VIDEO: ‘Paris is Only the Beginning’

Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar comments on the enhanced connectivity to and from Indianapolis thanks to an increasing number of direct flights from the Indianapolis International Airport. Those locations include the west coast and, of course, the city’s first international direct flight to Paris, France, which had its inaugural flight May 25. Watch:

 

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Indianapolis Int’l Airport to Hold Public Listening Sessions on Future Uses of Vacant Land

airportThe Indianapolis International Airport will be holding a series of public listening sessions about the future use of the vacant 130 acre tract of land which had previously been used as the old terminal parking lots (near the intersection of Sam Jones Expressway and Interstate 465).

At these sessions, the general public will have the opportunity to offer thoughts on the future of this important parcel of land. The comments from the general public will be taken into consideration by the airport as it prepares its new plan for the redevelopment of this critical area located on the east side of the airport.

Several public listening sessions have already been scheduled, which will occur at the following times and locations:

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 (5:30 – 7:30 p.m.)
Ben Davis High School
(Enter through Door #2)
1200 N. Girls School Road
Indianapolis, Indiana

Thursday, July 28, 2016 (5:30 – 7 p.m.)
Plainfield Recreation & Aquatic Center
651 Vestal Road
Plainfield, Indiana

Tuesday, August 9, 2016 (5:30 – 7 p.m.)
Mt. Olive Church
1449 W. High School
Indianapolis, Indiana

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 (5:30 – 7 p.m.)
Southeast Community Services Center
901 Shelby Street
Indianapolis, Indiana

Also read the recent BizVoice article on the progress of the airport’s land use initiative.

Park in One Country, Fly Out of Another

Fascinating facts while scanning a New York Times article on efforts to build a bridge in San Diego that would serve as a direct pedestrian border crossing to Tijuana International Airport:

  • At three other airports, passengers can park their car in one country for a flight out of another country. They are two airports on the Swiss-French border and a shuttle that runs passengers between airports in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China.
  • Annually, 2.4 million U.S. travelers use the Tijuana airport, nearly 60% of the airport’s traffic. Why? Fees are up to 50% less to fly throughout Mexico.
  • Mexico widened the San Ysidro crossing to 34 lanes in 2012; yet, substanial delays await those traveling between the two countries and at the five other border crossings in California.

The story notes that funding delays in Congress must still be overcome for development on the U.S. side of the border. Although not finalized, bridge fees are expected to range from $13 to $17. Passengers would park on the U.S. side and walk across an enclosed 325-foot passageway directly to the airport.

We’ll keep an eye on what could be an innovative solution to what is described as a too small, landlocked Lindbergh Field in San Diego.

Warsaw a Major Player on Global Commerce Scene

A new study by Indianapolis-based BioCrossroads puts some figures to what many people in northern Indiana already knew — that Warsaw’s niche as a global orthopedics hub is no joke. Inside INdiana Business has the press release:

Now generating more than $11 billion in annual revenues, the global orthopedics sector concentrated in Warsaw, Indiana, represents more than half the U. S. market share and more than one- third of the world’s market for developing orthopedic medical devices.

How does an industry — contained within a community — continue to maintain its strong economic presence and position itself for future growth? BioCrossroads, Indiana’s organization for investment, development and advancement of the state’s signature life sciences strengths, explores and outlines a series of action-oriented responses to this question in a new published report, Warsaw, Indiana: The Orthopedics Capital of the World — An overview, analysis and blueprint for future industry and community growth…

“The Warsaw orthopedics community is one of the most robust and concentrated medical equipment development sectors in the world, and a world-class economic asset that powers growth for all of Indiana,” said David Johnson, President and CEO of BioCrossroads. “The integration of all this research has resulted in a picture of an industry cluster in Warsaw, that is currently robust, respected and globally competitive. While this orthopedics device sector has been tremendously successful to date, our research and the truly global scale of this sector’s reach make it very clear that global pressures now confronting our whole economy, including all our life sciences sectors, have sparked a broadly perceived need for a community and industry engagement strategy focused on education, talent recruitment and retention, workforce and community development to ensure sustainability.

“We’re now in the process of developing a Warsaw-based, regionally focused organizational initiative that can better define and prioritize the challenges and opportunities, and then seek funding to bring the best and most responsive ideas to life,” Johnson added.

Personally, I’m working on an article for the November/December edition of BizVoice about business aviation, which will touch on how Warsaw’s airport has made the community’s climb to the top of the orthopedic world possible. Image Air Charter, an Indiana Chamber member, has had a great deal of success chartering flights for folks in that sector, showing how different companies can truly complement each other to enhance a community.

Indy Airport Working Toward More International Flights

New Indianapolis Airport Authority Executive Director/CEO John Clark is looking at bringing more international flights to the state capital, which may be music to the ears of the state’s business community. Namely, he’s looking into more flights between Indianapolis and the European Union, which should also appeal to those who enjoy Oktoberfest, the Emerald Isle, and English food (ok, maybe just the first two).

Clark discusses with Gerry Dick of Inside Indiana Business. Watch the video here.

Bad Business Moves 101

As Hoosiers bask in the glory of our new, accommodating Indianapolis airport, let’s hope the airport authority makes sure this never happens to any passengers traveling through the Circle City. Turns out people on a flight from San Salvador to Los Angeles were stuck for 9 hours on a stagnant plane due to fog (although I’m still not getting how they ended up in Ontario):

According to the air carrier, authorities at the Ontario airport did not allow the plane’s 193 passengers to disembark. Local authorities, according to the TACA statement, did not want passengers to pass through customs and enter the country.

Airport officials, however, gave a different story.

According to a statement from Los Angeles World Airports, which operates the Ontario facility, TACA never asked that passengers be allowed to exit the aircraft.

The airline planned to take off from the airport soon after it refueled, according to the airport agency. But as the plane waited for fog to clear at LAX, the airline did not request that U.S. Customs and Border Protection process passengers so they could stretch their legs or sit in the terminal.

Although the airport did not have customs staff on hand to process exiting passengers, it could have summoned them, according to the airport agency.

"It is also unknown why, even after suggested, TACA staff did not request clearance to have their passengers deplane for humanitarian reasons," the agency said in a prepared statement.

Water and snacks were provided to passengers about 4 a.m. by airport staff, and emergency responders received "a few reports" of passenger illnesses, airport officials said. No one was hospitalized.

Mmmm, thanks for the water and snacks, guy.

How miserable that must’ve been. I absolutely can’t stand flying, usually because I’m stuck next to a screaming baby or some guy whose breath smells like he ate Keith Richards. And who knows how many times these people had to sit through the on-board screenings of "Whale Rider" or "Big Momma’s House 2."

Had this been me, I’m afraid there would have been a massive freak out, the magnitude of which I’d rather not disclose. But I have visions of being like those wizards on "Cops" who always think they can kick the window out of the police car and escape.

This would have been absolute torture. Sort of like watching Rosie O’Donnell’s variety show. Oooooh, too soon?