One of the first things new airport CEO John Clark said he wanted to do was to squeeze more use—and revenue—out
of the new airport terminal’s Civic Plaza space.
Entertainment planned for December could put airport visitors in a spending mood. Retail sales at the terminal have suffered
this year due in part to a 10 percent drop in passenger traffic, prompting the Airport Authority to search
for ways to boost revenue.
Airport concessionaires stung by a 10-percent drop in passenger traffic have asked the Indianapolis Airport Authority to ease
a policy that was implemented more than 10 years ago to keep prices in line with what consumers pay outside
the airport.
The new terminal at Indianapolis International Airport has seen a 10-percent decline in passengers during its first year.
As an all-too-frequent flier, I’ve had a chance to get the full-love experience of the new airport terminal numerous
times in its first year. The summary is that it’s both tolerable, and I have no choice.
Hendricks County’s moves to entice a developer to build a conference hotel in Plainfield could further crimp plans
for
a
hotel attached to the new Indianapolis International Airport terminal.
The cash-strapped Indianapolis Airport Authority suddenly can’t look soon enough at developing some of its vast real
estate holdings, including the city’s former passenger terminal. This month, it plans to conduct final contract
negotiations with a firm that would study reuse of the old terminal, adjacent land and other airport holdings.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority agreed at its monthly meeting this morning to explore turning over management of the airport’s
parking operations to an outside company.
Five executives are among seven employees let go by the Indianapolis Airport Authority as part of its efforts to cut expenses
amid declining airport revenue.
Passengers at Indianapolis International Airport are spending less time on the ground since the opening of the new midfield
terminal.
Local tourism supporters are prominently featuring the Indianapolis International Airport’s makeover in a branding campaign rolled out earlier this month.
The $720 million Lucas Oil Stadium opened in August, just in time for the Indianapolis Colts’ season. Indianapolis International Airport’s $1.1 billion midfield
terminal, meanwhile, took off in November.
Descendants of World War I flying ace Harvey Weir Cook celebrated the Veterans Day dedication of a new passenger terminal
bearing his name, a belated consolation for the removal of his name from Indianapolis International Airport that he helped develop more than 60 years
ago.
The city should organize a public-private partnership to create a multi-modal distribution community at the site of the former
Indianapolis Airport terminal.
The big debt payments on the $1.1 billion midfield terminal at Indianapolis International Airport start coming due in January–just
as a recession hits and the battered airline industry cuts capacity. Despite the likely prospect of fewer passengers than
projected in the next year or two, airport managers say they don’t anticipate problems shouldering the roughly $40 million
a year in debt burden over the next 30 years for the new facility.
Indianapolis International Airport officials hope to double advertising revenue, pushing it past $1 million, when the midfield
terminal opens in November. That income, officials said, is important because it helps ease pressure on cash-strapped
airlines, allowing them to focus on offering more flights. The airport relies on non-airline revenue, such as food sales and
advertising, for about 60 percent of its revenue.
An Indianapolis firm helping oversee construction of the city’s $1.2 billion midfield terminal is facing accusations from
Southwest Airlines that it failed to ensure the quality of a $12.4 million concrete apron at Long Island MacArthur Airport.
Retailers and restaurateurs have flooded Indianapolis International Airport with letters-of-interest for space in the midfield
terminal, which is scheduled to open in late 2008. The demand is “more than five times” the number of concession spaces available,
airport managers say.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority has tapped Mansur Real Estate Services Inc. to develop a $50 million-plus Westin hotel
at the new midfield terminal. But the hotel’s final design may be one submitted by a former competitor, White Lodging Corp.
of South Bend.
