August 19, 2013 — Seventy-one Tristate veterans and their guardians will take an Honor Flight from CVG tomorrow, destined for Washington D.C. to view memorials and participate in ceremonies that honor their service to their country.Honor Flight Tri-State is a non-profit organization with a mission is to fly World War II and Korean War veterans to their memorials in Washington, D.C. at no cost. All veterans traveling on this flight are from the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana area.The Aug. 20 flight departs at 8 a.m. and is the third from CVG this year. It will include a full day of activities, with visits to the World War II memorial, Korean War memorial, Vietnam War memorial, Iwo Jima, and the US Air Force memorial, as well as other Washington D.C. sights.“Our goal is to honor as many veterans as we can before it is too late,” said Cheryl Popp, director of Honor Flight Tri-State. "If you’d like to help send off the veterans, please come to the airport at 6 a.m. or be among the many locals welcoming them home at 10:15 p.m. later that day. Let’s make sure they know how much they are appreciated."Beginning at 6 a.m., the flight’s departure will be preceded by bag pipes from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, an Honor Guard ceremony and other special remarks near the security checkpoint.“This is the third of five honor flights this year and we are very fortunate to have a role in showing our nation’s true heroes how much their community appreciates their service to our country,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer at CVG. “We want to do everything we can on our end to make sure this is a day these brave men and women never forget.”The next two Honor Flights are Sept 17 and Oct. 22. To contribute or volunteer for Honor Flight Tri-State, please visit HonorFlightTristate.org.

August 15, 2013 — Renowned street artists The London Police will spend the next two days creating a classic work of art to be admired by passengers at CVG.The artistic duo, known for their LADs characters (black-and-white smiley-faced characters with over-sized features) will paint live in the CVG ticketing area Thursday afternoon and Friday. Their performance is open to the public. Their creations will later adorn the walls of the airport’s fast-pass hallway, which is an underground connection between the terminal and parking garage.“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase true performance artists and their pop art to our guests, both present and future,” said Candace McGraw, CVG’s chief executive officer. “We are extremely excited for this joint venture and to begin incorporating talented artists, both local and world-renowned, at our award-winning airport.“We want CVG to be a place of interest for our passengers, not just a building to walk through. We’ve spent the past few years creating a unique experience at CVG, from offering state-of-the-art amenities and unique concessions to featuring local and internationally known photographs, music and art. Our efforts have yielded many positive comments from our passengers, and we expect The London Police to add to that buzz.”The London Police were created in 1998 with the goal of both traveling and creating black-and-white public street art. While different “policemen” have come and gone, the concept remains and works of art by The London Police now grace the streets and galleries of 35 different countries.The performance artists are in the region as guests of BLDG, a creative firm based in Covington. They’ve spent the week painting their iconic art throughout the region. They’ve billed it as “The Second Coming,” as they last painted their way through town in 2010.

Aug. 13, 2013 – Delta Air Lines is launching a direct flight from CVG to the popular and warm Punta Cana, Dominican Republic just in time to catch area travelers searching for a sunny destination over the Christmas holiday.The inaugural flight takes off Dec. 21. Tickets are available now on delta.com.Delta will fly from CVG each Saturday, departing at 9:30 a.m. and arriving in Punta Cana at 2:50 p.m. Flights will return from Punta Cana each Saturday at 3:50 p.m. and arrive at CVG at 7:20 p.m.“Punta Cana is one of our most popular vacation destinations no matter what the season, but I’m certain this new service will be particularly welcomed as winter arrives,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer at CVG. “Passengers should start booking now to ensure they can soak up a little sun when the gray days of winter arrive.”Punta Cana is in the eastern-most province of the Dominican Republic and is known for its beaches and seaside resorts. The name Punta Cana refers to the cane palms in the region, and literally means "Point of the White Cane Palms.”Punta Cana’s average year-round temperature is 86 degrees and its beaches, golf courses and more than 28,000 hotel rooms make it popular with tourists.“Delta is working to become the best U.S. airline in Latin America and the Caribbean and this is another great city pairing for our customers,” said Maria Fernanda Price, Delta’s regional manager for the Caribbean. “We feel confident the Cincinnati market will support this new route.”

