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About 5-10 years ago a similar airline (One Jet, I think?) had the exact same routes and failed. Pittsburgh and Milwaukee are intriguing, but is there really enough demand? I can’t imagine how Nashville, at 4 hours away works. With airport time on both ends, there is no way you are getting there quicker, but adding expense, hassle, and the chance for cancelled and delayed flights.
One Jet was more of a pseudo private jet airline and less of a “regional airline”, if I remember correctly.
@Robert, agree somewhere around 10 seats. I know people who used it and it was a good experience and got you there in an hour. Question is; if they couldn’t consistently fill 10 seats and be sustainable, how is a carrier with larger planes going to do it?
I can’t anticipate flying to Nashville for anything. Milwaukee might make sense because driving through Chicago is a real pain, and Pittsburgh definitely makes sense.
What about Cleveland?
+1000!
It is not so much about “saving time” as it is about relieving the stress that results from sharing the road with speeding 18-wheelers, wannabe stock car racers, and geezers who also should be flying instead of driving.
“The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Corporate Flight Management Inc., which does business as Contour Airlines, up to $1.5 million in the form of a “minimum revenue guarantee.” As an inducement for Contour to launch and maintain its flights, the state has agreed to provide up to $1.5 million if Contour doesn’t meet certain revenue goals.”
What a deal for them!
Yes. Why doesn’t IDEC support other modes of transportation, such as Amtrak’s Hoosier State line to/from Chicago? The State should look to invest in infrastructure to improve this service.
@Mike: because no one wants to take a 5 hour trip to Chicago?
@Mike The state gave a similar (but much larger) guarantee to Delta in luring the non-stop flights to Paris. The flights were self-sustaining and the state never had to pay any money to Delta.
Chuck, if the State invests in the infrastructure then that 5 hour time can be reduced significantly. Rail can become a viable option. Similar to investments, it’s best to create a portfolio of options – cars, planes, trains – rather than focusing on a single asset.
For sure, Mike. And there are Federal dollars available for such upgrades, just like with highways. Looking at similar services in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as numerous passenger demand studies, such a service would be highly successful and might cover operating costs within a few years of spin-up.
All of the cities that Contour plans to serve are right in that sweet spot for trains. It’s a little too long to drive but a little too short to fly. Frequent, fast (but not necessarily high-speed), and reliable train service would be a big hit.
There is nothing I’d like more than train travel again to be financially feasible. But, with the exception of areas of the country with high density, it just doesn’t make sense. Amtrak doesn’t consistently lose money because of a lack of investment. Amtrak loses money because of a lack of riders.
My general response is, so what if Amtrak loses money? Highways don’t make money, airports don’t make money, why should passenger trains make money? The corridor services in Illinois and Wisconsin cover almost 90% of their operational costs through ticket sales. That’s better than any other form of subsidized transportation!
This is very exciting news. Hopefully, Kansas City, Memphis, and other regional destinations follow.
Prior to the pandemic, Southwest had non-stop flights between Indianapolis and Kansas City. Those will surely return in the near future.