Fall 2003 Regional Approach Newsletter
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Taking A Regional Approach
Welcome to the first edition of Regional Approach, a quarterly newsletter designed to keep Central Ohio updated on Port Columbus International Airport, Rickenbacker International Airport and Bolton Field Airport.These airports are operated by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which was formed this year as a result of combining the Columbus Municipal Airport Authority that oversaw Port Columbus and Bolton, and the Rickenbacker Port Authority, which oversaw Rickenbacker. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority, often referred to as CRAA, was created to deliver high-quality, cost-effective aviation and logistics services for Central Ohio. This newsletter, Regional Approach, was created to educate the public about CRAA’s progress as well as to review the valuable services offered by each airport and their impact on the community. This newsletter will replace the Columbus Traveler and Rickenbacker Report publications. Though each has a unique focus, all three airports deliver high-quality, cost-effective service that is coordinated, thereby bringing economic and business benefits to Central Ohio. On the following page, you’ll find a brief overview of each airport and details on how they serve the travel and logistics needs of Central Ohio. Port Columbus International Airport  | | Port Columbus |
Of the three airports managed by CRAA, the one most recognized by the public is Port Columbus, which offers commercial passenger service from major air carriers to destinations across the country.More than 6.5 million passengers traveled through Port Columbus in 2002, which was the second-busiest year in the airport’s history. The people who use Port Columbus live as close as Gahanna or as far away as West Virginia. The combination of affordable flights to high-demand destinations, coupled with an easily accessible and easy-to-use facility, make Port Columbus the airport of choice for millions of people. Safety and security is the highest priority at Port Columbus. Every day the Airport Authority works closely with the Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for securing air travel and operates security checkpoints, to provide passengers quality customer service while ensuring their safety. Rickenbacker International Airport  | | Rickenbacker Charter Terminal |
Located on a former World War II military base,
the Rickenbacker area has three main components: Rickenbacker International Airport which is focused on air cargo and aviation-related businesses; an industrial park complemented by a Foreign Trade Zone; and a new charter terminal building to serve leisure travel needs.More than 184 million pounds of cargo moved through Rickenbacker International Airport in 2002, which is nearly four times the amount 10 years ago. One major player at Rickenbacker is FedEx, which has a regional air cargo and trucking distribution center at the airport. Other important airlines include UPS, Evergreen and Polar Air Cargo. As the local marketplace continues to become the global marketplace, the need for national and international air cargo and logistics services will continue to grow. The airport is complemented by industrial parks with 23 million square feet of industrial development. Businesses such as Kraft, PetSmart, Spiegel/Eddie Bauer and Xerox are located at Rickenbacker with many taking advantage of the benefits offered by Foreign-Trade Zone #138. The Foreign-Trade Zone allows companies to reduce or even eliminate customs duties and therefore provide more competitively-priced products. Companies that don’t have a need for the Foreign-Trade Zone locate within the industrial park to take advantage of Rickenbacker’s convenient location, which is only a one-day truck drive from more than half of the U.S. and Canada population. The third and newest aspect of the area is the Rickenbacker Charter Terminal built to serve the needs associated with leisure travel packages ranging from vacation tours to sports outings. Bolton Field Airport  | | Bolton Field Airport |
Referred to as a reliever airport, Bolton Field relieves traffic from Port Columbus to preserve its capacity. Customers utilize Bolton for general aviation activities such as corporate transportation, flying personally owned aircraft, flight instruction and banner towing.People enjoy using Bolton because of its convenient location just minutes from downtown Columbus. Bolton includes areas to store planes and has on-site service providers such as aircraft maintenance, fueling and cleaning. < back |
