Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

IATA: CVG – ICAO: KCVG – FAA LID: CVG
– WMO: 72421

CVG
CVG
Location of the airport in Northern Kentucky

Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Kenton County Airport Board
Operator Kenton County Airport Board
Serves Cincinnati, Ohio/Covington, Kentucky
Location 2939 Terminal Drive
Hebron, Kentucky
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 896 ft / 273 m
Coordinates 39°02′56″N 084°40′04″W / 39.04889°N 84.66778°W / 39.04889; -84.66778
Website www.cvgairport.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
9/27 12,000 3,658 Asphalt/Concrete
18C/36C 11,000 3,353 Asphalt/Concrete
18L/36R 10,000 3,048 Concrete
18R/36L 8,000 2,438 Concrete
Statistics (2015)
Total passengers 6,316,332
Aircraft operations 133,068
Sources: Airport website[4]
CVG Airfield Layout Diagram (2016 - FAA)

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (IATA: CVG, ICAO: KCVG, FAA LID: CVG) is a public international airport located in Hebron, Kentucky, United States. It serves the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area. The airport's code, CVG, comes from the nearest major city at the time of its opening, Covington, Kentucky.[5] CVG covers an area of 7,000 acres (28.3 km2). CVG is the only airport in Indiana, Kentucky, or Ohio that features nonstop service to Europe. The airport's international destinations include Cancún, Freeport, Montego Bay, Paris, Punta Cana, and Toronto. The airport is the busiest in Kentucky and the second busiest serving an Ohio metropolitan area.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is the second smallest domestic hub for Delta Air Lines and plays host to the headquarters and main maintenance base for Delta Private Jets. The airport is the largest base for Allegiant Air that is not a vacation destination, largest market for Vacation Express, and the 8th largest market for Frontier Airlines. In addition to a rapidly diversifying list of passenger airlines, CVG is the fastest-growing cargo airport in North America. It is one of three global hubs for DHL Aviation and DHL Express, ranking 6th in North America and 34th in the world for total cargo operations. The airport is headquarters and hub for Southern Air, which operates flights around the world for DHL Aviation.[6] The airport offers non-stop passenger service to 55 destinations with 186 average daily departures.[7]

History

President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved preliminary funds for site development of the Greater Cincinnati Airport February 11, 1942. This was part of the United States Army Air Corps program to establish training facilities during World War II. At the time, air traffic in the area centered on Lunken Airport just southeast of central Cincinnati.[8] Lunken opened in 1926 and was located in the Ohio River Valley. Due to its location, the airport frequently experienced fog, and the 1937 flood completely submerged its runways and two-story terminal building.[9] While federal officials wanted an airfield site that would not be prone to flooding, Cincinnati officials hoped to build Lunken into the premier airport of the region.[10]

A coalition of officials from Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties in Kentucky took advantage of Cincinnati's short-sightedness and lobbied Congress to build an airfield there.[11] Boone County officials offered a suitable site on the provision that Kenton County paid the acquisition cost. In October 1942, Congress provided $2 million to construct four runways.[8]

The field officially opened August 12, 1944, with the first B-17 bombers beginning practice runs on August 15. As the tide of the war had already turned, the Air Corps only used the field until 1945 before it was declared surplus. On October 27, 1946, a small wooden terminal building opened and the airport prepared for commercial service.[8]

The first commercial flight, on an American Airlines DC-3 from Cleveland, Ohio, landed at the airport January 10, 1947, at 9:53 am. A Delta Air Lines flight followed moments later.[12] The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 97 weekday departures: 37 American, 26 Delta, 24 TWA, 8 Piedmont and 2 Lake Central. As late as November 1959 the airport had four 5,500 ft (1,700 m) runways at 45-degree angles, the north–south runway eventually being extended into today's runway 18C/36C.

In the 1950s, Cincinnati city leaders began pushing for a major expansion of a site in Blue Ash to compete with the Greater Cincinnati Airport and replace Lunken as the city's primary airport.[13] The city purchased Hugh Watson Field in 1955, turning it into Blue Ash Airport.[14] The city's Blue Ash development plans were hampered by community opposition, three failed Hamilton County bond measures,[15] political infighting,[16] and Cincinnati's decision not to participate in the federal airfield program.[17]

Airport diagram for December 1958

Jet age

On December 16, 1960, the jet age arrived in Cincinnati when a Delta Air Lines Convair 880 from Miami completed the first scheduled jet flight. The airport needed to expand and build more modern terminals and other facilities; the original Terminal A was expanded and renovated. The north–south runway was extended 3,100 to 8,600 ft (940 to 2,620 m). In 1964, the board approved a $12 million bond to expand the south concourse of Terminal A by 32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2) and provide nine gates for TWA, American, and Delta.[8] A new east–west runway crossing the longer north–south runway was constructed in 1971 south of the older east–west runway.

Comair hub

In 1977, before the Airline Deregulation Act was passed, CVG, like many small airports, anticipated the loss of a lot of flights; creating the opportunity for Patrick Sowers, Robert Tranter, David and Raymound Muller to establish Comair to fill the void. The airline began service to Akron/Canton, Cleveland, and Evansville.

In 1981, Comair became a public company, added 30-seat turboprops to its fleet, and began to rapidly expand its destinations. In 1984, Comair became a Delta Connection carrier with Delta's establishment of a hub at CVG. That same year, Comair introduced its first international flights from Cincinanti to Toronto. In 1992, Comair moved into Concourse C, as Delta Air Lines gradually continued to acquire more of the airlines stock. In 1993, Comair was the launch customer for the Canadair Regional Jet, which it would later operate the largest fleet in the world. By 1999, Comair was the largest regional airline in the country worth over $2 billion, transporting 6 million passengers yearly to 83 destinations on 101 aircraft. Later that year, Delta Air Lines acquired the remaining portion of Comair's stock, causing Comair to solely operate Delta Connection flights.[18]

Enterprise Airlines hub

In 1988, two founders of Comair, Patrick Sowers and Robert Tranter, launched a new scheduled airline from CVG named Enterprise Airlines, that served 16 cities at its peak. The airline spearheaded the regional jet revolution and used 10-seat business jets in scheduled service. The flights became popular with Cincinnati companies. The airline served destinations including Baltimore, Boston, Cedar Rapids, Columbus (OH), Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Memphis, Milwaukee, New York–JFK, and Wilmington (NC). The airline also became the first international feed carrier by feeding the British Airways Concorde at JFK. In 1991, the airline ceased operations because of high fuel prices and the suspension of the British Airways contract after the first Gulf War.

