b'64 LAF AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT Chicago fed by LAF and other airports opened in 2022. CestariAn Attractive Arrangementexplains that part of the airlines plan is to scale from its hubsWhat makes LAF an appealing airport for Southern Airways Express? and support air service through Southerns interline partners: American, United, Hawaiian and Alaska. He expects about two- The aviation school is fantastic, says Jacobs. And the thirds of passengers on the 40-minute flight from LAF to ORD toAviation Management trackwhat better education can you get connect to other airports20% to international destinations.than having an airline on campus?Cestari cites quick boarding/deplaning and no rechecking of bagsWe love having access to pilots in Purdues pilot program, as major benefits for such customers.having access to students for internships, as well as hiring One of the Caravans that regularly flies the LAF/ORD route hasfor many airline jobs, he continues. Hopefully, we can add livery created by Purdue graphic designers in the school colors ofmaintenance in the future. black and gold. It would actually be good if used on other routesCestari is also bullish on partnering with the university airport. as its basically a flying billboard for Purdue, says Jacobs. We are really excited about the talent at Purdue and would love Purdue grads to work for us, he says. LAF is unlike a lot of smaller markets. The university generates a lot of inbound and outbound travel. It is a year-round market, a The #1 Sustainability Event in Aviation bi-directional market, and a very large market. There is already a lot of travel happening. We just need to redirect it. The research occurring at Purdue is yet 17 THANNUAL another plus. We look to technology and AIRPORTS GOING GREENPurdues work on turbine engine fuels and much more, says Jacobs, noting that such NOVEMBER 13-15, 2024 CHICAGO collaboration could have big potential for the airline, airport and university.Challenges and Victories Because it had been 20 years since LAF had commercial service, Southern needed Join us to discuss the latestto contact travel databases such as SABRE and third-party ticket sellers about adding developments in: the airport back into their systems. Of all the problems one has running an airline, that was Climate Change & Resilience not the biggest, laughs Jacobs.On the plus side, Cestari encountered local cooperation about bringing air service back. Hydrogen We had such good teamwork, he reports. The outpouring of support from the business community was great. The Lafayette Chamber Electric Aircraft of Commerce is very supportive and really got the community involved. The Chamber created events every step of the way to The Future of Flight educate and get the community to embrace this new service. And Much More! When recently flying from ORD to LAF, Cestari overheard a glowing testimonial aaae.org/green from a fellow passenger who had taken the morning flight to Chicago for a 10:00 a.m. meeting and was on the afternoon flight back Register before to West Lafayette. As we flew over I-65, the passenger looked out the window and said, September 27,I would be sitting in that traffic for hours, but to save some green!now, I will be home for dinner. To be sure, competing flight options at ORD and Midway in Chicago will be an ongoing September 2024AirportImprovement.com'