a 30 minute reserve.
 
Generation_D [TotalFark]
2011-12-16 10:07:27 AM
Oh yeah, and they'll lease some used-up, clapped-out, Boeing or Airbus narrow-body that can just barely make the flight, on paper, with a 30 minute reserve.

MD-80s . You too will learn the meaning of Jackscrew. And seat 29F
 
Saiga410
2011-12-16 10:35:17 AM
Generation_D: 2) a suburb

It is outside of the 39 80 corner of the state. Not a a suburb.
 
bangmaid
2011-12-16 10:42:14 AM
Sounds interesting of there's that kind of demand going from Chicago to Hawaii but I just don't see it.

Reminds me of independence air. Awesome airline, but 6 flights a day between Dulles and Lansing? No wonder they went under.
 
buzzcut73
2011-12-16 10:43:31 AM
Generation_D: Oh yeah, and they'll lease some used-up, clapped-out, Boeing or Airbus narrow-body that can just barely make the flight, on paper, with a 30 minute reserve.

MD-80s . You too will learn the meaning of Jackscrew. And seat 29F

I don't think there is and ETOPS certified narrowbody that has the range for RFD-HNL, especially this time of year.
I doubt this will happen, the airline will need the planes, pilots, and ETOPS certification. If it does happen, it isn't going to be in March. Maybe March 2014.
 
IamSoSmart_S_M_R_T
2011-12-16 11:06:26 AM
Intentional Bears reference, or simply a coincidence?

/I miss "You Make the Call"
 
Big_Fat_Liar
2011-12-16 11:19:23 AM
Here is how it works to fly out of Rockford:

Nice country drive right up to the airport. Totally relaxing.

Pull into the parking lot and notice you just get to park where you want as if you are at a small mall or superwalmart or something. Note there is no asshole telling you to keep moving or "you can't park there."

Get out of your car and walk upward of 200 feet to the building. Forget about your car - it'll be there when you get back.

That's it.
 
Gough
2011-12-16 11:19:23 AM
IIRC, and it's been a LONG time since I moved from the area, the runway layout of RFA was a copy of ORD. Then again, it took me a while to stop thinking of ORD as Chicago's "new airport".
 
Lawnchair
2011-12-16 12:28:21 PM
buzzcut73: I don't think there is and ETOPS certified narrowbody that has the range for RFD-HNL, especially this time of year.

I can't tell from the article that they specifically said non-stop. A stop somewhere like ONT would also give them some Greater Chicago-Inland Empire service, and there's got to be some takers for ONT-HNL. Or Vegas, of course... it seems to be the attractive flame to the moths of fly-by-night-airlines.

RFD-HNL in a DC-9 nonstop... yeah, I'd need a vacation after that.
 
Wheyfaring Stranger
2011-12-16 03:27:54 PM
Big_Fat_Liar: Here is how it works to fly out of Rockford:

Nice country drive right up to the airport. Totally relaxing.

Pull into the parking lot and notice you just get to park where you want as if you are at a small mall or superwalmart or something. Note there is no asshole telling you to keep moving or "you can't park there."

Get out of your car and walk upward of 200 feet to the building. Forget about your car - it'll be there when you get back.

That's it.

You forgot

Walk another hundred feet through a sparsely populated terminal to get to your gate.

Marvel at the fact that your fellow travelers don't have that "get out of my way, or I'll run you over with my wheeled carry-on" look you find at the next major airport to the east.
 
Robo Beat
2011-12-16 04:35:03 PM
IamSoSmart_S_M_R_T: Intentional Bears reference, or simply a coincidence?

/I miss "You Make the Call"

A guy in one of my Fantasy Football leagues named his team "Blounts and Fortes." The team sucks, but the name is at least amusing.
 
scandalrag
2011-12-16 05:23:09 PM
buzzcut73: Generation_D: Oh yeah, and they'll lease some used-up, clapped-out, Boeing or Airbus narrow-body that can just barely make the flight, on paper, with a 30 minute reserve.

MD-80s . You too will learn the meaning of Jackscrew. And seat 29F

I don't think there is and ETOPS certified narrowbody that has the range for RFD-HNL, especially this time of year.
I doubt this will happen, the airline will need the planes, pilots, and ETOPS certification. If it does happen, it isn't going to be in March. Maybe March 2014.

You ever hear of the 757-200? It has a 4722nm range. RFD-HNL is only 4181. You haven't lived until you fly the 757-200 transatlantic. It makes Southwest seem like Emirates First.
 
TheGreatGazoo
2011-12-16 05:28:09 PM
It has to be easier than getting to Midway. The traffic in that neighborhood is NUTS.

Though I figured it would have been MidAmerica Airport. It was supposed to be be St. Louis' 2nd airport, except that it is 25 miles out in Illinois and after 20 years (and millions of dollars of improvements on top of many millions of dollars to build it), they don't have air passenger service. Though I see the TSA recently improved the passenger screening area on their website.

