To Residents of the Greater Paducah Four-State Region:
First, thank you for taking the time to complete the Barkley Regional Airport Authority’s survey and, if applicable, our previous survey. We sincerely appreciate your feedback and the insights you have shared. Your input helps us better understand the travel needs and preferences of our region as we evaluate potential new destinations and opportunities to enhance air service.
Air service development is an extremely complex process, and community input plays an important role in guiding those efforts. The Authority values the perspectives gathered through this survey and is committed to identifying new routes that best serve the needs of our four-state region.
Part of this process includes developing an understanding of commercial air travel habits and needs of the 892,817 residents living in Paducah and surrounding 36 counties within the four-state area traveling for leisure (vacation) purposes.
Existing commercial passenger air service at Barkley Regional Airport (PAH) is provided by SkyWest Airlines dba United Express, which provides daily nonstop service to United Airlines’ major connecting hubs at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH). This relatively new air service provides area residents with unprecedented one-stop connectivity to over 150 cities around the world.
The Authority reminds all air travelers how important it is to use the existing United service in order to preserve it and develop new routes for the future. Area residents are encouraged to show their support for the existing United service to Chicago and Houston by signing the non- binding Fly Barkley Pledge (linked at the conclusion of this survey) and join your neighbors in signing the Pledge.
In order to complement the United Express service, the Authority is exploring opportunities – based on market demand – to expand the existing service with a new low-cost nonstop flight to Florida, to be operated by airlines such as Allegiant Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, Frontier Airlines, and SkyWest Airlines. The following short survey seeks to confirm traveler interest in developing such a flight, which in the end would reduce the need to drive to Nashville or another airport to catch a low-cost flight to Florida.
The Authority is working with the Paducah Air Service Development Committee and Louisville-based L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC to facilitate new low-cost flights. Part of this process includes developing an understanding of commercial air travel habits and needs of residents living in Paducah and surrounding communities traveling for leisure (vacation) purposes. Please take a few minutes to provide your thoughts on this by completing the following short survey. All responses will be kept CONFIDENTIAL and will be seen only by the project’s consultant.