Aug. 7, 2013 — Ultimate Air Shuttle will bring its rapidly growing public charter service to CVG on Sept. 9, offering round-trip flights to and from New York City via Morristown Airport, NJ.Ultimate Air will launch four-day-a-week service from CVG. Ultimate Air’s 30-seat Dornier 328 Jet will fly Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from the CVG Administration Building, located west of the main terminal.The price for a round-trip ticket is $695 and a one way ticket is $395. These ticket prices include all applicable taxes and fees. Round-trip tickets can be purchased at www.ultimateairshuttle.com, or by calling 800-437-3931, with 24-hour phone support.The CVG location for Ultimate Air Shuttle will include complimentary covered parking adjacent to the CVG Administration Building and quick boarding without filing through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. The Ultimate Air Shuttle Facility will include comfortable leather furniture, free Wi-Fi, cable television and free refreshments.Public charters have fewer restrictions than commercial flights and come with VIP-level service. For example, Ultimate Air Shuttle provides a level of service that exceeds minimum Department of Transportation requirements, including late check in up to 15 minutes before departure, no cancellation penalty for changes made up to 24 hours in advance, concierge service for taxis and rental cars and no fees for parking, baggage and in-flight refreshments.“Many of our customers have requested service from CVG,” said Rick Pawlak, managing director of Ultimate Air Shuttle. “The airport is cost-effective, easy to deal with and has a tremendous record when it comes to customer service and safety. We are committed to this community and CVG gives us a perfect opportunity to not only grow our business right here, right now, but also the possibility of adding flights in the future.”James Huff, chairman of the Kenton County Airport Board, said “Ultimate Air gives CVG’s travelers an option they don’t currently have; that’s been our focus when it comes to recruiting new airlines – offering passengers more choices when it comes to price, destinations and experiences.”Ultimate Air Shuttle will offer the following schedule from CVG: flights depart CVG on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday at 10:45 a.m. and land at the Morristown, New Jersey Airport at 12:15 p.m. Ultimate Air Shuttle will leave Morristown at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, landing at CVG at 10 a.m.On Wednesdays, the flights will depart CVG at 6:30 a.m. and land in Morristown at 8:05 a.m. The return flight leaves Morristown at 5:15 p.m. and lands at CVG at 7 p.m.Once in Morristown, travelers have the option of buying a round-trip shuttle to New York City’s Penn Station for $69.99.For customers who need to do a day trip on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Ultimate Air Shuttle also departs Lunken Airport at 6:30 a.m. to Morristown, landing at 8 a.m. and returns from Morristown at 5:15 p.m., landing at Lunken Airport at 7 p.m.Pawlak said all corporate discounts, travel promotions and credits available to those who fly Ultimate out of Lunken will apply at CVG.Ultimate Air will offer ground transportation between CVG, Fountain Square and Lunken Airport for those passengers who use both airports or want a downtown drop-off at no cost. The Mercedes Sprinter that will be used for this service is provided by Mercedes-Benz of Ft. Mitchell.“It is great to have Ultimate Air in the CVG family,” said Larry Savage, chairman of the Kenton County Airport Board’s Air Service Committee. “This is the only public charter of this size and scope in the country. We’re delighted to bring a premium charter service to our airport. We expect great response from our passengers.”The announcement of Ultimate Air service from CVG comes less than three months since low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines launched an introductory flight from CVG.“As the region’s premier commercial airport, CVG is uniquely positioned to provide everything an airline needs to successfully serve Greater Cincinnati,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer of the airport.About CVG---------Airline partners at CVG offer passengers more non-stop flights than any other airport in the region, including direct international service to Paris, Toronto and Cancun. Book your next flight now at www.cvgairport.com, where low fares are updated daily. Follow CVG on Facebook (flyCVG) and Twitter @cvgairport.CVG is home to DHL’s North America hub. CVG has been rated the Best Regional Airport in North America three straight years by SkyTrax, an independent, London-based air transport research organization. In 2011, CVG became the first airport in the country to receive both Designation and Certification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act, giving the airport the highest level of protection under the Act.About Ultimate Air Shuttle--------------------------Ultimate Air Shuttle Flights are public charters sold and operated by Ultimate JetCharters, LLC as direct air carrier. These charter flights are subject to Department of Transportation Public Charter Regulations.Ultimate JetCharters, the parent company of Ultimate Air Shuttle, in business since 1984, provides corporate shuttle services to Fortune 500 companies, Sports Teams, Group Travel, and Casino trips throughout the United States. Ultimate JetCharters is an Ohio based company headquartered at the Akron-Canton Airport.Ultimate Air Shuttle provides service from Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport to New York/Northern New Jersey (via Morristown, NJ), Chicago (via Midway Airport) and Charlotte, NC (via Charlotte Douglas Airport). Service in Cincinnati started in July 2009 with flights to NYC. After 14 months, Ultimate expanded to Chicago in September 2010. Charlotte service started in June, 2012. September 2013, Ultimate Air Shuttle began service from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to New York/Northern New Jersey (via Morristown, NJ)

