Missouri Department of Transportation

Aviation Section

Dun and Bradstreet Date Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) 

Number - 025280335

August 27, 2010

Missouri Department of Transportation 

Aviation Section

City of Columbia

City of Joplin

City of Kirksville

City of Waynesville

Proposal Under the 

Small Community Air Service 

Development Program

Docket DOT-OST - 2010 - 0124 

Missouri Congressional District Codes:

Missouri Department of Transportation - 09

City of Columbia - 09

City of Joplin - 07

City of Kirksville - 09

City of Waynesville - 04
Table of Contents

Application for Federal Domestic Assistance form SF 424

Appendix B

Overview......................................................................................................................... 1

Background..................................................................................................................... 1

Description of Community’s Existing Air Service........................................................... 4

Historical Service and Air Service Needs....................................................................... 5

Description of the Community’s Air Service Development Efforts over the Past Five 

Years and the Results of those Efforts........................................................................ 34

Strategic Plan for meeting those needs under the Small Community Program... .... 35

Description of Any Public-Private Partnership that will Participate in the Project... 36

Description of Funding Necessary for Implementation of the Community’s 

Project.......................................................................................................................... 37

Explanation of How the Community will Ensure that its Own Funding Contribution is 

Spent in the Manner Proposed.................................................................................... 37

Descriptions of How the Community will Monitor the Progress of the Grant 

Project.......................................................................................................................... 38

Description of How the Community Plans to Continue with the Project if it is not SelfSustaining after the Grant Award Expires......................................................................38

Designation of a Legal Sponsor Responsible for Administering the Program...............38
1

Overview

The Missouri Department of Transportation – Aviation Section is working in 

conjunction with the communities of Columbia, Joplin, Kirksville and Waynesville to 

improve and enhance air service. We respectfully submit this proposal for marketing 

funds to assist these communities in bringing awareness to the traveling public about 

the benefits provided by local air service. One goal of this application will be to 

provide three communities with marketing funds to promote new Essential Air Service 

(EAS) at their airport. Another goal will be to provide marketing assistance to a 

successful air service program at the Columbia Regional Airport. A goal of the 

Missouri Department of Transportation – Aviation Section is to inform the traveling 

public within the state of all easily accessible modal choices that are available to 

them.

Background

Nine airports in the State of Missouri provide scheduled commercial airline service. 

Commercial service airports include Lambert St. Louis International (STL), Kansas City 

International (MCI), Springfield-Branson National (SGF), Columbia Regional (COU), 

Joplin Regional (JLN), Waynesville-St. Robert Regional (TBN), Cape Girardeau 

Regional (CGI), and Kirksville Regional (IRK). The ninth airport, Branson Airport 

(BKG), is a privately owned commercial service airport that opened in May, 2009.

In 2000, the State of Missouri accommodated over 20 million annual enplanements at 

eight commercial service airports. As with airports across the country, the effects of 

9/11 had a devastating impact on commercial airline service. In Missouri, this was 
2

coupled with a significant reduction in flights by American Airlines at Lambert-St. Louis 

International in 2003. These two factors led to considerable decreases in

enplanements from 2000 to 2004 at the state level. The combination of these two 

events has had a dramatic negative effect not only on Lambert, but at the smaller 

airports in the state as well. 

The graph below compares Missouri’s statewide passenger enplanements with state 

levels in Arizona and Washington. The comparison to the states of Washington and 

Arizona is used because the three states maintain similar population totals. Missouri 

has responded differently since 9/11 in enplanement activity. As shown on the graph 

below, all three states felt the effects of 9/11 but did not also experience a substantial 

service reduction from a legacy carrier, thus the impact to Arizona and Washington 

was less dramatic than it was to Missouri and these states have subsequently 

rebounded and surpassed pre-9/11 enplanement levels.

This dramatic decrease in passenger enplanement activity, principally at Lambert-St. 

Louis International Airport, has played a role in the ability of the state’s smaller 

commercial service airports to provide adequate air service from their local 

communities.

A number of factors come into play when the traveling public is considering using 

their local airport. These factors could include but would not be limited to: fares or 

cost, aircraft size, code-sharing availability with a major carrier, flight schedules, 

service reliability and service convenience. 

Along with these challenges, the four airports participating in this application are also 

faced with competition from the larger commercial service airports in the state. Both 

Lambert and Kansas City International have substantially larger service levels and 

have historically provided a competitive fare structure.

A 10 percent ticket sample of all airline tickets sold annually in the state is used to 

illustrate this point. As part of this sampling process, USDOT publishes information on 

11.8 12.4 13.0 13.4 12.5 11.7

21.9 23.0 23.4 23.7

22.4

16.1 16.5 16.9 17.8 18.3

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009(E)

Enplanements

Calendar Year 

Statewide Passenger Enplanements 

(In Millions)

MO

AZ

WA
3

the average one-way fare for all airports. The table below provides this information 

for the eight commercial service airports in the state.