Delta hub

CVG-based Comair plane landing at Cincinnati with Cincinnati Jet Hub Livery

In the mid-1980s, Delta created a hub in Cincinnati and constructed Terminal C and D, with 22 gates. Delta built the CVG hub in order to gain a presence in the Midwest, after it had stuck to the southern United States for so long. It was chosen because the city had many Fortune 500 companies, and because many midwestern cities such as Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and St. Louis already had large hubs. In 1992, Delta made Cincinnati its number two hub and spent $500 million constructing Terminal 3 with Concourse A and B, in addition to adding a $50 million Concourse C for Comair. Also, another $350 million was used to expand and construct four much longer runways. During the 1990s, Delta operated a lot of mainline flights out of the airport, however during the late 1990s, ramped up Comair's operations, and established Delta Connection. This dramatically increased the aircraft operations from around 300,000 to 500,000 yearly aircraft movements. In turn, passenger volumes doubled within a decade from 10 million to 20 million. This expansion prompted the building of runway 18L/36R and the airport began making preparations to construct Concourse D, while adding an expansion to Concourse A and B. At its peak, CVG became Delta's second-largest hub, handling over 670 Delta and Delta Connection flights daily in 2005.[19] Delta served over 130 destinations with over 450 connection and 220 mainline flights in 2005. During this time, it was the fourth largest hub in the world for a single airline, based on departures, ranking only behind Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas.[20] The hub served everything from the 64 mile CVG-DAY, to a daily non-stop to Honolulu and Anchorage, to numerous transatlantic destinations including Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, London–Gatwick, Munich, Paris–Orly, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Rome, and Zürich.[21] Delta was also planning on launching Asia service to CVG, beginning with Beijing–Capital, then expanding to Tokyo–Narita and Shanghai–Pudong eventually, however launch plans were delayed in 2002 due to slot restrictions and eventually stopped after the bankruptcy in 2005.[22]

Cuts by Delta Air Lines and SkyTeam partners

Food Court in Concourse B
AirlinesDestinations
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Delta Air Lines Albany, Albuquerque, Amsterdam, Anchorage, Asheville, Austin, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Boise, Brussels, Burlington, Chattanooga, Chicago–O'Hare, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Daytona Beach, Detroit–City, Frankfurt, Freeport, Ft. Wayne, Fort Walton Beach, Grand Cayman, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston–Hobby, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jackson Hole, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lexington, London–Gatwick, London (ON), Louisville, Manchester (NH), Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Montego Bay, Montréal, Munich, Nashville, Nassau, New Orleans, Newark, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Ontario, Orange County, Paris–Orly, Philadelphia, Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Providence, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond (VA), Rome–Fiumicino, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Jose del Cabo, San Juan, Sarasota, South Bend, Steamboat Springs, St. Louis, Syracuse, Toledo, Toronto–Pearson, Tucson, Vail, Vancouver, Washington–Dulles, Washington–National, West Palm Beach, Wilkes–Barre/Scranton, Zürich
Delta Connection Akron/Canton, Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Anderson, Appleton, Asheville, Ashland, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Augusta, Austin, Bangor, Baton Rouge, Binghamton, Birmingham, Buffalo, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Champaign, Cape Girardeau, Charleston (SC), Charleston (WV), Charlottesville, Chattanooga, Chicago–Midway, Clarksburg, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia (SC), Columbus (OH), Dayton, Daytona Beach, Des Moines, Detroit–City, Erie, Evansville, Flint, Fort Walton Beach, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greenbrier, Greensboro, Greenville, Harrisburg, Houston–Hobby, Huntington, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson (AL), Jackson (TN), Jacksonville, Kalamazoo, Knoxville, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lansing, Lexington, Little Rock, London (ON), Long Island/Islip, Louisville, Madison, Manchester (NH), Melbourne, Miami, Midland, Moline, Montreal, Myrtle Beach, Nassau, Newburgh, New Haven, New Orleans, Newport News, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Owensboro, Panama City Beach, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Rapid City, Richmond (OH), Richmond (VA), Roanoke, Rochester, Saginaw, San Antonio, Sarasota, Savannah, Shreveport, Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield (IL), Springfield (MO), State College, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Tampa, Toledo, Traverse City, Tri Cities, Tulsa, Vail, Washington–Dulles, West Palm Beach, White Plains, Wichita, Wilkes–Barre/Scranton, Wilmington (NC)
Sources
[23][24][25][26]

Delta hub cuts

Delta 757-200 at CVG bound for London–Gatwick, which Delta cut in 2009.
Comair CRJ-700 taxiing from Concourse A, bound for Philadelphia

When Delta went into bankruptcy in September 2005, a large reduction at CVG eliminated most early-morning and night flights.[21] These initial cuts caused additional routes to become unprofitable, causing the frequency of low-volume routes to be further cut from 2006-2007. Planning for the new east/west runway stopped, along with all expansions to current terminals and Terminal 1 was closed due to lack of service. In 2008, Delta merged with Northwest Airlines and cut flight capacity from the Cincinnati hub by 22 percent with an additional 17 percent reduction in 2009.[19] Once Delta acquired Northwest, Comair's older fleet, which was costly as a result of rising oil prices, was cut and replaced with other Delta Connection carriers. In 2010, Delta stabilized CVG operations with 63 destinations between mainline and connection flights.[27]

Many businesses in Cincinnati have urged Delta to restore the service level it had in the late 1990s and early 2000s while some, such as Chiquita Banana, Toyota, and Veritiv have already relocated to cities with more available flights.[28] Flights at CVG are scheduled in morning and afternoon blocks, in which many flights depart around the same time. The only remaining intercontinental service by Delta is a daily evening departure to Paris. In addition to serving the heavy international travel demand of local companies such as P&G and GE Aviation, the daily Paris flight is also sustained in great part because it ferries jet-engine parts between factories in Cincinnati and France due to GE Aviation's presence. Each year the flight carries 4,200,000 pounds (1,900,000 kg) of engine parts.[29] Air France operated flights into CVG for several periods for over a decade before finally terminating the service in 2007. Aeroméxico, Air France, KLM, and WestJet codeshare on Delta's international services out of CVG to Cancun, Paris, and Toronto.[30][31]

In January 2010, Delta's CEO Richard Anderson anticipated that there would be 160–170 daily departures in the summer and that the number would not change through at least the fall.[32][33] Delta closed Concourse A in Terminal 3 on May 1, 2010, and consolidated all operations into Concourse B. This resulted in the layoff of more than 800 employees. Delta, however, says that it will maintain the same amount of departures from CVG.[34]

In June 2011, Delta announced that it would cut another 10% of the CVG hub capacity that summer, offering between 145–165 daily flights.

End of Comair service

A Comair CRJ-100ER in Concourse B at CVG, bound for Baltimore

In July 2012, Delta announced that its wholly owned and CVG-based subsidiary, Comair, would cease all operations by October of the same year. However, it said, "the discontinuation of Comair's operations will not result in any significant changes to Delta's network, which has enough flexibility to accommodate these changes".[35] Delta transferred Comair's larger planes to other carriers and retired its 50-seat planes. Endeavor Air (formerly Pinnacle Airlines) now has a maintenance base at the airport and is one of the main third party operators for Delta Air Lines at CVG.

