Airport Taking Off
Efforts by the City of Flagstaff to increase service at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport are starting to pay off. Direct flights to Los Angeles and Dallas are scheduled to debut later this spring as the number of annual passengers, including business people and vacationers, continues to increase. The city’s Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hansen and Flagstaff Pulliam Airport Manager Barney Helmick join On the Grid host and FBN Editor Bonnie Stevens to discuss the importance of a thriving airport for the region. On the Grid is a monthly podcast delving into timely topics and interviews with guests who help shape the local economy.
Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-559986867/on-the-grid-podcast-volume-7
If you use Google Flights you’ll see something that often happens when there are smaller airports (like Flagstaff) near mega-airports like PHX: flights to destinations may actually be cheaper from Flagstaff than from PHX, even though the extra flight is required. I was looking at a flight to Africa this fall, and the flight was $180 cheaper going from Flagstaff than if I were to drive to PHX and fly out of PHX… interesting, but deals can be found from time to time. Also, from San Francisco to Flagstaff, flights in May (when I last checked a few weeks ago) were almost $100 cheaper from Flagstaff than PHX. Nice issue for us to have. With the current administration trying to end the Essential Air Service subsidies, I have a hunch that Flagstaff will remain open and get stronger while airports like Prescott, Sedona, Page, Show Low, etc. close due to lack of funding from the EAS program…