What's wrong at the Airport Authority?

[HKG_Flyer1]

I was surprised recently to hear from someone at United that they are planning to begin non-stops from OKC to both San Antonio and New Orleans.

Searching here, I can find that other OKC Talk members have found out about this, somehow.

My question: why does the Will Rogers World Airport website contain absolutely no mention of this news?

Although the new airport buildings are looking great, sometimes I feel if there is no one in charge out there that has a clue.

Issuing press releases when carriers introduce new service is just common sense (and done by nearly all other airports). Moreover, it would only take a few minutes of time (just copy and paste from United's own press release, add in a couple of quotes from local figures, and send it out).

[BG918]

It seems strange to me that OKC has a nonstop to New Orleans. How many people around OKC are going to New Orleans except to help with the cleanup? How many businesses are even operating at full capacity down there? The San Antonio flight makes perfect sense though, I am surprised it is just now starting.

[mranderson]

Why does a non stop from Oklahoma City to San Antonio make sense? There is nothing there to attract a great number of people.

[jbrown84]

I heard about this 6 weeks ago or so. I'm pretty sure it was mentioned on the board here, although it may not have had its own topic.

[HKG_Flyer1]

I heard about this 6 weeks ago or so. I'm pretty sure it was mentioned on the board here, although it may not have had its own topic.

I saw it mentioned here, as well. My concern is that the Airport Authority doesn't appear to be performing basic, routine activities such as updating its website, issuing press releases relating to new service, etc.

[Pete]

This topic is huge pet peave of mine...


About a year ago, I got tired of waiting for the airport website to be updated and wrote Karen Carney (full-time marketing director for WRWA) an email. She stated she had been "out of pocket" and would be updating the site soon. After more months passed, I posted this info. here and several others sent her messages.

Finally, the site was updated and reformated and Karen claimed the new format would now make it easier for her to post more current information.

Many here thought the design was a good step forward but I think it's terrible. You'd never know the airport was in the middle of huge $100+ million expansion and improvement program, apart from a bunch of tiny little pictures and none that show the new facade, garden (apart from one statue), tunnel, approach drives, etc.

The "airport guide" is really only a terminal guide... There is nothing that shows the parking lots, drives, transportation plaza, tunnel, etc. Almost all the pictures are close ups of the gate numbers! And why are they all so bloody small??

Worse yet, now the site hasn't been updated for over 3 months!!! This is at least the third time in the last year the site has not been updated for months at a time, despite assurances and supposedly fixed problems.

This, in the middle of a huge expansion... Talk about not taking advantage of a massive investment.


I sent Karen another email about a month ago with no response.


That a full-time public employee could be so irresponsible in a high-profile job is completely unacceptable.


Honestly, what could this person be doing all day long?


It makes me furious, not only as someone that is very interested in seeing pictures and receiving updates on the construction and airport news, but as a concerned civic booster that knows we are doing a terrible job of marketing this asset and in fact are embarrassing the entire city by having a lame and out of date website.


If Karen Carney and the airport trust can't get something so simple right, what does that tell you about the overall operation???



Has the new aiport director started his job? I assume so as he was appointed a while ago... Anybody know how to get in touch with him?

[Pete]

BTW, the new Airport Director is Mark Kraneburg and he was scheduled to begin in mid-November.



And regarding the Aiport Guide, looks like they are trying to add parking information but now the terminal map isn't working.

[HKG_Flyer1]

I'm glad my complaint is finally getting some traction here.

I have a long memory, and remember how terribly the airport was run in decades past:
- one of the last airports in the country to get baggage belts (remember when they just used to open those sliding doors and just shove the bags onto a rack);
- one of the last airports in the country to get video flight information screens;
- the filthy restaurant featuring terrible, over-priced food and trays stacked with trash the entire day.

I was never able to determine precisely why Will Rogers was run in such an incompetent manner, but it appears that things are changing for the better.

However, I continue to harbor deep suspicions that the "culture of incompetence" which used to permeate WRWA still has some lingering impacts.