Low-cost service expansion

Frontier A320 taxiing from Concourse A in front of the Delta hangar

CVG has long struggled with high fares because of Delta's dominance at the airport.[36][37] Since 2013, Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines have been expanding at CVG, giving local travelers low fares without having to commute to Dayton, Louisville or Indianapolis. These fares are often 75% less than other airlines at CVG.[38] As of fall 2016, CVG offers low-cost service to 26 destinations: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Cancun, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Myrtle Beach, Newark, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Phoenix Mesa, Punta Gorda, San Francisco, Sanford/Orlando, Savannah, and St. Petersburg, Tampa.[39]

Frontier Airlines announced it would begin service from CVG in October 2012 with a daily flight to Denver. This was the first modern attempt at bringing a low-cost carrier into the CVG region. Shortly there after, Frontier announced it would now offer two daily flights to Denver, and limited weekly service to Trenton/Mercer.[40] Since then, Frontier has announced service to Atlanta, Cancun, Dallas/Ft Worth, Houston–Intercontinental, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Tampa.[39] In addition to the new destinations, Frontier has added larger planes on many routes including Denver, Dallas, Fort Meyers, and Orlando, which use Frontier's new Airbus A321 seating 230 passengers.[41] Most recently, Frontier has expanded its Fort Meyers and Phoenix routes to daily, up from three weekly, along with adding service to Cancun and Tampa.[42] Frontier will remain at 55 flights a week through the winter-with Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Philadelphia routes returning in the spring.[39]

Allegiant Air began service from CVG in February 2014 to Sanford/Orlando and Punta Gorda. Within two months of beginning operation, Allegiant announced additional service to Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, and Tampa.[43] Since then Allegiant has added routes to Austin, Baltimore, Cancun, Destin/Ft Walton Beach, Jacksonville, Montego Bay, New Orleans, Punta Cana, Savannah/Hilton Head.[39] In July 2015, Allegiant Air announced plans to make CVG its midwestern base of operations with three based Airbus A319s and 90 new jobs for pilots, flight attendants, and service workers. In Summer 2016, Allegiant offered 51 peak weekly departures, the most from any Allegiant origination city, and will be its 5th largest market.[44][39] Most recently, Allegiant Air announced new service from CVG to Newark and San Juan.[45][46]

Legacy carrier expansion

Empty Concourse C from back

In February and March 2015, Delta announced another 14% cut at CVG, ending flights from Jacksonville, Madison, New Orleans, and San Diego. Service to Pittsburgh, Richmond, Baltimore, Toronto, Orlando, Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Raleigh-Durham and Minneapolis was reduced. These cuts result from Delta's replacement of 50-seat connection airplanes with 150–200-seat planes. As CVG was once the headquarters and main hub of Comair, Delta's feeder airline until 2012, and remains a Delta Connection hub, the airport has many of the 50-seat planes, and saw temporary reduction in flights. By the end of the summer, Delta operated 89 peak flights a day.[47]

In Fall 2015, PSA Airlines opened a maintenance base at CVG in the old PIMCO hangar and a crew base beginning in January 2016. The new bases have led to additional American Airlines flight at CVG, operated by PSA Airlines including Charlotte, New York–LaGuardia, and Philadelphia. According to Will Smith, General Manager of Envoy, further American expansion at CVG is planned.[48]

Despite the many cuts in 2015 by Delta Air Lines in daily departures and destinations, 2015 was the first year Delta had increased passenger numbers since it began cuts in late 2004. This was mostly due to the retirement of smaller regional aircraft for mainline service in addition to increases in daily departures to leisure routes such as Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa. In addition, numerous business routes were expanded by seats including Atlanta, Detroit, Kansas City, Nashville, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, San Francisco, and St. Louis. For instance, Delta announced that there will be fewer daily departures to Chicago, but that the number of seats will rise from 300 to 450 a day.[49][50][51]

In 2016, Delta Air Lines continued to increase seat growth at the airport, mostly as a result of using larger aircraft. Routes to Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco have been upgraded from the A320 to the B737-800/900ER. In addition, Delta Air Lines has added a daily flight or increased weekly frequency to Kansas City, Newark, New York–JFK, Orlando, Raleigh/Durham, and Toronto, reversing cuts from March 2015. On June 8, 2017, Delta will add a seventh daily flight to Detroit, eighth daily flight to Atlanta, resume mainline service to Denver (B717), and add a 2nd mainline flight to Boston. As well, Delta has added a year-round second daily mainline flight to Orlando along with resuming seasonal mainline service to Denver and New York–JFK. Delta operations at the airport are 9% connecting, with the rest being local travelers, maintaining Cincinnati as its smallest domestic hub with 87 peak daily departures.[52]

In the Summer of 2016, United Airlines announced the resumption of mainline flights at CVG. United will fly to Denver in the morning and Chicago–O'Hare in the late afternoon with A319s, A320s, 737-700s and 737-800s. Also on Sundays, there will be up to 3 mainline flights to Chicago–O'Hare. These mainline flights were announced as seasonal, though United has extended the service into April 2017 for Chicago and made Denver year round. In addition, they have removed all 50-seat planes from the airport and are using larger regional jets. Later in August 2016, United Airlines announced new daily mainline flights to San Francisco, beginning on June 8, 2017. The flights will be on A319s leaving CVG early in the evening to allow for one stop service to several cities in Asia. This is continuing UA's trend of expanding mainline flights at CVG and directly competing with Delta on a lucrative route. In November 2016, United Airlines announced an increase to 3 daily departures to Washington–Dulles, up from 1-2 departures, beginning in April 2017.

