Media Requests
All requests for information, interviews, or to conduct media business on site anywhere on airport property, both for routine and for breaking news, should be directed to the CVG Airport media team. For inquiries or requests of a timely nature, please call the media line at 859-767-6397.
- Nov 24, 2020
Local 12: Tri-State travelers feel safe, despite CDC recommendations
EBRON, Ky. (WKRC) – The CDC urges against travel for Thanksgiving, yet the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport expects November and December to be its busiest months since the pandemic started. Many travelers feel safe flying in and out of the Tri-State.A recent surge in COVID-19 cases has the CDC warning about traveling for Thanksgiving, but that's not stopping Eddie Wilbur from travel to the Tri-State area.“I haven’t been home in like three or four years. I wanted to be home for the holidays,” said Wilbur.AAA Spokesperson Jenifer Moore said 50 million people are expected to travel for the holiday this year. That's a drop from 55 million in 2019.“We actually expect the number of holiday travelers to be lower than forecasted for 2020,” said Moore.During the holiday season, travelers at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport will see more frequent cleaning and disinfecting. Plexiglass was installed in several areas and double the number of hand sanitizer stations were added to the airport.Neil Ferrao his wife, Heather Amastutz Ferrao, arrived from Kenya.“The airlines did a really good job of trying to practice the safety precautions,” said Ferrao.The couple was hesitant to travel, but both took COVID-19 tests before arriving.“We went back-and-forth a number of times, but we have already missed two trips this year to see my parents,” said Amastutz Ferrao.Frank D'Ambra was headed to Boston.“I’m a little bit nervous, but my family comes first,” he said.[Full store with video here](https://local12.com/news/local/tri-state-travelers-feel-safe-despite-cdc-recommendations)Read more - Nov 24, 2020
Kathrine Nero talks Holiday Travel with CVG Customer Experience
Kathrine Nero was live at CVG today, November 24, 2020 to talk holiday travel with Adam Kressler and Wendi Orlando from CVG Customer Experience. Interview was aired live on Facebook - [Click Here to view](https://www.facebook.com/Enquirer/videos/2670408169866458).Read more - Nov 24, 2020
Fox 19: CVG officials increase safety precautions ahead of holiday passenger bump
WXIX-TV 19 News / Andrea Medina / November 23, 2020BOONE COUNTY, Ky. (FOX19) - Despite a CDC warning against Thanksgiving travel, many are still opting to fly for the holiday.“The holidays are always a special time for me,” Stephanie Theobold said.She and her dog recently got away, trading Ohio’s weather for the Florida sunshine. She says it’s difficult to balance safety with the desire to see her family in Mason for the holiday.“I’ll survive for my family,” Theobold said, adding she’ll practice social distancing and good hygiene during the holiday. “It’s a special time to be with them.”CVG airport officials say the airport is processing around 5,000 travelers per day this week. The number is historically low for the airport, but it could tick up further as the holiday approaches. “We know it’s going to be busy, so Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be about the same traffic-wise, and Sunday and Monday are usually busier days,” airport official Mindy Kershner said. “Usually they’re traveling home or going back to Cincinnati.”\ [Meet the robot that keeps CVG clean as passengers return to gates](https://www.fox19.com/2020/05/19/meet-robot-helping-keep-cvg-clean-passengers-return/)In order to help flyers feel more comfortable and confident when arriving at the airport, changes have been made.“Trying new products and enhancing our cleaning regimens are all measures that we’ve taken to make people feel comfortable and confident,” Kershner said.The TSA is also allowing one oversized liquid hand sanitizer, up to 12 oz per passenger in carryon bags.Passengers can bring hand wipes through check points as well.Airlines are taking measures to prevent spread of COVID-19 as well.“They’re cleaning the aircraft,” Kershner said. “They’re doing a lot of cleaning and wiping down the plane.”[Full story and video here](https://www.fox19.com/2020/11/23/cvg-officials-offer-steps-flying-safely-over-thanksgiving-holiday/)Read more - Nov 24, 2020
River City News: CVG expects Nov, Dec to be busiest travel months of pandemic
Read more - Nov 23, 2020
WVXU: CVG pilots technology to help you travel safely with COVID and beyond