I wonder if calling the Chamber of Commerce or some other party might help us to keep the pressure up at Will Rogers to run a professional operation?

We now have a terrific transportation asset on which we've spent millions of dollars, it's a shame to not see it marketed properly.

[Pete]

I continue to harbor deep suspicions that the "culture of incompetence" which used to permeate WRWA still has some lingering impacts.

Especially since the new airport director is someone that had worked in the organization for nine years previously and was most recently managing an airport with no commerical flights, less than 10 employees and a total budget of $1 million.

One of the main reasons given for his selection was his "familiarity with our system", as if it's so complex and unique that someone with real experience from elsewhere couldn't possibly hope to figure it out.


I had grave concerns when they announced his hiring and he's been on the job for two months and the website hasn't been updated once.



And yes, I'm old enough to remember the horrific "shove it out and scramble" baggage claim system.

[HKG_Flyer1]

Especially since the new airport director is someone that had worked in the organization for nine years previously and was most recently managing an airport with no commerical flights, less than 10 employees and a total budget of $1 million.

One of the main reasons given for his selection was his "familiarity with our system", as if it's so complex and unique that someone with real experience from elsewhere couldn't possibly hope to figure it out.

Geez... that doesn't sound good. Why in the heck did he get the job?

[Pete]

There was a whole thread about that hiring a few months ago:

http://www.okctalk.com/t4295-new-airport-director.html

[HKG_Flyer1]

There was a whole thread about that hiring a few months ago:

http://www.okctalk.com/t4295-new-airport-director.html

Just read through the entire thread and pulled up info on the City of Riverside's airport.

Yikes, this is kind of scary.... best I can tell, the airport is now being led by a guy with apparently zero experience managing a facility with scheduled commercial air service. Nor does he appear to have any experience with facilities of this size (excluding his first position with Will Rogers 12 years ago).

Hard to believe that he was the best qualified of the 60+ applicants who applied.

Most days (recently), I'm pretty encouraged by the positive changes in City government. However, when I see things like this, I shake my head in bewilderment.

WRWA serves as the City's front door for prospective residents, employers, etc. ... I sure hope (for everyone's sake) this guy is a quick learner.

[jbrown84]

I have some airport pictures I took about a week ago. I will try to post them.

[Pete]

Please do... Thanks!

[venture]

Ooops...I missed this thread, my bad.

About the United service. This is actually being flown by Trans States Airlines as "At-Risk" flying. Meaning...TSA is funding the entire thing, UA just happens to be code-sharing the routes and selling them as United Express. TSA is trying a new focus city operation out of San Antonio (SAT) and doing some more point-to-point out of New Orleans (MSY). Will this work? I think it will get a decent amount of local traffic.

The MSY market is still soft. Southwest has halted a lot of service there and JetBlue haulted a pre-Katrina expansion. This could just be a move to prevent these guys from getting in there. SAT will steal passengers that normally use AA or Southwest on the runs. Should do decent on the routes...but we'll see.

This is the type of flying to expect over the next several years. Airlines have a glut of high cost RJs with no where to put them, so they are going to try point-to-point routes.

We'll see how things progress. Definitely a lot of potential still available for RJs out of OKC. This will be a fast changing year in aviation with Northwest and Delta continuing down the Chapter 11 road, with labor relations getting really ugly at Northwest. Southwest will start having costs increase, and US Airways will continue to integrate the operations of America West. The America West livery will be completely gone by the end of 2006, with the repainting of the old US Airways fleet to be done next year.

Fun times ahead.

As far as the local WRWA website. Does it shock anyone?

Also the new airport director...don't worry too much. I've seen people come from running non-commercial airports into airports in the ranking of small hub or medium hub (OKC)...and be very successful. Patience.

[HKG_Flyer1]

Ooops...I missed this thread, my bad.