Facilities

Interior view of the atrium
The People Mover at CVG, which connects Terminal 3 to Concourse A and B

The airport's terminal/remote-concourse configuration, combined with simultaneous triple landing/takeoff capabilities, makes CVG a particularly efficient airport for flight operations. The concourses are all islands, helping with traffic flow and have a capacity of 103 gates, of which only 47 are open as of June 2016, down from a peak of 136 in 2007. The numerous runways can officially handle all aircraft up to the 747-8F, which sees daily service by cargo carriers. The runways have also handled the occasional A380, and after runway 9-27 and 18R-36L are widened to 200 ft., could be regularly used by any cargo carriers. CVG is a hub of Delta Air Lines, and was the central hub of Delta's wholly owned subsidiary airline, Comair, which provided regional jet service under the Delta Connection banner. As such, the airport serves a role in Delta's Midwest hub-and-spoke system, and is also a preferred diversion point for Detroit bound aircraft due to connection options. Delta Air Lines has considerably pared the number of flights from the Cincinnati hub and in August 2008 announced it would be moving all of its Comair flights to Concourses A and B and closed all operations in Concourse C in January 2009.[53] In February 2010, Delta announced it would close Concourse A in May and further consolidate operations in the remaining concourse. Terminal 1 was the original terminal and was built in 1960 and renovated in 1974.[54] Designed by Heery & Heery, Terminals 2 and 3 were built in 1974 when additional expansion necessitated more gates.[55] Terminal 3 was expanded specifically for Delta in 1987 and has three remote concourses.[54] Concourses B and C were completed in December 1994 as part of a $500 million expansion designed by Thompson, Hancock, Witte & Associates.[54][56] Concourses A and B are connected to the main terminal by an underground train system. Concourse C was reachable only by shuttle bus. Concourse B is served by Delta and its regional affiliates. Terminal 3 houses one of two US Customs and Border Protection facilities, located in Concourse B, with the other in DHL's cargo complex. All international arrivals except, U.S. border preclearance are processed in the Mezzanine Level of Concourse B. In May 2012, Terminal 2 was closed and all non-Delta operations were consolidated in a newly renovated Concourse A. The renovation was in response to civic and business leader's concerns about the loss of flights to and from the airport.[57] In October 2015, Terminal 1 was officially closed as Ultimate Air Shuttle vacated the building and the airport administrative offices were moved to the old Comair headquarters. Terminal 1 was closed in 2007, but re-opened in 2013 to serve Ultimate Air Shuttle. Terminal 1 was torn down in March 2016 and Terminal 2 was torn down in April 2016 in order to make room for a consolidated rental car facility and larger Concourse A.

The airport operates four paved runways:

Main Terminal (Terminal 3)

Inside Concourse A at CVG in the American Airlines gates
Short end of Concourse B
Long end of Concourse B with many Delta planes
View of Concourse C and Delta Connection Planes

The original Terminal 3 was very similar to Terminal 2, and featured the same spike-like design. Before the expansion adding more concourses, this terminal was referred to as Terminal C and renamed Terminal D with the construction of present-day Concourse A. As the number of flights increased and Delta needed more gates, the terminal was added onto. Concourses B and C were later built in 1994 and the terminals were connected by an underground tunnel and people mover. Around the same time, the name was changed again to Terminal 3. This terminal is the main terminal for most flights, and houses all airlines except Ultimate Air Shuttle.

Security checkpoint and baggage claim

The main terminal security checkpoint is on the ticketing level. This new, expandable checkpoint opened in November 2009. After clearing security, passengers can take escalators or elevators down to the Cincinnati Airport People Mover that departs to all gates. Arriving passengers exit the terminal by elevator or escalator up to the baggage claim level and all ground transportation on ground level.

Concourse A

Air Canada Express, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Apple Vacations, Bahamasair, Frontier Airlines, OneJet, and United Airlines use Concourse A. Most of them had used Terminal 2 before it closed. Concourse A was built as an extension of Terminal C, and named Terminal D, when Delta Air Lines made Cincinnati its second largest hub. The concourse served Continental, Northwest, Atlantic Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines until 2010, when Delta Air Lines closed the concourse. Shortly thereafter, the concourse underwent an extensive renovation before re-opening on May 15, 2012. Concourse A is an island and is only reachable by an underground moving walkway or people mover. It has 22 gates, of which 19 are open as of June 2016, while Gates A1/3/5 remain closed due to their small size.[58]

Concourse B

Delta Air Lines and Vacation Express use the concourse, as do all international arrivals without preclearance. Also, U.S. Customs and Border Protection are contained in Concourse B, and exit into the tunnel, letting passengers continue to baggage claim, or to another connecting flight. Concourse B was, like all concourses of Terminal 3, designed purposed for Delta and its affiliates, including Cincinnati based Delta subsidiary, Comair. The concourse houses the Delta Sky Club and most of the concessions located at the airport due to the many connecting passengers. Concourse B is an island and is only reachable by an underground moving walkway or people mover. The concourse now houses all Delta and Delta Connection flights with 28 gates along with some seasonal charters that fly internationally. Because of reductions in flights throughout 2015, reducing the number of gates needed, Delta Air Lines has eliminated all regional jet gates. These walkout gates were replaced with full jetways, allowing larger aircraft to use the bigger gates, which also allowed Vacation Express to move operations into Concourse B. Because the councourse is large, it has moving walkways running down the entire length of the concourse and a central food court on the immediate exit from the tunnel to Terminal 3.[59]

Concourse C

Concourse C opened in September 1994[60] to serve all Comair flights and was closed in 2009 due to flight reductions by Delta Air Lines. Concourse C is an island concourse. Access was via bus link from other terminals and ticketing areas. It was the first ever dedicated regional jet concourse at the time of its construction and with 53 gates it remains the largest in the world. The concourse has an X-shaped configuration with a waiting area in the center where passengers were able to sit and shop. Passengers would then proceed down the hallways when flights began boarding. Concourse C was expanded twice to increase gate capacity. First in 1997 to the south and again in 2001 to the north.[61]

Delta is the owner of the concourse building and held a lease for the land until 2025. However, on March 2, 2016, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that an agreement had been struck between Delta and CVG to terminate the lease for the land of Concourse C. Demolition of the concourse is to begin in early 2017 and could take up to a year to finish.[62] Until demolition begins the only use of the concourse is by airport security personnel (including dogs) for training. Prior to the deal to demolish the terminal Delta had released its sole claim on the gates and the concourse was open and available for any and all other carriers but none expressed any interest.

Concourse D

Concourse D, which would have been an island concourse connecting to Terminal 3, was in the planning stages before Delta's bankruptcy. It was intended to deal with an increasing number of flights, however, because of a decrease in air travel, was never built. It would have been located northwest from Terminal 1 and have about 60-70 gates and would have served all Delta Connection flights including Comair. Then all non-Sky Team carriers would use Concourse A and all international flights would be located in Concourse B, which was to be expanded into the closed Concourse C.[63]

2025 Master Plan, Outlines Terminal D Plan

Former terminals

International Terminal

The original international terminal at CVG was located west of Terminal 1, in the present day cell phone parking lot. The terminal served Delta Air Lines and various charter airlines from the 1970s until 1984 when Delta Air Lines moved its operations to Terminal D, and closed in 1994 when charter airlines were moved to the newly constructed Concourse B. The Terminal only had one gate, named Gate 1.[64]

Comair Apron

The original location of all Comair flights was on the apron west of Terminal B with passengers boarding aircraft directly from the tarmac. The aircraft hardstands were aligned diagonally, with buses shuttling passengers to Terminal D, where all Delta Air Lines flights were located. The terminal closed in 1994, when all Comair flights were moved to Concourse C. The apron where the planes were parked is still intact, but all passenger facilities have been removed.[65]

