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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.
- May 1, 2018
Delta Launches Service to Austin
May 1, 2018 — Delta Air Lines and CVG celebrated the launch of new nonstop service to Austin, Texas with a ribbon cutting for the inaugural flight.Delta’s new service to Austin will operate daily except Saturdays using Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft with 9 First Class and 60 Economy seats. Flights depart Sunday through Friday at 9:45AM arriving Austin at 11:30AM. Returning flights depart Austin at 12:05PM arriving CVG at 3:44PM.Austin becomes Delta’s 36th nonstop destination from CVG and continues Delta’s growth at CVG. During the past two years, Delta has increased capacity by 12 percent via new markets, added frequencies and introduced numerous product improvements.Read more - Apr 23, 2018
Passenger Traffic Up 17%, Cargo Up 41%
April 22, 2018 — The first quarter of 2018 proved to be a strong start for CVG, continuing tremendous passenger growth, air service enhancements and achieving its best airfare ranking.CVG continued to be the fastest growing major airport in the country with local passenger traffic growing 17 percent year-over-year. Cargo volume set a new quarter tonnage record with more than 289,835 tons handled, totaling a year-over-year increase of 41 percent.The airport launched seven new destinations during the first quarter: Allegiant now provides service to Charleston, S.C. and Sarasota, Fla. totaling 20 year-round and/or seasonal destinations served at CVG. Frontier now provides service to Austin and San Antonio, Texas; San Jose, Calif.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Raleigh/Durham, N.C. totaling 19 year-round and/or seasonal destinations served at CVG.Six additional destinations will begin the remainder of 2018, totaling 61 nonstop destinations served. Delta begins nonstop service to Austin, Texas on May 1 and to Phoenix, Ariz. on Nov. 4 totaling 36 destinations served at CVG. Southwest will begin nonstop service to Denver, Col. on Aug. 7 totaling three destinations served at CVG. Vacation Express will begin service to Cozumel, Mex. and Grand Bahama Island this spring totaling five seasonal destinations served at CVG. WOW air begins low-cost international service on May 9, and added a 5th frequency to its service for the summer travel period.CVG received its best airfare ranking from the Department of Transportation making it the lowest fare airport in the region. Overall, airfares at CVG are down 46 percent in the last five years and passengers are paying on average $215 less per ticket.During the first quarter, CVG completed upgrades to the parking garage, baggage claim, curb fronts and other areas incorporating regional branding elements from Ohio and Kentucky including the Roebling Bridge, Smale Riverfront Park and Kentucky’s bourbon heritage to enhance the passenger experience.Read more - Apr 17, 2018
CVG the Region's Low-Fare Leader
CVG is once again the lowest-fare airport in the region, following the release of average airfare rankings for 4th quarter 2017 by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. Below is a summary of the results related to CVG: CVG average fare ranked #76 compared to #42 in 4Q 2016, an improvement of 34 positions CVG average fare of $324 decreased 13% compared to $375 in 4Q 2016. National average fares decreased only 2%. CVG’s percentage decrease was seven times better than national average. CVG passengers are paying on average $215 less per ticket than four years ago.Regional Comparisons CVG ranked #76 – average fare $324 Indianapolis (IND) ranked #55 — average fare $349 Columbus (CMH) ranked #49 — average fare $358 Louisville (SDF) ranked #26 — average fare $391 Dayton (DAY) ranked #25 — average fare $396 Lexington (LEX) ranked #8 — average fare $433CVG has launched seven new routes so far in 2018, including San Jose, San Antonio, Charleston, Sarasota, Austin, Jacksonville and Raleigh/Durham.CVG will will launch six new routes this spring and fall, including Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Bahama Island via Vacation Express, Denver via Southwest, Austin via Delta, and Phoenix via Delta, plus international service with WOW Air beginning May 10.Read more - Feb 23, 2018
WOW Air Adds 5th Weekly Flight
Feb. 23, 2018 — WOW air is adding a fifth weekly frequency to its scheduled service from CVG to Iceland and more than 20 destinations in Europe including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and more.Due to strong demand, WOW air is increasing its service frequency from four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) to five days a week throughout the summer travel season, June 4 – Sept. 17, 2018. The new frequency will depart on Wednesdays at 12:50 AM.To celebrate the increase in seasonal flight service, WOW air is offering $99\ one-way flights from CVG to Iceland (KEF) and $149\ one-way flights from CVG to London (STN), Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), Dublin (DUB), Berlin (SXF) and Copenhagen (CPH) via Iceland.WOW air begins service from CVG on May 9, 2018. All flights arrive to CVG at 11:50PM from Keflavik Airport and depart at 12:50AM. Flights will operate with new Airbus A321 aircraft with a 208 seat capacity.“The reception from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky travelers for our flight service has been phenomenal since we announced the route last summer. Because of the strong demand, we have decided to increase our service from four to five days during the summer. We look forward to bringing affordable international travel to CVG,” said Skúli Mogensen, CEO and Founder of WOW air. “The response from local travelers for WOW air’s low-cost international service has been extremely positive, and we appreciate WOW air adding a 5th frequency this summer to accommodate the strong demand,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG.For additional information and bookings, please visit www.wowair.us.Read more - Feb 19, 2018
