Huntsville/Madison Development News (Enterprise, Fairfield: car rental, top 10, burgers)

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by FCEddie

Sounds good. I'll take "improved" airport.

It's actuallly pretty good right now. If we could get prices down a little so local leisure passengers would use it more(they should anyway - there's not that much difference when you consider driving to Nashville and parking), then the airport will take off. The terminal can probably handle close to twice as many passengers as they served pre-pandemic. Cargo traffic is up 34% in the past year. The runways can handle literally any aircraft in the world as it is, and the west runway is currently being completely resurfaced. I expect the east runway will be lengthened like the west one before long (they are currently 10,000 ft east and 12,500 west, longer than most airports in other cities as it stands).

[FCEddie]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

It's actuallly pretty good right now. If we could get prices down a little so local leisure passengers would use it more(they should anyway - there's not that much difference when you consider driving to Nashville and parking), then the airport will take off. The terminal can probably handle close to twice as many passengers as they served pre-pandemic. Cargo traffic is up 34% in the past year. The runways can handle literally any aircraft in the world as it is, and the west runway is currently being completely resurfaced. I expect the east runway will be lengthened like the west one before long (they are currently 10,000 ft east and 12,500 west, longer than most airports in other cities as it stands).

So this means we are not a tourist destination, and therefore, less demand to fly into our airport. I'm just guessing, but that's what it appears to me. Makes sense. So, I'll keep driving to Nashville or B'ham for most flights.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by aero10

Significantly improved, to border on new. Check out the Airport Brochure: https://www.flyhuntsville.com/public-info-reports/ there are plans for 3 more runways and a new terminal complex. I've heard rumors of Huntsville trying to court Delta out of Atlanta since their airport is land locked, but I don't know if any of it is true.

I haven't heard that rumor, but Delta knows we're here. Huntsville is an overflow airport in case Atlanta is socked in by weather or some other reason. It's the primary reason we have such good snow-clearing equipment at the airport. Atlanta is a huge hub (the largest airport in the world most of the time), but few of the passengers they see are going to Atlanta. They're just there to change planes to go somewhere else. That's true of all hub airports, so it could work here as well as anywhere else.

[txstats]

I would hope that with all these developments and projected growth, down the line they would add more flights into Huntsville. Would like to have the option to fly direct into Huntsville instead of having a layover or drive 2h from Nashville

[Iveymac]

Speaking of our airport, they just announced a new airline with new destinations to Charleston, New Orleans and Tampa.
https://www.al.com/business/2021/05/...or-launch.html

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by Iveymac

Speaking of our airport, they just announced a new airline with new destinations to Charleston, New Orleans and Tampa.
https://www.al.com/business/2021/05/...or-launch.html

See the thread a few spots below, Breeze Airways.

[writerwife]

I'm traveling right now. I flew out of Huntsville 2 days ago. My ticket was $265. My sister and dad flew out the same day (we are at same destination) but drove to Nashville to fly out. Their tickets were $10 more... But they are non stop, I had 1 stop. We arrived at just about the same time (they were still in the airport waiting for me). Not always the case but that's now it went the time.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by writerwife

I'm traveling right now. I flew out of Huntsville 2 days ago. My ticket was $265. My sister and dad flew out the same day (we are at same destination) but drove to Nashville to fly out. Their tickets were $10 more... But they are non stop, I had 1 stop. We arrived at just about the same time (they were still in the airport waiting for me). Not always the case but that's now it went the time.

Plus, you didn't have the possibly dangerous drive 100 miles to Nashville and back with wear and tear on your car (57.5 cents per mile), garage parking at Nashville ($23/day compared to $12/day at Huntsville), and the inconvenience of getting there and checking in at a much busier airport. You've got to consider all aspects when choosing to fly from out of town.

If you find a good deal from Nashville, and it's a family vaction with several kids, the delta cost might make it worthwhile, but with Frontier, Silver, and now Breeze, you can travel pretty economically out of Huntsville to most leisure destinations. By buying tickets well in advance for such ventures makes it even more economical.

[rock90]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

You've got to consider all aspects when choosing to fly from out of town.

Two other aspects to consider.

Nashville offers at least one airline where you can arbitrarily change your flight at no additional cost. Maybe things are different now, but Huntsville airlines have not offered that option in the past. Sometimes things come up and you need to move your flight, and it's not great to be hit with a $75 fee.

Also, don't downplay the advantage of a direct flight. Maybe for business travel it's all fun and games if you're marooned for hours in ATL, but a lot of us just like to get to the destination. My experience with layovers has not been good, and Huntsville offers precious few (albeit increasing) direct flights.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by rock90

Two other aspects to consider.

Nashville offers at least one airline where you can arbitrarily change your flight at no additional cost. Maybe things are different now, but Huntsville airlines have not offered that option in the past. Sometimes things come up and you need to move your flight, and it's not great to be hit with a $75 fee.

Also, don't downplay the advantage of a direct flight. Maybe for business travel it's all fun and games if you're marooned for hours in ATL, but a lot of us just like to get to the destination. My experience with layovers has not been good, and Huntsville offers precious few (albeit increasing) direct flights.

Breeze says they allow no-charge itenerary changes on their website.

There are quite a few non-stop flights out of Huntsville, and even more direct flights. According to the HSV website, they have non-stop flights to 14 cities, which is pretty good for an area that's not a big tourist spot. A couple of obvious missing ones are Los Angeles and New York, which would be nice to have mostly for business travel. When Covid impacts go away, the airport should be bigger and better.