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 as seen from Terminal 2. In the foreground is an American Eagle Embraer E-135

Terminal 1 was in the location of the original terminal and served non-Delta flights mainly consisting of US Airways flights. Before the expansion adding more concourses, this terminal was referred to as Terminal A with a regional corridor added for regional jets in the 1960s. When Terminal D was built in 1974, the building was renamed Terminal B, and its name was changed again to Terminal 1 with the construction of Concourse B and C. The check-in and security area of Terminal 1 was very compact, and mostly served US Airways. The baggage claim was part of the check-in area, and provided access to Terminal 1 and 3 through a corridor.[66] Terminal 1 has 9 gates, which were numbered 1-9, and served US Airways flights, but remained very empty throughout the day. The terminal had several concessions, but after the reduction in flights, most of the vendors left or relocated to other terminals. Through the years, the terminal also was used by Skyway Airlines, Midwest Express, and Northwest Airlines. The terminal was closed in 2007 because of its outdated design and limited gate space. The front part of the terminal was renovated in 2013 and started serving Ultimate Air Shuttle on September 9 of that year. However the majority of the concourse was abandoned on October 19, 2015 when Ultimate Air Shuttle relocated to the Delta Jet Center, closing Terminal 1 until its demolition.[67] Terminal 1 was demolished in March 2016 in order to make room for a new consolidated rental car facility.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 was built as an expansion to Terminal 1 to allow for the increasing number of flights and served American Airlines and United Airlines. Before the expansion adding more concourses, this terminal was referred to as Terminal B. In 1974, with the construction of Terminal D, it was renamed Terminal C, and later Terminal 2 following the construction of Concourse B and C. It was built at the same time as Terminal 3 and they shared similar designs. The check-in and security areas of Terminal 2 are located in the front of the terminal, and allow movement to Terminal 1 and 3 through a corridor. The baggage claim is located in a separate building across the street, immediately adjacent to the P2 parking garage, which provides short-term parking for the terminal. The terminal are consisted of eight gates, numbered 1-8, and served most airlines other than US Airways or Delta. After the closure of Terminal 1, it also served US Airways, and it ceased operations after the remodel of Concourse A. The terminal only had two food vendors, and lacked any sort of larger restaurant because of its outdated design and layout. In 2012, the airport decided to shut down the terminal and move the remaining airlines into Terminal 3, Concourse A. The terminal was removed in April 2016 to make way for a larger Concourse A and rental car facility.[68]

Master Plan and expansion

The 2035 Master Plan, overview map of planned changes

In 2013, the CVG 2035 Master Plan was released, with updates in 2016, and outlines the future of CVG, which predicts that Delta will keep about 80 daily departures, low-cost carriers will increase dramatically, and passenger service will steadily increase. Also, the plan is designed to accommodate an increase in cargo traffic from DHL as it continues to expand, in addition to new businesses and other companies on the airport grounds.[69]

Terminal area

Terminal area of Master Plan layout

The master plans outlines a gradual transition of facilities, transferring from a Delta hub, to multiple carrier airport with high local passenger use. All gates in Concourse A were reopened in summer of 2016, including A20-22, while regional gates A1, A3, and A5 will remain closed due to the lack of space in their waiting areas. In the plan, Concourse C will be torn down by 2017 to construct an overnight parking and deicing area, while a new consolidated rental car facility and parking garage will be constructed by 2021 to deal with an influx of local passengers. A new west wing of Concourse A will be constructed soon thereafter, and based on current demand growth, Concourse B will be extensively renovated and kept due to need of gates. However it will be removed if Delta Air Lines significantly reduces its operations at CVG. Most of this construction would be completed by 2025, and would be financed by the airport.[70]

Cargo areas

The master plan includes an expansion to the DHL facility, with space for up to 16 additional aircraft hardstands spread over 50 acres, and an expansion to the warehouse. While upgrading its facilities, DHL will be adding additional equipment to increase sorting capacity. A multicarrier cargo facility was constructed at the old DHL Cargo Area, north of Terminal 1, and used by FedEx but the airport hopes to gain more international carriers. Also, the Airline Surveillance Radar (ASR) will be moved west of the airport to accommodate DHL expansion.[70] The work on DHL's $108-million expansion began in the fall of 2015 and was completed in November2016.[71]

Runways and taxiways

The plan call for the addition of parallel taxiways on runway 9-27, and 18C-36C, in addition to a widening of runway 09-27 and 18L-36R to accommodate larger aircraft from DHL including the 747-800F currently in daily use and A380 if DHL ever decides to operate the aircraft. Numerous other taxiways will be widened for access to the DHL complex. In the far future, plans for another east-to-west runway are included for nighttime DHL landings, but would only be needed if more expansion occurred.[72] As of April 2016, widening of taxiways surrounding the cargo and private hangars area, south of runway 09-27, has been finished.[73]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Delta Air Lines operates a nonstop flight from CVG to Paris using a Boeing 767-300ER. The route is the only nonstop transatlantic passenger flight to Europe from Indiana, Kentucky or Ohio.
Current domestic routes from CVG.
Current international routes from CVG. (Includes SJU)
AirlinesDestinationsConcourse
Air Canada Express Toronto–Pearson A
Allegiant Air Austin, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Walton Beach, Jacksonville (FL), Las Vegas, Newark, New Orleans, Orlando/Sanford, Phoenix/Mesa, Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, Savannah, St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach, San Juan (begins December 17, 2016)[74] 		A
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington–National A
Apple Vacations
operated by Allegiant Air 		Charter: Cancún (begins January 14, 2017),[75] Punta Cana (begins January 15, 2017)[75]
Seasonal Charter: Montego Bay 		A1
Apple Vacations
operated by Swift Air 		Seasonal Charter: Montego Bay (begins May 21, 2017),[75] Punta Cana A1
Apple Vacations
operated by Volaris 		Charter: Cancún (ends December 25, 2016)[75] A1
Apple Vacations
operated by Xtra Airways 		Charter: Punta Cana (ends December 31, 2016)[75] A1
Bahamasair Seasonal Charter: Freeport A
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Boston, Denver (resumes March 9, 2017), Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Tampa
Seasonal: Cancún, Detroit, Fort Myers, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Seattle/Tacoma 		B
Delta Connection Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver (ends March 8, 2017), Detroit, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Hartford, Houston–Intercontinental, Kansas City, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, Toronto–Pearson, Washington–National
Seasonal: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers 		B
Frontier Airlines Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, San Francisco, Tampa
Seasonal: Atlanta, Cancún (resumes December 17, 2016),[76] Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston–Intercontinental, Philadelphia 		A1
OneJet
operated by CFM		Pittsburgh A
Ultimate Air Shuttle Morristown (NJ) (ends January 3, 2017)[77] FBO
United Airlines Denver, San Francisco (begins June 8, 2017)[78]
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare 		A
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, Washington–Dulles A
Vacation Express
operated by Sunwing Airlines 		Charter: Cancún, Punta Cana
Seasonal Charter: Freeport, Montego Bay 		B
Vacation Express
operated by Xtra Airways 		Seasonal Charter: Montego Bay, Punta Cana B
Notes

^1 All international arrivals are processed at Concourse B.