WVXU Cincinnati Public Radio / Ann Thompson / November 23, 2020There are five very noticeable travelers at the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport. They have two wheels and lots of artificial intelligence. In fact, they're robots and are among an increasing number of solutions for contactless travel at CVG and other airports.[Gita](https://mygita.com/) ("short trip" in Italian), wasn't designed for a pandemic, but the company that makes it - Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) - says the possibilities are endless, including picking up food and duty-free goods and bringing it to passengers. It even hauls your carry-on around before you board the plane."The thing that's nice about it from a hygiene perspective is it was meant to make your hands free so you don't have to be pushing something or carrying something," says PFF CEO Greg Lynn.Lynn says since COVID, he's had a lot of interest because the only time you touch Gita is to pair with it - other than that, it's contactless.CVG is the only airport that is piloting Gita. The airport's Chief Innovation Officer Brian Cobb explains Gita has sensors and cameras so it won't bump into you. If somebody steps between you and Gita, it will stop until it sees you."Never in my 30-year career did I think we would see a pandemic," Cobb says. "But here we are, so if it can happen once it can happen again. What is it that we will take away from this experience that will really drive us forward on behalf of safety and reliability?"Cobb says the airport is an evolving business.[Full story here](https://www.wvxu.org/post/cvg-pilots-technology-help-you-travel-safely-covid-and-beyond#stream/0) (with radio interviews and video)Read more - Nov 23, 2020
The Lane Report: Thanksgiving Travel: CVG expects busy season, offers pandemic protocols
The Lane Report / November 20, 2020ERLANGER, Ky. – Airports and airlines across the country are working together to prepare for the holiday travel season. The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) expects November and December to be the busiest months for passenger traffic since the pandemic started with the more popular destinations being Florida, Arizona, Cancun, and the Rocky Mountain region.The busiest days for the Thanksgiving holiday will be Friday, Nov. 20; Tuesday, Nov. 24; Wednesday, Nov. 25; Saturday Nov. 28; Sunday, Nov. 29; and Monday, Nov. 30.“Passenger safety is our top priority as evidenced by our global health accreditation,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “We encourage passengers to visit our website which provides information, videos and links to resources for travelers to plan ahead to feel comfortable and confident when arriving at the airport.”Specific changes and updates passengers will see at CVG: Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-traffic areas and touchpoints including restrooms and handrails, and aircraft (which is done by the airlines). A new product enhancement at the airport is the use of SafetyNet, a two-step process that first applies an electrostatic disinfection followed up by an anti-microbial solution that binds to and protects surfaces for 30+ days. Plexiglass guards installed at ticketing counters, security checkpoint, concessions locations, and gate areas. More than double the number of hand sanitizer stations added throughout airport facilities. Friendly reminders for travelers to wear masks and social distance themselves from others.Travelers can read more updates and tips on the [Fly Healthy](https://cvgairport.com/flight/tips/flyhealthy/traveling-tips) section of CVGairport.com.CVG is currently the only airport in the region with direct service to Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Phoenix/Mesa (AZA) for the two holiday months (November/December). It offers several other nonstop flights, available [here](https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cvgairport.com%2Fnonstopdestinations&data=04%7C01%7Cmkershner%40cvgairport.com%7C4ca2401c4c6749e9753608d88bf854db%7C6a1858161bcc4c24b4487abfacd1c666%7C0%7C0%7C637413245987400279%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=nI%2FXeNTYYNJRx0qkAxolmvJjNbL4%2Bofash4WLsItmqo%3D&reserved=0).[Full story here](https://www.lanereport.com/134339/2020/11/thanksgiving-travel-cvg-airport-expects-busy-season-offers-pandemic-protocols/)Read more - Nov 23, 2020
Business Courier: Why this Silicon Valley startup moved here to test its driverless technology at CVG