About the United service. This is actually being flown by Trans States Airlines as "At-Risk" flying. Meaning...TSA is funding the entire thing, UA just happens to be code-sharing the routes and selling them as United Express. TSA is trying a new focus city operation out of San Antonio (SAT) and doing some more point-to-point out of New Orleans (MSY). Will this work? I think it will get a decent amount of local traffic.

The MSY market is still soft. Southwest has halted a lot of service there and JetBlue haulted a pre-Katrina expansion. This could just be a move to prevent these guys from getting in there. SAT will steal passengers that normally use AA or Southwest on the runs. Should do decent on the routes...but we'll see.

This is the type of flying to expect over the next several years. Airlines have a glut of high cost RJs with no where to put them, so they are going to try point-to-point routes.

We'll see how things progress. Definitely a lot of potential still available for RJs out of OKC. This will be a fast changing year in aviation with Northwest and Delta continuing down the Chapter 11 road, with labor relations getting really ugly at Northwest. Southwest will start having costs increase, and US Airways will continue to integrate the operations of America West. The America West livery will be completely gone by the end of 2006, with the repainting of the old US Airways fleet to be done next year.

Fun times ahead.

As far as the local WRWA website. Does it shock anyone?

Also the new airport director...don't worry too much. I've seen people come from running non-commercial airports into airports in the ranking of small hub or medium hub (OKC)...and be very successful. Patience.

I was wondering when you would chime in.

Interesting data about the TSA/United Express service... irrespective of its long-term viability, it seems like the airport should be doing more cheerleading. This is an easy way for them to look good. Heck, in Dallas, the announcement that Spirit Airlines was going to add one flight per day to Ft. Lauderdale triggered self-congratulatory P.R. by the DFW Airport Board, followed by stories in both the Dallas Morning News and Star-Telegram.

It would only take 5 minutes to update the website with this info.

Oh, thanks for the words of advice on the new Airport Director. Hopefully, it will all work out for the best.

[metro]

Shouldn't this thread be titled "What's right at the airport Authority?"

[Patrick]

Shouldn't this thread be titled "What's right at the airport Authority?"

That would be a misnomer.

[jbrown84]

Okay. Airport pictures especially for you, Malibu. I took these about a week ago.

[Pete]

Thanks, jbrown!

Those are excellent and provide a much better feeling for the facility than what's on their website.


It's truly sad the posters on this board do a better job of keeping up on this stuff than the paid staff of the airport.

[HKG_Flyer1]

Thanks, jbrown!

Those are excellent and provide a much better feeling for the facility than what's on their website.


It's truly sad the posters on this board do a better job of keeping up on this stuff than the paid staff of the airport.

I second that. I wonder if there's a way that the citizens could mount a hostile takeover of the Airport Trust (or, at the very least, hack into the website and start managing it in a professional manner)?

[John]

Nice pics, thanks!

One question, though. Is the tree in some of those pictures of the Christmas or Holiday variety?

[jbrown84]

Nice pics, thanks!

One question, though. Is the tree in some of those pictures of the Christmas or Holiday variety?

Yes. This was not long after New Years and it had not been taken down, I guess.


Glad you guys like the pics. Some of them are a little blurry. I'm still getting used to my new camera.

[Pete]

I guess it's a good sign that this country's paranoia has subsided to the point where someone can take pictures of an airport and not have a SWAT unleashed on him.


I have to say I really like the design elements of the renovations, especially that they decided to be pretty bold with all the stainless steel, stonework and the like. And bumping up all the ceiling heights and allowing for lots of natural light is a great feature as well.


Thanks again, jb!

[venture]

Great pics...if you'd like, email me and we can get them added over on USAFlying.com to the OKC photo gallery there. http://gallery.usaflying.com:8383/ma...g2_itemId=1485 is the link for those that want it.

One comment though. Be EXTREMELY careful of what you photograph around the security check points. Always try to make sure you cannot see or make out the checkpoint and cannot make out any screening in progress. Otherwise you'll have the TSA all over your rump...and thats not pleasant.