Cargo

A 747-8F lines up on Runway 27 at CVG as a 747-400F lands on 18C
CVG Cargo Continental U.S. Routes
CVG Cargo International Routes (includes Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico)
AirlinesDestinationsCargo Complex
AirNet Express Columbus–RickenbackerNorth
Castle Aviation Akron/Canton, Hamilton, Richmond (VA)DHL
DHL Aviation
operated by ABX Air		 Atlanta, Baltimore, Calgary, Chicago–O'Hare, El Paso, Greensboro, Guadalajara, Harlingen, Harrisburg, Houston–Intercontinental, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Monterrey, Nashville, Newark, New York–JFK, Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Querétaro, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle–Boeing, Seattle/Tacoma, Vancouver, Wilmington (OH)
Seasonal: Hartford		DHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Air Transport International		 Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Memphis, Nashville, Philadelphia, Salt Lake CityDHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Atlas Air		 Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Bahrain, Brussels, Cedar Rapids, Charleston (SC), Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Detroit, Frankfurt, Hamilton, Harlingen, Harrisburg, Hartford, Hong Kong, Houston–Intercontinental, Kansas City, Leipzig/Halle, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nagoya–Centrair, Nashville, New York–JFK, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Rome (NY), San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle–Boeing, Tokyo–Narita, Vancouver
Seasonal: Grottaglie, McConnell AFB, Paine Field		DHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Cargojet Airways		 Calgary, Montréal–MirabelDHL
DHL Aviation
operated by DHL Air UK		 Brussels, Chicago–O'Hare, Doncaster/Sheffield, East Midlands, Leipzig/Halle, New York–JFK, Paris–Charles de GaulleDHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Kalitta Air		 Anchorage, Bahrain, Brussels, Dallas/Fort Worth, East Midlands, Hong Kong, Leipzig/Halle, Memphis, Nagoya–Centrair, New York–JFK, Seoul–Incheon
Seasonal: Kuwait City, Liège, Philadelphia, Seattle/Tacoma		DHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Kalitta Charters		 Austin, Baltimore, Montréal–Mirabel, PhiladelphiaDHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Southern Air		 Anchorage, Austin, Bahrain, Calgary, Charlotte, Denver, Harlingen, Hartford, Hong Kong, Kansas City, Leipzig/Halle, New York–JFK, Orlando, Philadelphia, Reno, Rochester, Salt Lake City, Seoul–Incheon, St. Louis, TucsonDHL
DHL Aviation
operated by Polar Air Cargo		 Atlanta, Anchorage, Bahrain, Brussels, Chicago–O'Hare, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Leipzig/Halle, Los Angeles, Miami, Nagoya–Centrair, Seoul–Incheon, Singapore, Tokyo–NaritaDHL
DHL Express
operated by Air Cargo Carriers		 Harrisburg, Richmond (VA)
Seasonal: Louisville		DHL
DHL Express
operated by Ameriflight		 Albany, Bedford, Boston, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids, Cleveland–Cuyahoga, Dallas/Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Lansing, Lexington, Louisville, Miami–Opa Locka, Morristown (NJ), Richmond (VA), Salt Lake City, Smyrna, Springfield, St. Louis–Spirit, Wilkes–Barre/Scranton
Seasonal: Dayton, Philadelphia–Northeast, Richmond (OH)		DHL
DHL Express
operated by Castle Aviation		 Akron/Canton, Asheville, Columbia (SC), Columbus–Rickenbacker, Hamilton, Richmond (VA), St. Louis–SpiritDHL
DHL Express
operated by Suburban Air Freight		 Albany, Cedar Rapids, Charlotte, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Omaha, Richmond (VA), Wilkes–Barre/ScrantonDHL
FedEx Express Louisville, Memphis
Seasonal: Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Oakland		North

DHL hub

A DHL Boeing 767-200 at CVG

In 1984, DHL opened its CVG hub and began operations throughout the U.S. and world. However, in 2004, DHL decided to move its hub to Wilmington, Ohio, in order to compete in the United States shipment business. The plan ended up failing, and moved back to CVG in 2009 to resume its original operations. CVG now serves as one of DHL's three global hubs with 84 flights each day to destinations across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. DHL has completed a $105-million expansion and employs approximately 2,500 at CVG. Because of this growth, CVG now stands as the 6th busiest airport in North America based on cargo tonnage and 34th in the world.[79] On May 28, 2015 DHL announced a $108-million expansion to its current facility, which will double the current cargo operations. The money will be used to double the gate capacity for transferring cargo, an expansion to the sorting facility, and various technical improvements, which is all scheduled to be complete by 2016. In addition, this will provide many more jobs for the Cincinnati area, and will dramatically increase the airports operations.[80]

Commercial charters and private aircraft

CVG, dominated by cargo and commercial flights, has very few private aircraft movements. Most businesses and local pilots choose Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport over CVG because of its location and convenience. However, charters have grown to over 50,000 passengers per year. The airport is the hub and headquarters for Delta Private Jets, and is also a focus for Ultimate Air Shuttle, which is headquartered at nearby Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport.

Ultimate Air Shuttle

Ultimate Air Shuttle is a charter passenger airline which operates flights from CVG to New York. Also, Ultimate Air Shuttle serves Charlotte, Chicago–Midway, and Cleveland from nearby Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport, which can be accessed by a free shuttle. The airline is advertised for business use because of its convenience, as its passengers avoid TSA Security Checks and can arrive 15 minutes before flight.[81]

Delta Private Jets

Delta Private Jets is a private aircraft service, which is at aimed at businesses needing service to destinations on a private aircraft, or that the airport does not supply on a regular basis. This service serves the many business of Cincinnati, including many Fortune 500. Delta Private Jet is also available to Elite SkyMile members for an upgrade purchase price of $300–800 on select routes from Delta's Cincinnati, Atlanta, and New York hubs. In addition, this service allows travelers to avoid flying hassles such as security.[82] Delta Private Jets is located at 82 Comair Boulevard building, which had been the Comair headquarters and had the name Comair General Office Building.[83][84]

Statistics

Comair CRJ-200 at Concourse C
Delta DC-9-50 taxiing, with FedEx Cargo operation in the background
Middle of Concourse B
American Eagle ERJ-145 at gate A9 with United Express at A13 in distance at Concourse A
Empty Concourse C from the side with Concourse B in background
Intersection of runway 18C-36C and 09-27
Landing runway 18C with 18R in background