Average One-way Fares

Missouri Airports, Selected Years 2000-2007

Airport

Name

1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Cape 

Girardeau

146.54 156.04 154.99 155.04 152.95 161.11 205.92 181.77 202.66 170.07

Columbia 166.46 182.34 179.13 188.02 173.52 174.80 185.91 174.60 165.07 143.37

Kirksville .00 80.90 78.11 161.14 137.13 175.68 166.13 170.70 155.85 120.62

Joplin 200.98 210.33 180.65 179.23 178.53 200.55 192.78 185.36 155.39 133.70

Kansas City 

Int’l.

123.98 114.08 130.98 121.70 117.98 118.35 121.48 128.60 133.53 132.87

Springfield 162.94 162.48 189.05 173.18 162.84 170.42 176.96 165.58 192.14 192.74

St. Louis 

Int’l.

144.49 127.82 156.13 142.97 131.05 137.69 138.72 137.21 143.86 140.98

Waynesville 144.09 188.30 182.84 184.68 216.95 240.11 283.72 267.50 301.00 238.22

All MO 

Airports

137.07 123.54 145.87 134.33 126.41 130.08 132.33 134.72 141.13 139.13

All US 

Airports

143.81 138.69 157.23 145.55 136.44 138.19 134.37 137.13 149.49 149.04

Information in this table shows average one-way fares for each airport and Missouri’s 

weighted average for all one-way fares from the eight airports. In addition, Missouri’s 

average annual one-way fare is compared to the U.S. average for the same year. As 

this information shows, while some of the smaller commercial airports in Missouri 

have had average one-way fares that exceeded the national average, both Kansas 

City International and Lambert-St. Louis International have had average one-way 

fares that have consistently been below the national average. This finding accounts

for the fact that Missouri’s average-one way fare has consistently been below the U.S. 

average.

While there are many factors that have contributed to smaller commercial airports in 

Missouri facing diminished levels of airline service and falling passenger counts, the 

comparatively lower fares at both Kansas City International and Lambert St. Louis 

International have contributed to the redistribution of Missouri’s departure patterns 

for commercial airline travelers.

Recognizing these challenges, the state aviation community worked with the Missouri 

State Legislature in 2008 and pursued a change in state statutes to expand the 

eligibility of State Aviation Trust Funds. The State Aviation Trust Fund is a fund that 

uses a portion of the sales tax on jet fuel sold within the state for capital and 

maintenance improvement projects at airports. This state program is similar to the 

Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. The expanded 

eligibility included funding for the study or promotion of expanded domestic or 

international scheduled commercial service, the study or promotion of intrastate 

scheduled commercial service, or to assist airport sponsors participating in a federally 

funded air service program supporting intrastate scheduled commercial service.

Three of the four the communities participating in this application are Essential Air 

Service communities. This application is for marketing efforts to enhance new 

Essential Air Service that will be starting at three of the four communities this fall. 

Marketing funds will also be used at the Columbia Regional Airport for their existing 

service which has been successful in coming off EAS. It is proposed that federal DOT 
4

funds pursued as part of this application will be utilized with state and local funds to 

increase marketing efforts at these four small commercial service airports.

Description of Community’s Existing Service

Columbia Regional Airport

Columbia Regional Airport is currently served by the Delta Connection (Mesaba) with 

service to Memphis. The carrier maintains three flights per day Sunday through 

Friday and two flights on Saturday. The service is provided to Memphis in Canadair 

Regional jet aircraft. Fares are determined at the time reservations are made.

Joplin Regional Airport

The Joplin Regional Airport is currently served by Great Lakes Airlines with service to 

Kansas City International Airport. The carrier maintains three flights per day. The 

service is provided to Kansas City using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Fares are 

determined at the time reservations are made. New EAS service is proposed for the 

Joplin Regional Airport starting in October, 2010.

Kirksville Regional Airport

Kirksville Regional Airport is currently served by Air Choice One with service to 

Lambert St. Louis International Airport. The service includes two round trips on 

weekdays and one round trip on Sundays. Fares are determined at the time 

reservations are made. New EAS service will begin in September when CapeAir 

begins service between Kirksville and St. Louis International Airport.

Waynesville Regional Airport

The Waynesville Regional Airport is served by Great Lakes Airlines. Great Lakes 

operates three round trips per day to Kansas City using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. 

Fares are determined at the time each reservation is made. A significant number of 

enplanements at TBN are military. New EAS service is scheduled to begin in 

Waynesville in the Fall of 2010.

The following exhibit displays the current air service provided by the four airports
5

Daily Flight Summary

Historical Service and Air Service Needs

Columbia Regional Airport (COU)

COU Catchment Area

The reasonable catchment area of Columbia Regional Airport represents an area 

within an approximately 60-minute drive of the airport. The north end of the 

catchment area reaches that of Kirksville Regional Airport, while the south end 

extends to that of Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood. On the east and west sides the 

catchment area extends along Interstate 70, overlapping with the catchment areas of 

St. Louis and Kansas City, respectively. 

The catchment area includes a population base of approximately 376,000 people and 

an average household income of approximately $52,000 dollars a year. This results in 

COU ranking #1 among the four Missouri airports in this application, both in terms of 

population and income. The Columbia area experienced strong household income 

growth during the 1990s, far outpacing real dollar level of inflation. Population growth 

during the 1990s was also strong, averaging 4.9% per year, a level only exceeded by 

the Fort Leonard Wood area.