July 19, 2013 — Local residents waiting to pick up returning passengers at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport now have an option should they get hungry while idling in the airport’s Cell Phone Lot.Harley Dogs begins operation at 11 a.m. today, offering a selection of hot dogs, bratwurst, and metts, along with nachos, chips and soda.The Cell Phone Lot is a location set aside so those picking up returning passengers can wait for a pickup call. This allows them to avoid circling or paying parking fees. The lot is located on the right-hand side of Terminal Drive before arriving at the main terminal.Harley Dogs will begin each day at 11 a.m. The food carts full menu includes Glier's Oktoberfest brand bratwurst, Queen City hot and mild metts and Gordon's all-beef hot dogs; nachos and cheese, Husman's® plain or barbecue chips; Coca-Cola products and bottled water. Toppings include relish, onion, banana peppers, jalapenos peppers, yellow mustard, ketchup and spicy brown mustard.Hot dogs will sell for $2, while brats and metts will cost $3. Soft drinks and chips will be $1 each.

July 8, 2013 — CVG will be the site of a “plane pull” for Special Olympics Kentucky this fall, with local teams proving their strength by pulling a DHL cargo plane.Teams are already forming for the Oct. 19 event and an informational meeting is planned July 10 for team captains who want to learn more. The Captain’s Kickoff will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chuy’s in Florence. This is the chance to ask questions and get an informational packet.Anyone can form a team of 20 and take their chance at becoming the fastest team to pull the 140,000-pound plane. The Plane Pull is a perfect team-building experience for any company or organization, but teams can also be made up of family, friends, neighbors or organization members -- anybody who wants to have a great time while supporting Special Olympics Kentucky athletes.A men’s team, women’s team and co-ed team will be crowned champions for being the fastest to pull the mammoth plane 12 feet. Prizes will also be awarded to the top individual fundraiser and top fundraising team, as well as the team that has the best team spirit (usually in the form of a team cheer) and the team with the best team t-shirt.The plane pull will take place on the ramp of the DHL Express Hub. CVG is one of DHL’s three global super hubs, connecting more than 100 service centers and international gateways. More than 90 percent of all packaged shipped with DHL in the United States come through the company’s CVG hub.Teams raise at least $1,000 (or $50 per team member). The money supports Special Olympics, which is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals eight years of age or older. Training and competition in local, area, state, and national programs is offered year-round in Kentucky in 15 sports.In addition to its traditional sports competitions, Special Olympics also offers early childhood programming through the Young Athletes Program and medical screenings though the Healthy Athletes Initiative. Special Olympics Kentucky has been changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Kentucky for 43 years. Find them on Facebook at facebok.com/sokentucky or follow them on Twitter: @sokentucky.For more information about how to sign up for the 2013 Plane Pull — or for sponsorship information — visit www.soky.org or contact Julie Goodpaster at 502-695-8222 or jgoodpaster@soky.org.

Outlook Remains Stable----------------------July 2, 2013 — Fitch Ratings today upgraded CVG’s rating on outstanding revenue bonds to A- and said its outlook for the airport remains stable.In raising the airport’s rating from BBB+, Fitch cited CVG’s “solid financial metrics.” Among these metrics, Fitch included lower fixed costs going forward, with a 75 percent reduction in annual debt service requirements beginning in 2014; management of the Capital Improvement Plan with no need for new borrowings in the foreseeable future; the ability to maintain competitive cost-per-enplanement levels and “robust fund balances available on the balance sheet.”Fitch also pointed out as positives CVG’s steady origin and destination traffic base of more than 2.1 million passengers, CVG’s updated and modern infrastructure with “ample capacity for expansion,” the arrival of low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines and the continuing expansion of DHL’s cargo hub.Candace McGraw, CVG’s chief executive officer, said rapidly increasing cargo traffic — CVG is among the fastest growing cargo airports in the nation — improving concession, parking and car rental revenue and the addition of Frontier Airlines all helped improve the financial profile of CVG.“The airport has a solid track record of financial responsibility, a low, flexible debt structure and an aggressive strategy for income diversification,” McGraw said. “We’re extremely glad others have taken notice of our success and we want to keep the good news coming in the form of future growth.”