Overall statistics

Year Total Passengers % Change Aircraft Movements % Change Notes
1992[85] 11,545,682 Steady 305,544 Steady Concourse C Opens
1993[85] 12,213,874 Increase 5.79% 312,204 Increase 2.18%
1994[85] 13,593,522 Increase 11.30% 339,839 Increase 8.85%
1995[85] 15,181,728 Increase 11.68% 365,114 Increase 7.44%
1996[85] 18,795,766 Increase 23.81% 401,367 Increase 9.93%
1997[85] 19,866,308 Increase 5.70% 417,391 Increase 3.99%
1998[85] 21,124,216 Increase 6.33% 442,276 Increase 5.96%
1999[85] 21,753,512 Increase 2.98% 476,128 Increase 7.65% Comair Merges with Delta
2000[85] 22,406,384 Increase 3.00% 461,454 Decrease 3.08%
2001[86] 17,270,475 Decrease 22.92% 387,462 Decrease 16.03% Comair Pilot Strike
2002[86] 20,812,642 Increase 20.51% 486,501 Increase 25.56%
2003[87] 21,197,447 Increase 1.8% 505,557 Increase 3.9%
2004[88] 22,062,557 Increase 4.1% 517,520 Increase 2.4%
2005[89] 22,778,785 Increase 3.2% 496,366 Decrease 4.1% Delta Declares Bankruptcy
2006[90] 16,244,962 Decrease 28.7% 345,754 Decrease 30.3% Delta Bankruptcy
2007[91] 15,736,220 Decrease 3.1% 328,059 Decrease 5.1%
2008[92] 13,630,443 Decrease 13.4% 285,484 Decrease 13.0% Delta Merges with Northwest
2009[93] 10,621,655 Decrease 22.1% 222,677 Decrease 22.0%
2010[94] 7,977,588 Decrease 24.9% 177,597 Decrease 20.2%
2011[95] 7,034,263 Decrease 11.8% 161,912 Decrease 8.8%
2012[96] 6,038,817 Decrease 14.2% 143,447 Decrease 11.4% Comair Ceases Operations
2013[97] 5,718,255 Decrease 5.31% 137,671 Decrease 4.03% Frontier Airlines Enters Market
2014[98] 5,908,711 Increase 3.33% 133,518 Decrease 3.02% Allegiant Air Enters Market
2015[99] 6,316,332 Increase 6.90% 133,068 Decrease 0.34%
2016[100] 5,662,746 (YTD) Increase 6.63% 111,299 (YTD) Increase 3.10%

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from CVG (September 2015 – August 2016)[101]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 332,000 Delta, Frontier
2 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 266,000 American, Delta, United
3 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 174,000 American, Delta, Frontier
4 Charlotte, North Carolina 170,000 American, Delta, US Airways
5 Orlando, Florida1 142,000 Delta, Frontier
6 Denver, Colorado 129,000 Delta, Frontier, United
7 Las Vegas, Nevada 126,000 Allegiant, Delta, Frontier
8 New York–LaGuardia, New York 116,000 American, Delta
9 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 113,000 American, Delta, Frontier, US Airways
10 Newark, New Jersey 107,000 Delta, United

^1 Allegiant Air serves Orlando (SFB) with 53,000 additional passengers a year, not included in this total.

Busiest international routes from CVG (Jan. 2014 – Dec. 2014)[102]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Paris, France (Charles de Gaulle) 108,776 Delta
2 Toronto, Canada (Pearson) 65,048 Air Canada, Delta
3 Cancún, Mexico 26,873 Apple Vacations, Delta, Frontier, Vacation Express
4 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 23,058 Apple Vacations, Delta, Frontier, Vacation Express
5 Freeport, Bahamas 4,867 Bahamas Air, Vacation Express
6 Montego Bay, Jamaica 3,484 Apple Vacations, Vacation Express

Airline market share

Largest Airlines at CVG
(March 2016)[103]
Rank Carrier Percentage
1 Delta Air Lines 55.6%
2 American Airlines 18.3%
3 United Airlines 10.3%
4 Allegiant Air 8.7%
5 Frontier Airlines 5.1%
6 Air Canada 1.4%
7 Ultimate Air Shuttle 0.5%

Airport buildings and facilities

Office buildings

Delta Private Jets is headquartered on the grounds of the airport.[82] The 82 Comair Boulevard building, which houses the Delta Private Jets headquarters, used to be the Comair headquarters and had the name Comair General Office Building.[104]

77 Comair Boulevard, former headquarters of Comair

77 Comair Boulevard used to be the corporate headquarters of Comair.[105] The building, with 187,000 square feet (17,400 m2) of space,[106] is on South Airfield Road. In 2010, after the airline began downsizing, it considered leaving the building and moving to another location near the airport. A spokesperson did not disclose how much office space the airline occupied; she said it was planning to reduce its space by 20 to 25 percent.[107] In 2011 Delta Air Lines, parent company of Comair, suggested that Delta could help assist the airport in obtaining a Transportation Security Administration training center, with it being located in 77 Comair Boulevard.[108] In early 2011, Comair vacated the building.[106] In 2012 the Kenton County Airport Board (KCAB) approved a five-year lease, with two five-year options, for Southern Air for about 33,100 square feet (3,080 m2) of space in 77 Comair Boulevard. For the first period, the rent would be $9.95 per square foot. This would increase to $12 per square foot for the second period and $15 per square foot for the third period. The airport plans to spend $500,000 in capital improvements on 77 Comair Boulevard.[105] After Terminal 1 is demolished in December 2015, the KCAB will relocate their offices into the building.

Maintenance bases

Endeavor Air maintenance hangars

The airport is home to many maintenance bases due to the substantial operations of several carriers at the airport. Delta Air Lines has hangar and line maintenance facility for its primary maintenance, repair and overhaul arm, Delta TechOps.[109] Also, Allegiant Air will have a crew and maintenance base located at CVG by January 2016. On August 5, 2015, PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Eagle, announced plans to build a maintenance base at CVG due to the growing demand at CVG.[110]

Ground transportation

Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) provides bus service from the airport to Downtown Cincinnati via Route 2X. Car rental services are provided by Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar and Thrifty, Enterprise, Hertz, and National. The airport has three Short Term Parking Garages, 1-3, which were originally used for each terminal respectively. Garage 1 is unused, while Garages 2 and 3 are used for all other passengers in the Main Terminal. The Short Term Parking areas are designated by fruit names: Level 1-Orange, Level 2-Lemon, Level 3-Lime, Level 4-Cherry, and Level 5-Grape. Long Term Parking is remote from the terminal, so passengers must use a shuttle bus between the terminals and Long Term Parking lot.

