The Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO, Mark VanLoh, spoke with the Jax Chamber Downtown Council on Friday about bringing transatlantic flights to Jacksonville International Airport.
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JIA’s Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Greg Willis, says the goal is to ultimately bring more tourism to Jacksonville. He also says that Jacksonville is one of the only top U.S. markets that does not already offer these flights, so JIA would be able to compete with other mid-sized markets.
In order to secure a partnership with an airline interested in providing these flights, airport management would need to provide that airline with a minimum revenue guarantee. An MRG ensures that an airline will still profit even if transatlantic flights don’t sell well.
MRGs in comparable markets, like Indianapolis and Cleveland, range anywhere from six million to upwards of $20 million. VanLoh says that Jacksonville’s is likely to exceed $13 million, and it must be funded at the local or state level…