The largest employer in the region is the University of Missouri, with over 30,000 

enrolled students and approximately 8,500 employees. The university’s hospital 

system generates an additional 4,500 jobs. Columbia Regional Airport also serves as 

the primary commercial airport for the State Capital in Jefferson City, which generates 

government related travel.
6

Columbia Regional Airport

Traffic Catchment Area

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

$29,451 $43,986 $51,764 75.8% 49.4% 17.7%

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

311,430 358,207 375,801 20.7% 15.0% 4.9%

Average Household Income

Population
7

Service History

Since the beginning of the decade, Columbia has received service from four different 

airlines:

• Between 2000 and 2006, service to St. Louis was provided by Trans States 

Airlines doing business first as Trans World Express and then transitioning to 

American Connection in 2001; 

• For a brief period in 2000 and 2001, Columbia had a “hometown airline” that 

returned the Ozark Airlines brand to the skies and offered regional jet service to 

Chicago and Dallas;1

• From 2006 to 2008, Air Midwest provided service to Kansas City that was codeshared with both US Airways and Midwest Airlines; and

• Since 2008, Columbia Regional Airport has been served by Mesaba Airlines 

operating as Delta Connection (formerly Northwest Airlink) providing 20 weekly 

roundtrips to Memphis onboard 34-passenger Saab 340 turboprops. Recently, 

this service has been upgraded to Canadair Regional Jet service.

Arguably, the current air service at COU is the best the airport has experienced at any 

point in the decade and superior to the other three Missouri airports that are the focus 

of this application. At Memphis, Columbia passengers have online access to 83 

domestic destinations and 3 international destinations, including the SkyTeam global 

alliance with nonstop service Amsterdam (see next page).

Delta Air Lines – MEM Hub

Nonstop Destinations: November 2009

SOURCE: Schedule data from Innovata, LLC extracted using Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

 1 Ozark Airlines was unprofitable, sold to a group in Oklahoma, rebranded as Great Plains Airlines, and 

subsequently went bankrupt.

Columbia Regional Airport was briefly 

home to a “hometown airline” that 

attempted to reestablish the Ozark 

Airlines brand.
8

Delta Air Lines – MEM Hub Operations

Departures and Arrivals by Hour: November 2009

Traffic Trends at COU

The strength of the current Delta Connection service is reflected in recent O&D traffic 

trends. For a majority of the decade, traffic at Columbia was steadily declining albeit 

at a slower rate than other airports in this application. 

Restoration of branded service in late 2008 has resulted in a sharp rebound of traffic, 

currently projected to reach levels of service not seen since 2001. The experience of 

COU underscores the importance of branded, code-share service in building traffic 

levels at EAS airports. This is illustrated on the graph and table below.2

 2 2009 data is Boyd Group International’s estimate based on T-100 data through July, extrapolated for the 

remainder of the year based on historical seasonality.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Departures Arrivals
9

COU O&D Passenger Trend

CY 2000 – CY 2009

COU Air Service & Traffic Trend

CY 2000- July 2009

Traffic Generation & Capture Rates

An aviation consultant hired by MoDOT estimates approximately 650,000 O&D 

passengers are generated within the Columbia Regional Airport catchment area on an 

annual basis. Notwithstanding the quality of current Delta Connection service, easy 

access via I-70 to extensive low-fare service at both St. Louis and Kansas City results 

in leakage of over 90% of all traffic generated in the catchment area.

To quantify the impact of competitive service St. Louis and Kansas City, the consultant 

calculated traffic leakage in Columbia’s top 25 O&D markets for the fourth quarter of 

2008 and the first quarter of 2009, representing the first two full quarters operated by 

Mesaba Aviation dba Delta Connection. These markets represent 76.6% of all 

Columbia traffic.3

 3 Metro area markets have been consolidated such that, for example, the LA Basin includes O&D traffic to 

and from all five airports in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. 

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009*

Psgr. 67,985 45,801 45,600 41,513 35,569 39,542 27,245 18,972 21,335 48,638

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Load Factor 34.4% 33.6% 50.2% 50.1% 50.1% 52.3% 48.7% 41.4% 44.4% 69.7%

Passengers 67,985 45,801 45,600 41,513 35,569 39,542 27,245 18,972 21,335 28,443

Daily Deps. 9.1 6.2 4.3 4.0 3.3 3.7 2.5 3.4 3.6 2.9

Daily Seats 540 376 250 232 190 214 153 130 168 194

Aircraft Type J-41, 

D328Jet

J-41, 

D328Jet J-41 J-41 J-41 J-41 J-41, Beech 1900 Beech 1900 Beech 1900, Saab 340 Saab 340

Destinations STL, DFW, 

MDW, JLN STL, JLN, MDW STL STL STL STL STL, MCI STL, MCI MCI, MEM MEM

Airlines TW/ZO AA/ZO AA AA AA AA ZV/AA ZV ZV/NW DL

Gross OW Fare $243.28 $231.14 $205.48 $212.70 $226.71 $222.03 $244.85 $258.58 $220.29 $203.74
10

Estimated COU Traffic Leakage Rates

Top 25 Markets: 4th Qtr 2008 & 1st Qtr 2009

As illustrated, this analysis revealed that Columbia Regional Airport is leaking 

approximately 317,500 enplanements on annualized basis. 