Good News for Drone Operators Near CVG
Feb. 19, 2018 — Drone operators are now able to operate in certain areas within five miles of CVG, thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration’s new Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability program.Prior to LAANC and other recent technology enhancements, drones were prohibited within five miles of any airport.In conjunction with this effort and in order to protect the safety of the flying public, CVG partnered with several Kentucky airports as well as Kentucky State Representative Diane St. Onge to establish Kentucky HB540, the airport safety law. This law requires coordination with CVG as well as the FAA to operate drones in critical areas of the airport, primarily the ends of runways.CVG and the FAA have both independently partnered with AirMap to execute the LAANC protocols and provisions of Kentucky HB540, to provide seamless coordination and notification for drone operators.To find out more, and to download the AirMap app visit CVGairport.com/drones.“CVG would like to thank the FAA and Kentucky State Representative Diane St. Onge for moving the industry forward by helping make drone operations within five miles of the airport much safer by protecting critical areas for takeoff and landing,” said Tim Zeis, chief operating officer, CVG. “CVG, our business partners, and others who operate drones will benefit from this innovative approach.”"CVG has once again taken a proactive approach by establishing measures ensuring that the safety of its flying passengers remains paramount,” said Representative Diane St. Onge, Kentucky State House of Representatives. “It was a privilege to work with COO Tim Zeis and his team to draft and pass legislation that would accomplish this top priority for our airport."Read more - Feb 15, 2018
Southwest Announces Denver Service
Feb. 15, 2018 — Southwest Airlines announces new nonstop service from CVG to Denver, Colorado (DEN) beginning Aug. 7. The new route will operate daily year round with Boeing 737 aircraft using a combination of 143 and 175 seat configurations.Southwest’s flight schedule to Denver will provide one-stop service to more than 15 West Coast destinations such as Reno, San Francisco, Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, Ontario, Tucson and Salt Lake City. When combined with existing flights to Chicago, Midway and Baltimore/Washington D.C., CVG travelers can now access more than 65 cities on the Southwest network with nonstop or single connection service.“This new route continues our growth in the region and adds more time saving itineraries to Denver and destinations in the western half of the United States,” said Dave Harvey, Southwest Airlines’ managing director of corporate sales. “Every flight on Southwest Airlines offers travelers the ability to change flights without paying change fees\, the ability to check two bags for free and the hospitality that sets Southwest apart from other airlines.”“Over the last five years, passenger demand from CVG to Denver has grown more than 240 percent, and Denver is now the fifth most popular destination from CVG,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “Southwest is the second largest carrier in Denver, and we’re confident the CVG-Denver route will be a great addition to the Southwest network.”Denver becomes the third daily year round destination served by Southwest from CVG. In June 2017, Southwest began service with five daily flights to Chicago, Midway and three daily flights to Baltimore/Washington D.C. Southwest will also operate seasonal nonstop service to Phoenix, Arizona beginning March 8.Read more - Feb 7, 2018
12 New Flight Options Create Strong Start to 2018
February 7, 2018 — CVG is the lowest fare airport in the region and is breaking records in local passenger and cargo growth.For two consecutive years, every airline partner experienced passenger growth, and carriers are consistently adding and/or expanding new flight options. CVG and its airline partners have already announced 12 new flight options launching this year. With all the recent news, it may be tough keeping up with the positive change. The following provides an overview of CVG airline activity as of February 2018. Air Canada continues to provide nonstop service to Toronto three times daily. Allegiant will serve 21 destinations from CVG with more than 80 weekly flights on a seasonal and/or year-round basis. New service to Charleston, South Carolina begins April 5 and new service to Sarasota, Florida begins April 13. American Airlines serves eight destinations from CVG with more than 200 weekly flights. Last year, American started operating larger mainline aircraft serving Dallas/Fort Worth. Delta will serve 36 destinations from CVG with more than 500 weekly flights. New nonstop service to Austin, Texas begins May 1, and new nonstop service to Phoenix, Arizona begins Nov. 4. Delta is also adding year-round service to Seattle, and increasing capacity in 15 other markets. Delta provides the only direct flight to Europe in Ohio and Kentucky. Frontier will serve 20 destinations from CVG with 88 weekly flights. New nonstop service to Austin, Texas; San Jose, California; and Jacksonville, Florida begins April 8. New nonstop service to San Antonio, Texas and Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina begins April 9. Southwest will serve CVG with more than 53 weekly flights and three destinations, one being seasonal service to Phoenix that operates March 8 – April 7, 2018. United serves six destinations from CVG with more than 160 weekly fights. United has increased daily flights to Washington-Dulles from three to four, and also added nonstop service to San Francisco in 2017. Vacation Express will serve five destinations from CVG after it adds new service to Cozumel, Mexico and returning service to Grand Bahama Island this spring. Other destinations include Cancun, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Montego Bay, Jamaica. WOW Air will provide low-cost international service beginning May 9, 2018. WOW will offer nonstop flights to Reykjavik, Iceland and one-stop flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, London and Berlin.Overall, CVG serves 61 destinations on a nonstop, year-round or seasonal basis, including 179 peak-day departures and the only nonstop flight to Europe in Ohio and Kentucky with service to Paris Charles de Gaulle.Read more - Jan 17, 2018
