View Full Version : WRWA Update - 3 N/S Cities Cut



venture
07-16-2006, 04:55 PM
We are getting closer to Fall, so here are the changes loaded we can expect to see. Three cities are gone from the OKC route map...Orlando, San Antonio and New Orleans. Use or lose it...and OKC citizens lost it.

American
- Cut one CR7 to DFW. Now 7 M83s and 1 CR7.
- 3 OHare (ORD) flights, 2 CR7s and 1 ERJ
- Just two ERJs to STL

Continental
- Remains at 2 ERJs to Newark
- Remains 9 to IAH, 2 737-500s rest ERJs

Delta
- Atlanta moved around, MD88 now in the morning, with 3 CR7s still - total 4 flights.
- Cincinnati - 3 flights, 1 CR7 midday
- SLC still just 3 CRJs
- Orlando discontinued

Frontier
- Back to 3 CR7s to DEN

Northwest
- DTW is 2 CRJs
- MEM has the 1 DC-9-30 and 2 CRJs (mainline at least)
- MSP is 2 CRJs

United
- Still 5 50-seaters to ORD
- Still 6 to DEN, all 737s but 1 CR7
- LAX still the 1 CR7
- San Antonio and New Orleans discontinued

US Airways
- Still 1 CR9 to Vegas
- Still 2 CR9s to Phoenix

Southwest does their own flipping around so didn't bother looking at them.

Pete
07-17-2006, 09:50 AM
Airport director thinks city coming into its own
7/16/06

By Julie Bisbee
The Oklahoman

Mark Kranenburg's return to Oklahoma City has been sort of a homecoming. After leaving Oklahoma City for a job in southern California, Kranenburg returned to work for a man who offered him his first job in civil aviation.

Kranenburg, director of airports for the city of Oklahoma City, took over Luther Trent's job when Trent retired last year. Since November, Kranenburg has navigated the airport through the last stages of a massive construction project and has begun the process of developing the area surrounding the airport.

While he admits he rarely has time to read anything but e-mails, it hasn't been all work. An avid fisherman, Kranenburg loves to travel. But as the airport keeps him busy, he's likely to be fishing in the creek behind his house in south Oklahoma City.

"I probably need to develop more hobbies," he said jokingly.

His dogs, Abby and Maizie, might not agree. They're getting the rest of his attention.

"I don't have any kids at home. I just have a couple of schnauzer puppies," Kranenburg said. "It's just me and my wife and we kind of dote on them."

Kranenburg recently discussed his career and goals for the airport with The Oklahoman. The following is an edited transcript.

You worked for Oklahoma City before becoming director of airports here last fall. Tell me a little bit about your background.

I've been in aviation all my life. I've been an air traffic controller in the Air Force and an air traffic controller with the FAA. When I got out of the military I elected to use the degree in aviation management and pursue a career in it. I was hired in Oklahoma City in 1993. I was promoted up to general aviation manager, running Wiley Post and Clarence Page airport for seven years. In 2002, I relocated to southern California to be the assistant director for the county of San Bernadino, helping to run the six-county airport system. After two and a half years I applied for a job that opened up at the city of Riverside. Riverside is a corporate reliever airport and I had a chance to run my own shop. When this job came open, I thought it was a good opportunity to come back.

Where were you stationed with the Air Force? What was that like?

I was stationed at Vance Air Force Base doing air traffic control. I was also at Dover Air Force Base (in Delaware). I also spent three years at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. I was actually there when we were launching strike packages during the First Gulf War. That was a really interesting time.

You said you were an air traffic controller for the FAA. Did you have to take a pay cut to leave?

I was caught up in the strike in 1981 and was only in for about a year and a half. I just got caught up in that strike and was actually terminated by President Reagan. So I went back into the military as an air traffic controller and completed my degree.

When you came here in November, what were some of the things that seemed more challenging than others?

By 2005, the airport construction was pretty much under control. We only had a few issues that we were working out with the engineer and contractor to try to resolve. We are scheduled to be completed by September of this year. We want to make sure we come in on time.

Next, we want to try to see what we can do to maximize development at the airport, both aviation and non-aviation. We have over 8,000 acres, about 2,000 is vacant. The other thing that we are focusing on would be air service. We're trying to target airlines that we can go visit, and so we can try to show some people that the numbers are there in certain markets. We will still want to try to seek nonstop service to certain cities.

How do you convince airlines in the middle of bankruptcy or battling high fuel prices that its in their best interest to add another route?

They want to be profitable and Oklahoma City is growing. That's one of the things that I saw after being gone. I know it like the back of my hand, and it had changed over night. Now people are even living downtown. Coming from California, I can tell you that traffic is not an issue. You have clean air, you have quality of life issues. The airport is now doing its fair share. The synergy is just great. It's often the first thing people see when they come into the city. We are really a city that's coming into our own. It's quite a renaissance, and I think the 'Okie' is finally getting taken out of the Oklahoma City.

Easy180
07-17-2006, 10:59 AM
bad timing on adding New Orleans...figured that wouldn't last when I saw the announcement...shame though I would have like to see it last (not to say I did anything to help it)

OUman
07-17-2006, 03:54 PM
Losing SAT isn't a suprise w/ the loads that it was getting. MCO isn't either, for some reason or the other, MCO's just not getting the passengers. MSY is a bit of a surprise, but then again, that was most likely not going to last long anyway realistically speaking.

OUman

venture
07-17-2006, 05:01 PM
SAT - was doing poorly load wise like OUman said, so no shock.

MSY - they were doing very good loads, but the plane routed back to SAT.

MCO - Florida from Oklahoma is just not a big market for non-stop service.

writerranger
07-17-2006, 06:24 PM
I hate to say it, but I see more cuts in the future. OKC is simply not the metropolis many here want to make us. We are a small city, barely on the radar, and that's okay! We are Oklahoma City - we don't have to be LA Light. Oklahoma City's Median Family Income will keep many an airline away from our fair city. I know a lot of people in this thread hate that - but it's the truth.

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Patrick
07-17-2006, 06:58 PM
I thought I heard somewhere that these routes we're losing would just be on a seasonal basis. Maybe I'm wrong.

venture
07-17-2006, 08:46 PM
Seasonal would make sense for Orlando, but not the others. However, these routes were cut from more than just OKC...but not all the way around.

Of course I always wondered how well high cost RJs would do on these routes. OKC-MCO (orlando) would do just fine on a larger plane that can spread the costs out = lower fares. SAT and MSY...are ideal cities for a regional operator with the Dash 8 Q300/400.

venture
08-06-2006, 11:21 AM
Another update as I'm going through the Fall schedules.

Delta will add another CRJ-700 to the Atlanta run, making 4 CR7s (up from 3) and 1 MD88 daily.

OUman
08-07-2006, 10:25 AM
I wouldn't be surprised to see service between OKC and ATL go to all RJ's sometime in the near future. With the mainliners being put on only the highest density routes (domestic and international), DL Connection's taking over as far as connecting pretty much all small and mid-size cities to ATL. Then again, we're lucky to have all the mainliner service we have right now, especially to DEN, DFW and IAH. and WN of course.

On the other hand, I'm thinking FL might start service between OKC and ATL sometime in the next few years, but that's just my thinking.

OUman