It is noteworthy that over the past two quarters Columbia has recaptured a 

significantly higher number of international passengers. From 2000 to 2006, air 

service at Columbia Regional Airport generated approximately 700 annual O&D 

international passengers. Since service was initiated by Mesaba/Delta Connection, 

however, international passengers have comprised approximately 3% of all O&D 

traffic, putting the airport on pace to capture approximately 1,200 annual 

international O&D passengers. 

Assuming air service quantity and quality on par with current levels, and assuming no 

major change in air service at STL or MCI, the MoDOT air service consultant projects 

that Columbia Regional Airport could reasonably capture a maximum of 50,000 to 

60,000 annual O&D passengers.4

Regional Distribution of Traffic

 4 It is noted that Columbia exceeded this number during 2000, however this was a “bubble” largely 

attributable to Ozark Airlines and is unlikely to be repeated in the foreseeable future.

Market COU Captured 

Passengers

Total Regional 

Passenger 

Enplanements 

(COU, MCI, & STL)

COU %

COU Catchment Area 

Generated 

Enplanements

COU Leaked 

Enplanements

Dallas 1,675 449,896 0.4% 31,628 29,953

Memphis 1,600 20,247 7.9% 1,423 0

Baltimore/Washington 1,656 445,166 0.4% 31,295 29,639

Orlando 1,287 335,306 0.4% 23,572 22,285

Austin 983 80,886 1.2% 5,686 4,703

New York 976 362,124 0.3% 25,457 24,481

Atlanta 928 284,905 0.3% 20,029 19,101

Houston 911 192,351 0.5% 13,522 12,611

Tampa 747 183,769 0.4% 12,919 12,172

Detroit 747 158,214 0.5% 11,122 10,376

Philadelphia 611 178,075 0.3% 12,519 11,908

San Antonio 592 103,095 0.6% 7,248 6,655

Raleigh-Durham 591 87,443 0.7% 6,147 5,556

New Orleans 582 75,609 0.8% 5,315 4,733

Columbus 564 76,176 0.7% 5,355 4,791

Phoenix 563 294,281 0.2% 20,688 20,125

LA Basin 553 419,571 0.1% 29,496 28,943

Nashville 510 87,563 0.6% 6,156 5,646

South Florida 465 237,498 0.2% 16,696 16,231

Cleveland 455 107,871 0.4% 7,583 7,128

Birmingham 385 33,831 1.1% 2,378 1,993

Oklahoma City 292 64,092 0.5% 4,506 4,214

Boston 288 129,766 0.2% 9,123 8,835

Greensboro 277 9,974 2.8% 701 424

Denver 275 347,164 0.1% 24,406 24,131

Pensacola 260 15,805 1.6% 1,111 851

Total 18,773 4,780,678 0.4% 336,082 317,485

Dallas = DFW, DAL | Houston=HOU, IAH | Baltimore/Washington=BWI, IAD, DCA | New York=LGA, EWR, JFK | LA Basin = LAX, 

ONT, BUR, SNA | South Florida = MIA, FLL
11

Regional distribution of traffic is partially a factor of communities interest but also 

impacted by the specific air service offered at a particular airport and, therefore, 

levels of traffic captured. Shifts in regional distribution of traffic at Columbia that 

coincide with shifts in air service support this assertion. 

Shifts in Regional Distribution of Traffic at COU

Market Response to Changing Airline Systems and Hubs

As illustrated on the above maps, distribution of traffic “shifts” based on the 

orientation of the service offered by a specific airline. In other words, when 

percentages of total traffic shift between regions it does not necessarily translate into 

a underlying or fundamental shift in demand. Rather, it provides a gauge of how 

current or historical service levels met market demand for travel to a specific region 

by offering convenient and competitively priced connecting options. For example, 

demand as a percentage of passengers doubled in the far west region as a result of 

service to Kansas City on Air Midwest. Likewise, Delta Connection service has resulted 

in a doubling in the demand a percentage of passengers to the southeast region. 

It is recognized that new nonstop service, especially when accompanied by a 

reduction in fares, can stimulate “net new” demand, as is often the case when an 

airline such as Southwest or AirTran enters a market. However, in a market such as 

Columbia, resultant levels of stimulation are likely too small particularly when the 

relatively small increments of capacity offered are considered.
12

Pricing & Fares

The MoDOT air service consultant analyzed average gross fare paid at Columbia 

relative to those paid at MCI and STL for the first quarter of 2009 with the intent of 

determining whether such were a major cause of traffic leakage.5 As illustrated on the 

graphs on the following pages, fares at COU are generally competitive with 

neighboring airports and, therefore, not believed to result in significant traffic leakage. 

Rather, convenience of nonstop service and higher frequencies are likely greater 

factors.