Cincinnati Business Courier / Cincy Inno / Liz Engel / November 19, 2020For the better part of nine months, a former Silicon Valley startup has been testing its autonomous vehicle technology at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.A small van, white, with various red markings, and outfitted with a suite of sensors and cameras, both on top of the vehicle and inside, has been navigating in and around the terminal for weeks, learning all the ins and outs, while a team behind the scenes makes ongoing improvements and tweaks.For the most part, that company has been quiet about its efforts.Until now.ThorDrive, which now calls Cincinnati home, is ready to make its debut. Eddie Shelton, ThorDrive’s vice president of business development, said the company expects to have proofs of concept in the next couple of weeks, and a pair of units ready for market by the end of 2021.ThorDrive’s roots are in Seoul, South Korea, but the startup first entered the U.S. market via Silicon Valley in 2018. It had varied success. It launched a last-mile delivery project for a few small businesses around Palo Alto, Calif., which marked its first test with commercial delivery vehicles, and the company overall logged about 80,000 miles of real-world on-the-road experience. It’s “very unheard of,” he said, for a company like ThorDrive to relocate here. But CVG has made a big play in recent years to loop in different innovative partners. In the past, it’s partnered with startups like Cincinnati’s Losant, TaskWatch in Mason and Wyzerr, which was recently acquired by Columbus-based PopCom.A proposal to partner with CVG also proved an interesting opportunity to pivot, Shelton said. The field for autonomous technology is flooded with well-funded companies looking to make driverless passenger cars and commercial trucks, Shelton said. There weren’t many playing in the aviation space.For ThorDrive, and CVG, this represents the first airport partnership of its kind. ThorDrive’s technology is applicable in many areas, mainly ground support equipment, or GSE, like airport baggage tugs, or carts, and offers cost efficiencies and improved safety. Brian Cobb, chief innovation officer at CVG, said ThorDrive’s biggest selling feature is that its technology can retrofit different types of equipment. “This is the future,” Brian Cobb, chief innovation officer at CVG. “There’s no airline out there that wants to consider getting rid of or phasing out its existing \[fleet\],” he said. “But if you tell me I can convert my existing frame? Now we’re talking.”Since February, ThorDrive has been testing its technology around the CVG campus. That access has been critical to development, Shelton said. A demo day on Thursday showcased what's been done so far.“Our technology can now recognize critical things that it will encounter while doing its job. It recognizes the aircraft and other vehicles,” Shelton said. “It’s programmed to know its route, to know where an intersection is, to stop and scan for any vehicles that might be crossing its path. We’ve had access to locations that no other company has had access to, and that has been the biggest catalyst for us getting to where we are.”[Full store here](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/inno/stories/news/2020/11/19/silicon-valley-startup-moves-hq-to-cincinnati-cvg.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_6&cx_artPos=8#cxrecs_s) (subscription-based)Read more - Nov 19, 2020
CVG Airport partners with ThorDrive on driverless tech
Erlanger, Ky. (November 19, 2020) – As another first for CVG, [ThorDrive](http://www.thordrive.ai/) (headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio), is bringing autonomous vehicle (AV) technology to the airport’s campus. Through a recently enacted airport ordinance, autonomous vehicles and equipment can now operate on airport property. The airport is positioning itself for the future by leaning into AV and other related technologies. This strategy enables trials of the technology in a live operating environment. By advancing AV technology, CVG has the added benefit of modeling for communities given its city-like infrastructure. The long-term benefits of AV include operational efficiencies and safety.ThorDrive began in Seoul, South Korea and entered the U.S. market in Silicon Valley. In 2019, it established its North American headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. ThorDrive is now invested in the region, contributing to workforce talent and advancement in transportation.“ThorDrive is a great innovation partner,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “Like our other startup, university, and corporate partners, ThorDrive injects talent, technology and economic growth into our campus and region to ensure CVG remains agile and well positioned as a leader in the airport industry.”“We are very pleased to be a partner as another CVG first mover,” said Dr. Seung-Woo Seo, Founder and Chairman of the Board of ThorDrive. Seo further added: “Together, ThorDrive and CVG will continue the airport’s stewardship to foster meaningful innovations. The catalyst of our growth and the development of our technology was a combination of talent available from local universities as well as the unwavering support from CVG.”FACT SHEET [here](/docs/default-source/news-items/thordrive-cvg-airport-fact-sheet2d3bebea-379a-41d3-ba28-cc2d74762324.pdf?Status=Master&sfvrsn=c1505715_3)Photo cutline: ThorDrive at CVG (Left to right): John Kim, ThorDrive; Andy Aiello, TANK; David Shuey, OKI; Mark Policinski, OKI; Candace McGraw, CVG Airport; Chris Lee, ThorDrive; Eddie Shelton, ThorDriveAbout CVG Airport:The Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) welcomed more than 9.1 million passengers in 2019. