| | | | | operate one of the youngest fleets of over 500 |
| When Southwest Airlines announced on May 11th | | | | larger but thinner planes, which allows for less gas |
| 2010 of their intent to start service at the Greenville | | | | consumption but carry as consistent load as other |
| Spartanburg International Airport, the news excited a | | | | larger carriers. Unlike other airlines that operate on a |
| lot of people in the Upstate | | | | hub system, Southwest operates on a city-to-city |
| South Carolina, including me. I did not really think | | | | system, which streamlines their service and cost. |
| much about how this move will affect Greenville's | | | | With each new airport that Southwest has moved |
| economy until I read "Wooing The Giant", an article | | | | into in the past, they also brought lower air fares to |
| written by Jordana Megonigal in the third quarter | | | | that city. These lower fares also spread to other |
| 2010 issue of Business Black Box magazine. | | | | airlines as they fought be more competitive. |
| My client Lisa Worsham with Showcase Marketing | | | | Sam Konduros of AK Strategies and Chairman of |
| called me a couple of months ago and asked if I | | | | Upstate SC Air Service Partnership Committee said in |
| could help Inside Black Box with their next issue by | | | | the article that "This area is on the cusp of attracting |
| taking some pictures for their cover story. I was | | | | more and more sophisticated companies and |
| willing to do it. After all Lisa & her husband Jeff | | | | investments, but our air service has been a real |
| are one of my favorite clients, but I became really | | | | impediment. It's just something we've had to work |
| excited about the request when I learned that the | | | | around". He continued to say that "We have been |
| cover story was about Southwest Airlines coming to | | | | told too many times that we have fallen off many |
| Greenville. | | | | corporate radar screens because of our expensive |
| As I read this well researched and well written article, | | | | and limited air service". After reading that, it is no |
| I started realizing what this move can mean to | | | | surprise why Upstate leaders in the public and private |
| Greenville's economy and the real estate market | | | | sectors persevered through all obstacles and worked |
| here. | | | | on trying to bring Southwest to Greenville for almost |
| As Jordana wrote, Southwest is currently the largest | | | | a decade. |
| domestic passenger carrier airline in the US. They | | | | |