CVG Experiences Record-Breaking Growth
Best December in CVG’s HistoryJan. 17, 2018 — CVG served 7.8 million passengers in 2017, its largest volume since 2010. This represents a 16 percent year-over-year increase (compared to North American average of 3 percent) and approximately 1.1 million new passengers compared to 2016. For the second consecutive year, every airline partner experienced passenger growth, and carriers added 11 new flight options.CVG grew local passenger volume by more than 21 percent, and in December set a new record in its 70-year history. This is the fifth consecutive year CVG has achieved year-over-year local passenger growth.CVG also set a new record for cargo traffic in December. A total of 109,380 tons was handled, representing a 34 percent increase over December 2016. For the first time in its history, CVG experienced annual cargo tonnage of more than 1 million tons (2 billion pounds) a 27 percent year-over-year increase; nearly four times the North American average of 7 percent.CVG achieved its best ranking in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) airfare report in 2017 making it the lowest fare airport in the region. Airfares at CVG declined for the fourth consecutive year, and passengers are paying on average $250 less per ticket.“The growth we’re experiencing at CVG is because the community continues to embrace additional air-service options and lower fares,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “We’ve been successful in adding new air carriers and destinations for increased competition, as well as working with air cargo partners to establish and grow their operations, all of which grow the airport community and positively impact the local economy.”“We’re in year two of our 5-year strategic plan, and already seeing record-breaking results,” said J. Michael Schlotman, CVG Board Chairman. “I congratulate the entire CVG team on the tremendous successes in 2017. Our mission statement says, ‘we want CVG to be the airport of choice to work for, fly from, and to do business with,’ and these results clearly indicate we are making great strides.”Passenger & Cargo Metrics Served 7.8 million passengers in 2017 Total enplanements increased 16%, more than five times the North American average Cargo grew 27% to a record 2 billion pounds Eighth largest cargo airport in North America and 34th in the worldAir Service Development Amazon announces the development of its global air cargo hub at CVG. American Airlines started operating mainline aircraft serving Dallas/Fort Worth. Allegiant launched new service to Providence/Boston, Raleigh/Durham, Los Angeles, New York City and Denver. Allegiant recently announced new service to Charleston and Sarasota, increasing their total destinations to 21. Delta expanded service to its most popular destinations from CVG. Celebrated 20th anniversary of direct service to Paris. Frontier launched new service to San Diego, New York City, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and will begin service to San Jose, Austin, San Antonio, Jacksonville and Raleigh/Durham this spring. Frontier now serves 20 markets from CVG. Southwest Airlines began serving CVG to Chicago and Baltimore/Washington. Southwest announced seasonal service to Phoenix to align with Cincinnati Reds spring training. United Airlines launched new daily nonstop service to San Francisco. WOW Air announced it will begin service to Iceland and Europe beginning May 2018. Largest origin airport on the Vacation Express network with five destinations.Read more - Jan 16, 2018
CVG Has Lowest Fares in Region
Passengers Paying $250 Less Per Ticket than Four Years AgoJan. 16, 2018 — CVG is again the lowest-fare airport in the region, after the U.S. Dept. of Transportation released its average airfare ranking for third quarter 2017.CVG ranked #83 among the top 100 domestic airports, the best ranking achieved since the report was first published in 1995.Overall, airfares at CVG have dropped 46 percent in the last five years.“CVG has the lowest fares in the Tri-State because of the incredible positive response from the community,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “As our passenger traffic increases, and airline competition increases, airfares go down. CVG passengers are paying on average $250 less per ticket than they were four years ago.”Below is a summary of the DOT report as it relates to CVG: CVG average fare ranked #83 compared to #44 in 3Q 2016, an improvement of 39 positions CVG average fare of $301 decreased 19% compared to $371 in 3Q 2016. National average fares decreased only 4%. CVG’s percentage decrease was nearly five times better than the national average.Regional Comparisons CVG ranked #83 – average fare $301 Indianapolis (IND) ranked #61 – average fare $335 Columbus (CMH) ranked #45 – average fare $353 Louisville (SDF) ranked #21 – average fare $395 Dayton (DAY) ranked #20 – average fare $400 Lexington (LEX) ranked #10 – average fare $419In 2017, and so far in 2018, CVG has launched 11 new routes (Providence/Boston, Raleigh/Durham, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York City, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, Chicago, Baltimore/Washington), and announced an additional eight domestic routes (Charleston, Sarasota, Phoenix,, San Jose, Austin, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Raleigh/Durham), and new international service with WOW Air. All ill start in spring 2018.Read more