Of note and as illustrated on the following graphs, the consultant found that (in most 

cases) Delta’s pricing at COU appeared to focus more on remaining competitive with 

nearby St. Louis and Kansas City rather than simply pricing the market at MEM plus 

an add-on (either flat fee or percentage), which is often the strategy employed in EAS 

markets. We believe the rebound in Columbia passenger traffic reflects the success of 

this pricing strategy and efforts should be made to ensure it continues.

Columbia – Dallas/Fort Worth

Average Gross OW Fare Paid: 1st Quarter 2009

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

 5 Gross fare includes all taxes and fees.

Columbia Memphis St. Louis Kansas City

Gross OW Fare $115.01 $225.38 $126.24 $129.74 

$0.00 

$50.00 

$100.00 

$150.00 

$200.00 

$250.00 

Columbia

Memphis

St. Louis

Kansas City
13

Columbia – Baltimore/Washington

Average Gross OW Fare Paid: 1st Quarter 2009

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

To Dallas, Columbia’s largest O&D market, consumers using COU had the lowest 

average fare of the compared airports. To the Baltimore/Washington metro area, 

COU’s average fare is only $30 to 40 dollars higher than either St. Louis or Kansas 

City, less than the cost of driving from Columbia and parking at either city.

Columbia – Los Angeles Basin

Average Gross OW Fare Paid: 1st Quarter 2009

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Columbia Memphis St. Louis Kansas City

Gross OW Fare $231.11 $247.64 $199.50 $191.48 

$0.00 

$50.00 

$100.00 

$150.00 

$200.00 

$250.00 

$300.00 

Columbia

Memphis

St. Louis

Kansas City

Columbia Memphis St. Louis Kansas City

Gross OW Fare $270.23 $256.94 $215.42 $180.63 

$0.00 

$50.00 

$100.00 

$150.00 

$200.00 

$250.00 

$300.00 

Columbia

Memphis

St. Louis

Kansas City
14

Columbia – Orlando

Average Gross OW Fare Paid: 1st Quarter 2009

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Fares between Columbia and the Los Angeles basin are higher than St. Louis or 

Kansas City, but slightly lower than Memphis which is interesting when considering 

the fact that Delta has to carry a COU passenger over MEM on the way to or from Los 

Angeles.

The average fare premium paid by Orlando passengers at COU is only $20 dollars, 

easily cheaper than driving and parking at STL or MCI. However, in leisure markets of 

this nature such a differential is often sufficient to drive traffic leakage. For a family of 

five this equates to $100 each way, or $200 roundtrip. 

Columbia Memphis St. Louis Kansas City

Gross OW Fare $166.04 $141.46 $150.12 $144.50 

$0.00 

$20.00 

$40.00 

$60.00 

$80.00 

$100.00 

$120.00 

$140.00 

$160.00 

$180.00 

Columbia

Memphis

St. Louis

Kansas City
15

Columbia – New York City Area

Average Gross OW Fare Paid: 1st Quarter 2009

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Like the LA Basin, average fares paid at Columbia to and from New York City are 

higher than St. Louis or Kansas City. Going forward, it is reasonable to expect that 

approximately $40 gap will increase given Southwest’s recently entry into New YorkLaGuardia, which will put downward pressure on fares to both STL and MCI.

Joplin Regional Airport (JLN)

JLN Catchment Area

Geographically, the catchment area of Joplin Regional Airport is the largest of the four 

Missouri airports in this application and reaches into three states: Missouri, Oklahoma, 

and Kansas. The northern reaches of the catchment area bound that of Kansas City 

International Airport, which as outlined below, is a major source of traffic leakage. 

The eastern fringes of the catchment area share traffic with Springfield-Branson 

National Airport, which provides access to multiple airline brands and leisure service 

by Allegiant Air, while the western fringes are shared with Tulsa, which offers access 

to low-fare carriers Southwest and Frontier.6

The JLN catchment area has a population of approximately 300,000 with an average 

household income of approximately $45,000. Since 1990 and relative to the other 

Missouri markets analyzed in this application, Joplin has been in the middle of the 

pack in terms of both population and household income growth. 

 6 The northwest quadrant of the catchment area likely leaks some traffic to Wichita, which has multiple 

national airline brands and limited low-fare service from AirTran Airways.
16

Joplin Regional Airport

Traffic Catchment Area

Like most communities around the US, Joplin has experienced economic challenges 

during the current recession albeit not the same degree as others. During September 

2009, unemployment in the Joplin area was 7.8%, two full points below the national 

average.

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

$25,365 $38,611 $45,170 78.1% 52.2% 17.0%

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

262,958 291,810 300,719 14.4% 11.0% 3.1%

Average Household Income

Population
17

A key factor in this may be Joplin’s diverse economic base. Major employers include 

Freeman Health System (3,200 people), Conway Truckload Corporation (2,700 

people), Leggett & Platt (2,400 people), and a relatively new AT&T call center. Joplin 

also serves as the agricultural center for southern Missouri and southeastern Kansas. 

Service History & Traffic Trend

During 2000, Joplin Regional Airport was served by three airlines providing service to 

five nonstop destinations: 

• Trans States Airlines dba Trans World Express to St. Louis;

• Express I Airlines dba Northwest Airlink to Memphis and Louisville; and

• Ozark Airlines to Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago, tied to Columbia.