Other

Pricing

Delta B767-300ER Landing at CVG

Until 2015, CVG consistently ranked among the most expensive major airports in the United States.[36] Delta operated over 75% of flights at CVG, a fact often cited as a reason for relatively high domestic ticket prices.[37] Airline officials have suggested that Delta practices predatory pricing to drive away discount airlines.[36][111] From 1990 to 2003, ten discount airlines began service at CVG, but later pulled out,[112] including Vanguard Airlines, which pulled out of CVG twice.[113] Delta maintains that its pricing is reasonable, considering the increased connectivity and non-stop flights that a hub airport offers a market the size of Cincinnati.[112]

In 2003, a study commissioned by CVG found that 18% of Cincinnati-area residents use one of five nearby airports including Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Lexington, or Louisville instead of CVG because passengers can find fares up to 50% lower at these nearby airports.[112] However, because Delta downsized its hub operations and Allegiant and Frontier increased flights, many more residents are choosing CVG, and have helped sustain low cost carriers at CVG for the first time.[114]

In the 4th Quarter of 2014, CVG dropped from being the most expensive airport at $514 to $485, making the airport now the third-highest. This is the lowest the airport has been since 2011, and is a result of Allegiant and Frontier increasing flights, along with Delta trying to attract local customers rather than connect passengers. CVG had the 5th largest drop in airfare prices in the country, and with more expansion of LCCs at the airport, will likely drop even more.[115]

In June 2015, CheapFlights.com released its list of the cheapest U.S. airports based on average price to the 101 most popular destinations in the U.S., and ranked CVG as number one, with an average price of $199. CVG was ranked 77th last year, and the dramatic change results from Frontier and Allegiant rapidly increasing flights.[116]

In the 2nd Quarter of 2015, CVG dropped from an average price of $528 to $436, putting CVG at number 20 of the 100 busiest airports in the U.S. This is mostly the result of expansion by Allegiant Air and increased competition between Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. This quarter ended a five-year streak of placing in the top 3 highest priced airports in the country.[117]

In the 4th Quarter of 2015, CVG dropped to the 22nd most expensive airport, placing it at its lowest ranking since the DOT began keeping track of airfares in 1995. Average airfares have declined 20% in the last year, while local traffic has grown over 16% in the last quarter. The drop in airfares is due mostly to Allegiant and Frontier increasing flights, but average airfares from legacy carriers American, Delta, and United have also declined due to competition.[118]

Industrial murals

CUT Ink Making Mural at CVG

The airport is home to 14 large Art Deco murals created for the train concourse building at Cincinnati Union Terminal during the station's construction in 1932. Mosaic murals depicting people at work in local Cincinnati workplaces were incorporated into the interior design of the railroad station by Winold Reiss, a German-born artist with a reputation in interior design.

When the train concourse building was designated for demolition in 1972, a "Save the Terminal Committee" raised funds to remove and transport the 14 murals in the concourse to new locations in the Airport. They were placed in Terminal 1, as well as Terminals 2 and 3, which were then being constructed as part of a major airport expansion and renovation.

The murals were also featured in a scene in the film Rain Man starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. In addition, a walkway to one of the terminals at CVG was featured in the scene in the film when Hoffman's character, Raymond, refused to fly on a plane.

On May 19, 2015, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the nine murals located in the old Terminals 1 & 2 will be relocated to the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati.[119]

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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  73. ↑ "Google Maps". www.google.com/maps/.
  74. ↑ "Allegiant: 7-route expansion features Puerto Rico, Austin and Pittsburgh".
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  76. ↑ "Frontier Launches 3 Sunny Destinations for Fall / Winter". Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  77. ↑ "Ultimate Air Shuttle announces plans to end service at CVG — again". WCPO. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  78. ↑ 2016, UBM (UK) Ltd. "United adds new SF – Cincinnati / Detroit service in S17".
  79. ↑ http://www.cvgairport.com/docs/default-source/leadership/cvg-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=0
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  81. ↑ "Ultimate Air Shuttle | VIP Travel For The Cost Of Commercial". ultimateairshuttle.com. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  82. 1 2 "Delta Private Jets". Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
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  84. ↑ "Delta to offer one of the coolest upgrades yet". New Zealand Herald. 2015-07-28. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
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  86. 1 2 "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2002" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  87. ↑ {{%5b%5bTemplate:cbignore|cbignore%5d%5d}} "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2003" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  88. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2004" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  89. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2005" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  90. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2006" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  91. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2007" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  92. ↑ {{%5b%5bTemplate:cbignore|cbignore%5d%5d}} "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2008" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  93. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2009" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  94. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2010" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  95. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2011" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  96. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2012" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  97. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2013" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  98. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2014" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  99. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2015" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  100. ↑ "Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport Air Traffic Statistics 2016" (PDF). cvgairport.com. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  101. ↑ "Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International (CVG)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. July 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  102. ↑ Lane, Michael. "U.S.-International Passenger Raw Data for Calendar Year 2014". US Department of Transportation. US Department of Transportation. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  103. ↑ "Airtraffic Report". Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  104. ↑ "Recruiting Events:" Comair. Retrieved on July 30, 2012. "Most career events are conducted at the Comair General Office Building (82 Comair Boulevard, Erlanger, Ky.) [...]"
  105. 1 2 "CVG board approves lease deal for Southern Air." Business Courier. Tuesday July 17, 2012. Retrieved on July 30, 2012.
  106. 1 2 Monk, Dan. "Cincinnati could land Southern Air." Business Courier. Friday March 30, 2012. 2 of 3. Retrieved on July 30, 2012.
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  109. ↑ Jensen, David. "Delta TechOps Rejuvenated". Aviation Today. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  110. ↑ "PSA Airlines putting maintenance facility at CVG". PSA Airlines putting maintenance facility at CVG. WLWT.com. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  111. ↑ Paul Barton (December 20, 1999). "High air fares getting attention". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati.com. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  112. 1 2 3 Pilcher, James (November 23, 2003). "Curse of high fares has economic upside". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  113. ↑ Duke, Kerry (November 30, 2006). "Discount Airline Passes on CVG". The Kentucky Post. E. W. Scripps Company. p. A1. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  114. ↑ Williams, Jason (July 23, 2015). "Allegiant Air makes CVG a home, creates jobs". Allegiant Air makes CVG a home, creates jobs. Cincinnati.com. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  115. ↑ "CVG drops in airfare rankings". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  116. ↑ "CVG flights among cheapest in nation - Cincinnati Business Courier". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
  117. ↑ "Ticket prices drop at CVG". Cincinanti.com. Cincinanti.com. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  118. ↑ "CVG Drops to #22 in DOT Airfare Report Best CVG Ranking in History of Airfare Report". Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  119. ↑ "Long hidden at CVG, murals closer to coming home". Cincinnati.com. May 19, 2015.
  120. ↑ Archived October 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.

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