June 24, 2013 — CVG is featuring the music of the Bunbury Music Festival over the next few weeks to greet the thousands of music fans who will soon arrive for the July 12-14 festivities.Bunbury, in its second year, is expected to attract tens of thousands of music fans to Sawyer Point Park to see nearly 80 bands, including headliners Fun, MGMT and The National.Promoting the music at CVG is another example of the airport helping to promote the region’s signature events, such as Red’s Opening Day, the Flying Pig Marathon and the Quaker State 400 at the Ky. Speedway, said James Huff, chairman of the Kenton County airport board.“Big events like these generate significant tourism and we want to make sure the first experience and last experience those visitors have in our area is positive,” Huff said. “Promoting our region’s biggest and best events not only welcomes them and sends them off with a little taste of the region, but it generates home-town pride for all of our local passengers.”Candace McGraw, CVG’s chief executive officer, said the airport takes its promotional efforts beyond the big events, featuring year-round local art and music, redesigning Concourse A with photographs from the archives of The Cincinnati Enquirer and local photographers, designing passenger loading bridges with depictions of local landmarks and embedding carpet with a rolling wave to represent the meandering Ohio River.“Making our passengers feel welcome is a year-round effort for us, but certainly the region’s signature events provide us the opportunity to enhance that feeling,” she said. “We’re delighted to partner with Bunbury, which was recently named in a Yahoo Music blog as one of the summer’s top 10 essential music festivals. It is going to bring many to our region whose first impression will be their favorite music playing in the airport.”McGraw added that the airport is open to featuring other local musicians and artists.

June 19, 2013 — The chair and vice chair of the Kenton County Airport Board were elected tonight to serve a second term.James Huff, of Huff Realty, will continue as board chair. He has served on the board since 2006 and was first appointed chair one year ago.Larry Savage, Regional Chief Executive Officer of Humana, Inc., will continue as vice chair. Savage has served on the board since 2010 and also was appointed to his position one year ago.Prior to the election of the chair and vice chair, Savage and Paul McElhinney were re-appointed to the board by Kenton County Judge Executive Steve Arlinghaus. They will serve four-year terms. McElhinney, president and CEO of GE Aviation Services, joined the board January 2013.Arlinghaus also appointed John Mocker to finish out the term of Savage, who had been the board’s Boone County representative. Mocker, a Boone County resident, replaces him in that capacity.Mocker is vice president and partner of LB Industries of Covington, a major processor and distributor of steel pipe and plate products. Mr. Mocker previously served as a Kenton County Airport Board Advisory Committee member from 2004 to 2010.The 18-member Kenton County Airport Board is the governing body of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The board establishes the mission and goals of the airport, sets policies and oversees airport growth and development.“We have tremendous momentum at CVG with the launch of Frontier Airlines and a study that details the $3.6 billion annual economic impact we have on this region,” Huff said. “We have the right people in the right places to ensure good things continue to happen at CVG.”Huff founded Huff Realty in 1975 and has been a leader in the real estate industry for decades. An active business and civic proponent, he has served on numerous boards, including as director of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO). He is a past member of board of the Tri-County Economic Development Corp. (Tri-ED) and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Northern Kentucky University Foundation, Saint Elizabeth Medical Foundation, Kids Helping Kids, Kentucky National Bank and Thomas More College, among others. He resides with his wife, Bert, in Fort Mitchell, Ky.In his role as Regional CEO of Humana, Savage oversees all commercial operations for Humana Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. He is a leader in transforming the health care system to improve its efficiency and service to individual consumers. In addition, he has extensive experience in business, community and philanthropic service. His involvement includes serving on the boards of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., NuWay Foundation, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and the Family Nurturing Center. He and his wife Lisa reside in Alexandria, Ky.