In early 2001 Ozark was sold to a group that moved the airline to Oklahoma and 

discontinued service in Missouri. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Express 

I restructured its fleet and, along with a temporary downsizing of the Memphis hub by 

Northwest, discontinued service at JLN during 2002. 

This left Tran States as the sole provider of service at Joplin Regional Airport for 

approximately three years. During this period, service was incrementally reduced in 

response to downsizing of the STL hub and a run-up in fuel prices.7 During 2006, 

Trans States discontinued all turboprop operations and exited the market. 

Air Midwest was selected as the provider of Essential Air Service at Joplin, serving 

both Kansas City and Dallas/Fort Worth. In 2008, Air Midwest closed its doors as 

economics of 19-seaters became increasingly challenged and parent-company Mesa 

Air Group began to implement a strategic restructuring. 

After a period without any service, Great Lakes Aviation initiated EAS service at Joplin, 

operating three roundtrips each weekday (reduced frequencies on weekends) to 

Kansas City with Beechcraft 1900D equipment at an annual subsidy rate of $997,700. 

The current EAS contract is set to expire on September 30, 2010.

As would be expected, the declining levels of air service have resulted in concurrent 

declines in passenger traffic. Annual passengers utilizing Joplin Regional Airport have 

declined from 66,589 during 2000 to just 9,700 during 2008 – a decrease of 85%. 

 7 While Trans States had previously operated as Trans World Express, during this period it was operating as 

American Connection.
18

JLN O&D Passenger Trend

CY 2000 – CY 2009

NOTE: Data for 2009 is forecast based on T-100 filings through July 2009 with the balance of year adjusted to reflect market sesonality.

JLN Air Service & Traffic Trend

CY 2000- July 2009

Of all the Missouri communities in this application, Joplin experienced the most 

dramatic decline in air service and traffic over the past decade. From three airlines 

nonstop service to five destinations and nearly 67,000 passengers in 2000, to one 

airline, one destination, and less than 10,000 passengers in 2009. The events at Joplin 

encapsulate the challenge facing air service at small communities, not only in Missouri 

but across the United States.

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Psgr. 66,589 59,892 52,683 29,426 20,604 19,415 21,966 29,505 9,700 7,432

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Load Factor 38.3% 39.8% 62.2% 46.4% 47.7% 48.7% 51.0% 58.0% 28.6% 20.1%

Passengers 66,589 59,892 52,683 29,426 20,604 19,415 21,966 29,505 9,700 4,346

Daily Deps. 7.6 6.6 3.7 2.9 2.0 1.8 2.5 3.7 2.4 2.6

Daily Seats 476 412 232 174 118 109 118 140 93 101

Aircraft Type

J-41, J-31, 

D328Jet, 

Saab 340

J-41, 

D328Jet, 

Saab 340

J-41, Saab 

340 J-41 J-41 J-41 J-41, B1900 B1900 B1900 B1900

Destinations

STL, MEM, 

DFW, COU, 

SGF

STL, MEM, 

DFW, COU, 

SGF

STL, MEM STL STL STL STL, DFW, 

MCI MCI, DFW MCI MCI

Airlines

Trans 

States/ 

Ozark/ 

Express I

Trans 

States/ 

Ozark 

/Express I

Trans 

States/ 

Express I/ 

Pinnacle

Trans 

States

Trans 

States

Trans 

States

Air 

Midwest/ 

Trans 

States

Air Midwest

Air 

Midwest/ 

Great 

Lakes

Great 

Lakes

Gross Average 

OW Fare $229.82 $212.63 $216.98 $243.99 $234.52 $238.06 $249.88 $227.95 $252.74 $235.55
19

In 2002, over 52,600 passengers utilized Joplin Regional Airport. This passenger count 

exceeds that generated by the three airports in a Delta Eight EAS docket – Eau Claire, 

WI; Hancock/Houhgton, MI; and Paducah, KY – and which were awarded to SkyWest 

Airlines dba United Express using 50-seat regional jets. With US DOT apparently 

more open to regional jets in the Essential Air Service program, the MoDOT aviation 

consultant has suggested that Joplin begin the dialouge now with potential carriers to 

educate them on the potential of the Joplin market with the aim of receiving multiple 

bids when the Great Lakes Aviation contract expires in September 2010. 

Traffic Generation & Leakage

Based on population and the economic base, the catchment area of Joplin Regional 

Airport generates approximately 250,000 O&D passengers annually. With 

enplanements during 2009 forecast to be approximately 7,400, the market presently 

suffers a leakage rate of 98 percent. If, as outined above, improvements in air service 

can be achieved it is estimated that traffic at Joplin could reach 50,000 annual O&D 

passengers, reducing the leakage rate to approximately 80 percent.

The primary leakage points for Joplin are Kansas City International Airport and Tulsa 

International Airport, both of which are within reasonable driving distance and provide 

access to low-fare carrier service. 