Yes, the TSA improved the passenger screening area in an airport that doesn't have passenger service. Your tax dollars at work.
 
buzzcut73
2011-12-16 05:50:31 PM
scandalrag: buzzcut73: Generation_D: Oh yeah, and they'll lease some used-up, clapped-out, Boeing or Airbus narrow-body that can just barely make the flight, on paper, with a 30 minute reserve.

MD-80s . You too will learn the meaning of Jackscrew. And seat 29F

I don't think there is and ETOPS certified narrowbody that has the range for RFD-HNL, especially this time of year.
I doubt this will happen, the airline will need the planes, pilots, and ETOPS certification. If it does happen, it isn't going to be in March. Maybe March 2014.

You ever hear of the 757-200? It has a 4722nm range. RFD-HNL is only 4181. You haven't lived until you fly the 757-200 transatlantic. It makes Southwest seem like Emirates First.

Where are you getting that range? The farthest I find is 4100nm, Boeing's website says 3900.
I imagine if took out half the seats (which is the opposite of what a charter op does). I've done PHX-HNL on a 757-200 back when ATA was still around, may they rot in hell. Not fun.
 
buzzcut73
2011-12-16 05:52:58 PM
*above post should have read "I imagine RFD-HNL would be possible if you took out half of the seats..."

/preview is your friend
 
scandalrag
2011-12-16 06:18:09 PM
buzzcut73: scandalrag: buzzcut73: Generation_D: Oh yeah, and they'll lease some used-up, clapped-out, Boeing or Airbus narrow-body that can just barely make the flight, on paper, with a 30 minute reserve.

MD-80s . You too will learn the meaning of Jackscrew. And seat 29F

I don't think there is and ETOPS certified narrowbody that has the range for RFD-HNL, especially this time of year.
I doubt this will happen, the airline will need the planes, pilots, and ETOPS certification. If it does happen, it isn't going to be in March. Maybe March 2014.

You ever hear of the 757-200? It has a 4722nm range. RFD-HNL is only 4181. You haven't lived until you fly the 757-200 transatlantic. It makes Southwest seem like Emirates First.

Where are you getting that range? The farthest I find is 4100nm, Boeing's website says 3900.
I imagine if took out half the seats (which is the opposite of what a charter op does). I've done PHX-HNL on a 757-200 back when ATA was still around, may they rot in hell. Not fun.

Sorry miles not nm, but HNL-RFD is 39 miles longer than CVG-AMS and Delta runs a 757-2 on that route already. I had the unfortunate luck to get rerouted on that flight due to a mechanical in AMS. Even in Business, that flight is an abomination.
 
davidphogan
2011-12-16 09:28:47 PM
I bet people found reasons to think Southwest would fail, but this is how a business is built.

The airport's subsidy helps them grow, and is a fairly common practice. PDX is using a similar mechanism to preserve service to Asia and Europe.
 
Mrtraveler01
2011-12-16 10:31:09 PM
TheGreatGazoo: It has to be easier than getting to Midway. The traffic in that neighborhood is NUTS.

Though I figured it would have been MidAmerica Airport. It was supposed to be be St. Louis' 2nd airport, except that it is 25 miles out in Illinois and after 20 years (and millions of dollars of improvements on top of many millions of dollars to build it), they don't have air passenger service. Though I see the TSA recently improved the passenger screening area on their website.

Yes, the TSA improved the passenger screening area in an airport that doesn't have passenger service. Your tax dollars at work.

To be fair, that was planned when Lambert was getting clogged with TWA traffic so they thought it would be a reliever airport.

Who would've thought the economy would tank and AA would take full advantage and buy out TWA so they could gut it and the St. Louis hub.
 
thefireandpassion
2011-12-16 10:52:03 PM
152,000 people is a small town?
 
thefireandpassion
2011-12-16 10:54:11 PM
Generation_D: Winning [TotalFark]
Rockford has a population of about 150,000. I wouldn't exactly call it a small town.

Anything under 500K population is 1) big fish small pond, or 2) a suburb. Looks like Rockford made it to #2

sprawl on, Chicago, sprawl on.

Except it's about an hour and a half from Chicago so too far to really be a suburb.
 
thefireandpassion
2011-12-16 11:08:37 PM
TheGreatGazoo: It has to be easier than getting to Midway. The traffic in that neighborhood is NUTS.

Though I figured it would have been MidAmerica Airport. It was supposed to be be St. Louis' 2nd airport, except that it is 25 miles out in Illinois and after 20 years (and millions of dollars of improvements on top of many millions of dollars to build it), they don't have air passenger service. Though I see the TSA recently improved the passenger screening area on their website.

Yes, the TSA improved the passenger screening area in an airport that doesn't have passenger service. Your tax dollars at work.

You think Midway is bad? Try getting to Ohare. Yeah a highway right to an airport is a fantastic idea. When it's the only way to the airport it becomes a terrible idea.
 
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