7 minute read
WHY FLY LOUISVILLE?
Because it just makes sense.
Anthony Gilmer Louisville is a great city to live, love … and leave! Located just a short drive from major cities including Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Nashville, it also serves as a premium starting location to travel by air as well. Recently rebranded as the Louisville Muhammed Ali International Airport (SDF), travelers can find great prices on hundreds of flights from eight great airlines.
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We caught up with the director of marketing and air service development, Anthony Gilmer, to find out more about why “our airport” is one of the best, and what changes you will see coming soon.
Audience502: What trends have you seen in air travel as COVID concerns seem to be going down, but still relevant?
Anthony Gilmer: We have really been booming since last summer. Traffic rushed back between spring break and summer from maybe 50% of normal travel to very close to record-breaking levels. That has been consistent since last summer, giving us a very normal feel in the terminal.
A502: What guidelines does the airport follow when it comes to masks, vaccinations, and other safety measures for passengers and employees? AG: The routine for travelers is pretty much normal. The only considerable difference is the national mask mandate is still in place in all airport terminals and on the airplanes, but other than that, things are like they were prepandemic. Travelers come in, check their bags, go through security, maybe get a bite to eat or something, hop on the plane, and off they go. A502: For someone who might be hesitant to fly because of COVID concerns, do you have any words of encouragement? AG: At the end of the day, it is totally their personal decision, and we respect that. But I would reiterate that the flying experience is very normal, other than wearing a mask. Travelers will also notice that the terminal is actually cleaner given that our enhanced cleaning procedures are still in place, and hand sanitizer stations are located around the terminal.
A502: Over the past few years, the airport has seen an expansion of new airlines coming in, resulting in flights to several new destinations, many of which are direct flights. Tell us about these expansions and what they mean for travelers.
AG: On the airline side, 2021 was a really good year for us. The industry kind of shuffled around and the airlines were re-thinking their networks. We were able
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Security Checkpoint Expansion. Rendering by ALLiiANCE.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Terminal, Departures Level Roadway Approach. Rendering by ALLiiANCE.
to bring in two new airlines and offer more nonstop flights now than we did pre-pandemic with 37 nonstops. We added Spirit Airlines and Breeze Airways, which are both great airlines with low fares. Spirit offers coast-to-coast flights, with service to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and five cities in Florida. Breeze is flying to Charleston, Tampa and New Orleans, and Allegiant also recently added Charleston as well as Austin, Texas. We’re also very excited to have recently announced nonstop flights to Boston with American Airlines that will start in June. Boston was the largest unserved market from this area, and had been our No. 1 priority to add for years. The terminal enhancement is a massive product that encompasses $400 million of various projects; all of which are aimed to make us more efficient, more customer friendly, and really making a better experience for our customers, business partners and stakeholders. Some of the parking enhancements have already been completed. For instance, we moved the rental cars indoors, which offers a vastly improved level of service for visitors to the city. We also added a service called “Park Assist” in the parking garage that lets you look down any row of parking and see if there is an open spot. There are lights in the ceiling and if there is an open spot, the light above the spot will be green, and if not, the light will be red. So, instead of wasting a lot of valuable time looking for a parking spot, you can now look down a row and know immediately if a spot is open. We also added a frequent parker program in which everything is touchless and seamless. You get an AVI tag that is linked to your credit card and put it on your car, then you can just pull in and out without having to exchange payment or even interact with the parking attendant. More information about the program is on SDFPark.com. We also renovated the tunnels that connect the parking garage to the terminal and added a covered walkway from the garage to the terminal on the baggage claim level. We are just now getting started on our geo-thermal well field that will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. This will be how we heat and cool the terminal in the future. The project is quite significant because it cuts the carbon emissions by 80% and will also save us around $400,000 annually on our utility bill.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Terminal, Arrivals Level Roadway Approach. Rendering by ALLiiANCE.
It is a state of the art, high-tech, and very green project, and we are very proud of that. We are also replacing and adding new jet bridges for passengers getting on and off the planes that will be climate controlled and offer an overall better experience for travelers. And lastly, our TSA checkpoint will be expanded. As anyone knows who has traveled during peak times, the TSA line can get a little bit long, so we’re adding more lanes and improved technology to get people through faster. Customers will ultimately notice a fresh and new look everywhere from the curbside to the gate as we work to give the city the airport it deserves. A502: What is the best way for travelers to get the best deals for flights? Do you have any tips or tricks? AG: The No. 1 tip I give people for finding the best airfare is to be flexible and search a range of dates instead of searching just one date. While FlyLouisville.com has all our flights listed, we don’t actually sell tickets on the site. So, I recommend using a service like Kayak or Priceline to shop, and then go directly to the airline to book the flight. Also, by booking at least three to four weeks out, you will usually find better rates.
A502: In closing, being home to one of the largest sporting events in the world with the Kentucky Derby, what is it like trying to navigate the increased travel that first week of May, from commercial flights to what seems like hundreds of private planes lining the runway? AG: We really go all out for Derby. We close every piece of pavement that isn’t critical to the airport just to park airplanes. At any given time, there are literally hundreds of private airplanes parked everywhere around the airfield, so that makes it somewhat of a dance between air traffic control, people parking the planes, valets coming out in vans to get the crew and passengers and more, so it is always a delicate and coordinated dance. That said, we have been doing it for years, and we have a great plan in place to handle the increased traffic.
From a passenger perspective, we’re very proud of the welcome we give Derbygoers. We like to think we roll out the red carpet with live music and greeters dressed up in Derby attire, giving away thousands of Woodford Reserve bourbon balls to passengers coming in. We also line the terminal with more than 4,000 fresh red roses and other touches to make it special and welcoming.
The single busiest day for us every year is the Sunday after the Derby, in which we literally double a normal day of travelers coming through the terminal.
For more information about flights and services at the Muhammed Ali International Airport, visit FlyLouisville.com