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, CVG still offers the most nonstop destinations, and the lowest average airfares in the region. As the 7th largest cargo airport in North America and home to the Amazon Air Hub and DHL Express Global Superhub, CVG is diversified in both passenger and cargo operations, with an annual economic impact of $6.8 billion. Learn more about CVG and its response to COVID-19 at CVGairport.com/FlyHealthy. About ThorDrive:ThorDrive is an autonomous technology company with a mission to proliferate our technologies to new applications beyond the “traditional” passenger vehicle and commercial truck markets. Our focus is on markets where: Our full-stack development process and deep customer partnership not only support operational excellence and enhanced safety but also provide a strategic advantage to all stakeholders. A significantly abbreviated path to successful commercialization and much more efficient level of investment that will support the growth of ThorDrive and quickly provide an economic benefit to our customers and investors.ThorDrive is now headquartered in the Over-the-Rhine area of Cincinnati. [Link to YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0W0FYt6CNmGQzglqDGHPZw) channel. More info at [www.thordrive.ai](http://www.thordrive.ai/)Read more - Nov 19, 2020
CVG Airport previews this year’s holiday travel season
Erlanger, Ky. (November 19, 2020) – Airports and airlines across the country are working together to prepare for the holiday travel season. The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) expects November and December to be the busiest months for passenger traffic since the pandemic started with the more popular destinations being Florida, Arizona, Cancun, and the Rocky Mountain region.The busiest days for the Thanksgiving holiday will be Friday 11/20; Tuesday, 11/24; Wednesday, 11/25; Saturday 11/28; Sunday, 11/29; and Monday, 11/30. “Passenger safety is our top priority as evidenced by our global health accreditation,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “We encourage passengers to visit our website which provides information, videos and links to resources for travelers to plan ahead to feel comfortable and confident when arriving at the airport.”Specific changes and updates passengers will see at CVG: Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-traffic areas and touchpoints including restrooms and handrails, and aircraft (which is done by the airlines). A new product enhancement at the airport is the use of SafetyNet, a two-step process that first applies an electrostatic disinfection followed up by an anti-microbial solution that binds to and protects surfaces for 30+ days. Plexiglass guards installed at ticketing counters, security checkpoint, concessions locations, and gate areas. More than double the number of hand sanitizer stations added throughout airport facilities. Friendly reminders for travelers to wear masks and social distance themselves from others.Travelers can read more updates and tips on the [Fly Healthy](https://cvgairport.com/flight/tips/flyhealthy/traveling-tips) section of CVGairport.com.CVG remains the regional leader in offering the most nonstop destinations. CVG is currently the only airport in the region with direct service to Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Phoenix/Mesa (AZA) for the two holiday months (November/December). To review nonstop flights offered at CVG, please check [here](https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cvgairport.com%2Fnonstopdestinations&data=04%7C01%7Cmkershner%40cvgairport.com%7C4ca2401c4c6749e9753608d88bf854db%7C6a1858161bcc4c24b4487abfacd1c666%7C0%7C0%7C637413245987400279%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=nI%2FXeNTYYNJRx0qkAxolmvJjNbL4%2Bofash4WLsItmqo%3D&reserved=0).About CVG Airport:The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) welcomed more than 9.1 million passengers in 2019. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, CVG still offers the most nonstop destinations, and the lowest average airfares in the region. As the 7th largest cargo airport in North America and home to the Amazon Air Hub and DHL Express Global Superhub, CVG is diversified in both passenger and cargo operations, with an annual economic impact of $6.8 billion. Learn more about CVG and its response to COVID-19 at CVGairport.com/FlyHealthy.Read more