• Tulsa International Airport is approximately 120 miles (two hours drive time) 

away, and receives nonstop service from four Comprehensive Network Carriers 

(American, Continental, Delta, and United) and two Low-Cost Network Carriers 

(Southwest and Frontier). Tulsa provides travelers with an average 5,767 seats on 

62 daily departures to 17 nonstop destinations. Approximately 39% of the 

departing seats each day on the Low-Cost Network Carriers.8

 8 Schedule data for both TUL and MCI is for October 2009 and sourced from Innovata, LLC via 

Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Traffic leakage at Joplin Regional 

Airport is estimated to approximate 98 

percent. This is the result of 

insufficient air service under the 

current EAS contract, as well as traffic 

leakage to low-fare carriers at MCI and 

TUL.
20

Nonstop Service from Kansas City 

International Airport (MCI)

October 2009

SOURCE: Schedule data from Innovata, LLC extracted using Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Nonstop Service from Tulsa

International Airport (TUL)

October 2009

SOURCE: 

Schedule data from Innovata, LLC extracted using Airports:USA® DataMinerTM
21

• Kansas City International airport is approximately 190 miles (two hours and 45 

minutes drive time) away, and provides travelers with the choice of seven CNC 

brands (Air Canada, America, Continental, Delta, Midwest, United, and US 

Airways) three low-cost network carriers (AirTran, Frontier, and Southwest), and 

Great Lakes Aviation. 9 Collectively, these carriers offer an average of 19,275 

departing seats on 186 departures to 50 destinations. Approximately, 46% of the 

daily departing seats from MCI are on Low-Cost Network Carriers.

Compare these service patterns, as illustrated on the maps on the previous page, with 

the single carrier offering service to a single destination currently available at Joplin 

Regional Airport.

While Tulsa is closer than Kansas City to Joplin, and the drive on Interstate 44 is 

easier to TUL, we believe the greater choice of carriers and overall availability of lowfare seats at MCI negates much of this advantage, resulting in a fairly even split of 

traffic leakage to the two airports. 

A secondary point of traffic leakage for Joplin is Springfield-Branson National Airport. 

While at approximately 70 miles (one hour and 20 minutes), SGF is a shorter drive 

than either MCI or TUL, the options this airport offers to travelers is significantly less 

than the former two. It offers access to three CNC brands, and one leisure carrier 

(Allegiant Air) and 1,515 seats on an average of 27 daily departures. Equally as 

important, there is little economic incentive for utilizing SGF given that, on average, 

passengers using Joplin Regional Airport pay a lower fare.

Average Gross OW Fare Paid

YE 1Q2009: JLN, MCI, TUL, SGF

$246.87

$176.93

$195.35

$262.56

$0.00

$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

$300.00

Joplin Kansas City Tulsa Springfield/Branson

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Of the four Missouri communities in this application, Joplin appeared to have the 

strongest level of international O&D demand during the first six years of the decade, 

 9 Midwest Airlines is not a CNC is the sense of network breadth, however its fundamental pricing model 

does not categorize this airline as Low-Cost Network Carrier either.
22

averaging approximately 1,000 passengers annually. Reductions in service during the 

latter half of the decade, and particularly loss of branded airline service with 

international destinations as a route network component, has resulted in a decline of 

international passengers at JLN to less than 100 annually. 

As with domestic traffic, the decline in international passengers does not reflect 

shrinking demand but rather passengers in the Joplin Regional Airport opting to utilize 

other airports with greater frequency (i.e., increased traffic leakage). 

Regional Distribution of Traffic

At most airports, regional distribution of traffic skews toward those regions where 

convenient connections are available. This was illustrated above at Columbia, where 

traffic was weighted toward the southeast United States due to that region being the 

primary orientation of the Memphis hub. Amplifying this situation in markets with 

significant traffic leakage is the breadth of service at those airports where traffic is 

leaking. For example, there’s little economic incentive for a passenger to pay an “addon” fare from JLN to MCI for a connection to Las Vegas when there are multiple 

nonstops from both MCI and TUL, and both airports are a reasonably convenient 

drive.

Regional distribution of traffic at Joplin Regional Airport has shifted as service options 

at the airport dissipated. As with other markets, while there may be minimal shifts in 

true demand resulting from changes in communities of interest, on a macro-level this 

is less likely the result of changing demand but rather changes in how air service 

meets demand. 

As the maps on the next page illustrate, the loss of connections via hubs other than 

MCI has resulted in significant shifts of a regional distribution of traffic. What is 

hidden in the shifting percentages, however, is the large increase in the amount of 

traffic leakage that the airport experiences, which is best reflected by the overall 

declining numbers of passengers. 

Equally as important, what the data does not show are the large number of “hidden 

connections” that result from passengers utilizing two separate tickets for a single 

itinerary. In these instances, a passenger may buy a ticket from Joplin to Kansas on 

Great Lakes Aviation and then a separate ticket on AirTran Airways to Atlanta. This 

traffic, because it is two separate tickets, tends to understate the true market demand 

between JLN and Atlanta and then overstate market demand between JLN and MCI as 

well as between MCI and ATL. While such ticketing practices are believed to be a 

relatively low percentage of all itineraries, in a market with as few total passengers as 

Joplin it can easily alter the validity of data. This is illustrated by the change in traffic 

percentages to the Plains region increasing from 9.1% of total traffic during 2000 to 

over 27% of traffic in 2009.

