Sunday, August 10, 2014

Griffiss "International's" Why, What, How . . . and Who?

According to the Rome Sentinel, flight traffic is down 12% at Griffiss "International" Airport so far this year.

This raises a lot of Questions (from a reliable source):
  1. Why have itinerant commercial Air Taxi aircraft operations at Griffiss decreased 36% from 806 in 2011 to 516 in 2013?
  2. Why have itinerant General Aviation aircraft operations at Griffiss decreased 52% from 18,905 in 2011 to 9,081 in 2013?
  3. Why have local General Aviation aircraft operations at Griffiss decreased 51% from 35,426 in 2011 to 17,499 in 2013?
  4. Why has the total of itinerant and local aircraft operations at Griffiss decreased 44% from 60,265 in 2011 to 33,503 in 2013?
  5. Why has the number of passengers reported departing from Griffiss decreased from 1,146 in 2011 to 744 in 2013?
  6. How many additional itinerant aircraft operations, both military and civil, are expected to be generated by the presence of a Customs Office?
  7. Why are annual aircraft operations expected to increase to only 54,000 over the next 20 years, not even equaling or exceeding previous levels at Griffiss or at the Old Oneida Co. Airport in Whitestown?
  8. What marketing of the airport is being conducted by Million Air to attract itinerant non-military aircraft?
  9. What marketing of the airport is being conducted by EDGE to attract new commercial enterprises?
  10. How do Million Air’s aviation fuel prices compare to other General Aviation airports within a 50 mile radius?
Considering that we continue to pour millions of Taxpayer dollars into the Griffiss "International" Albatross with decreasing airport use . . .

Who benefits from all the taxpayers' largess?

We, the Taxpayers, certainly aren't getting anything!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm waiting for the new federal government investment of $6 million to be used as an example of "Fleecing of America" on the evening news. It certainly qualifies .....

Anonymous said...

I happened to read that White Elephsnt Airlines will be beginning service to Griffiss International with direct daily service to Nome, Alaska.

Anonymous said...

I work up there daily. The answer is easy and can be read in Mr. Gray's editorial.

They have NO marketing plan. The FBO only caters to a very, very small group of private pilots and charter flights. Maybe a couple a day. It is a ghost town up there. Our company pulled out because there was literally nothing going on. It's a joke. This is not an airport.

Hamilton Airport is busier and it's a corn field.