International traffic at Joplin Regional 

Airport has declined by 90% from 

approximately 1,000 O&D passengers 

annually early in the decade to 

presently less than 100 per year.
23

Regional Distribution of Traffic at JLN

2nd Quarter 2000 v 2nd Quarter 2009
24

The point is two-fold: First, it is unlikely that fundamental traffic demand at Joplin 

shifted as much as indicated between 2000 and 2009. Rather, because of changes in 

air service, what changed was the profile of the traffic that the airport captured. 

Second, during 2000 Joplin Regional Airport had a wider breadth of air service and 

captured a larger percentage of overall traffic generated in the region thereby 

minimizing the statistical impact of small shifts in regional demand. Based on this, the 

MoDOT aviation consultant believes it provides a more accurate representation of 

regional demand distribution in the Joplin catchment area, both in 2000 and 2009.

Kirksville Regional Airport (IRK)

IRK Catchment Area

Kirksville is the smallest of all airports analyzed as part of this study, serving a 

catchment population area of less than 68,000.

The economic base of Kirksville’s catchment area is diverse. It is composed of 

agriculture, manufacturing, and a plethora of regional health care facilities. The 

community serves as a regional hub for retail, health care, and higher education. 

The population has remained static. The area did experience a period of strong 

income growth during the 1990’s, however this slowed during the current decade. Of 

the four markets in this application, Kirksville experienced the slowest rate of income 

growth and as a result of its rural location, has the lowest average household income.

Kirksville has two universities and a community college-Truman State University, A.T. 

Still College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Moberly Area Community College. 

Kraft Foods operates a meat processing plant as well as manufacturers exist in 

medical equipment, commercial envelopes, steel and wood products, and electronic 

sensors. Also within the catchment area but outside of Kirksville are value added 

agricultural manufacturers – Farmland Industries Hog Slaughter Plant in Milan, 

ethanol production and recycling manufacturers in Macon, and other small 

manufacturers in Marceline and Brookfield. While many of these industries typically 

are drivers of traffic demand, the overall lack of population of this rural area points to 

relatively low generation of passenger traffic around Kirksville Regional Airport. 

Moreover, and as discussed below, both the more comprehensive service at 

neighboring metropolitan airports captures the majority of the limited traffic that is 

generated and the historical unreliability of past air service in Kirksville reduces 

passenger numbers.

 
25

Kirksville Regional Airport

Traffic Catchment Area

Market Service History & Current Service

Since the beginning of the decade, Kirksville has been served by three carriers. 

Redwing Airways, which was based at Kirksville Regional Airport, shut down in late 

2000 and was replaced by RegionsAir operating Jetstream 31 aircraft under the Trans 

World Express banner and later as American Connection. This provided the market 

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

$22,730 $35,784 $41,036 80.5% 57.4% 14.7%

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

67,299 68,841 67,624 0.5% 2.3% -1.8%

Average Household Income

Population
26

with branded service to St. Louis. Following revocation of RegionsAir operating 

certificate, service was provided by Air Midwest to Kansas City for a brief period until 

that carrier ceased operating during 2008 for economic reasons.10

IRK O&D Passenger Trend

CY 2000 – CY 2009

SOURCE: T-100 filings in Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

IRK Air Service & Traffic Trend

CY 2000- July 2009

 

SOURCE: Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Air service at Kirksville is currently provided by Air Choice One, operating 11 weekly 

roundtrips to St. Louis with Beechcraft Baron 58 aircraft at an annual subsidy rate of 

$806,169. The current EAS contract awarded is set to expire in 2010.

As the graph and data table on the previous page illustrate, until recently Air Choice 

One made little inroad with regard to increasing passenger enplanement levels at IRK. 

 10 Revocation of RegionsAir operating certificate was the result of an FAA investigation of the carrier 

following a fatal accident at Kirksville Regional Airport in October 2004 that killed 11 and seriously injured 

two, and was determined by the National Transportation Safety Board to be the result of pilot performance 

and training.

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Psgr. 1,544 4,794 4,714 4,428 4,140 2,793 3,428 3,517 1,921 1,936

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Load Factor 16.5% 21.6% 21.2% 19.8% 19.1% 12.7% 16.0% 10.7% 14.0% 27.8%

Passengers 1,544 4,794 4,714 4,428 4,140 2,793 3,428 3,517 1,921 1,132

Daily Deps. 2.8 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 2.5 1.4 1.7

Daily Seats 26 31 31 31 29 30 29 47 19 10

Aircraft Type Queenair/ 

J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 B1900/ J-31 B1900 Baron/ B1900 Baron

Destinations STL/MCI STL STL STL STL STL STL/MCI UIN/MCI MCI/STL STL

Airlines Redwing/ 

RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir Regions Air/ Air Midwest Air Midwest

Air Midwest/ 

Air Choice 

One

Air Choice 

One

Gross OW Fare $145.29 $199.57 $174.08 $205.14 $204.98 $219.20 $225.09 $261.96 $386.21 $53.74
27

The fact that Air Choice One service operates to the FBO terminal at St. Louis, does 

not offer interline connections, and is not available for sale in major GDS systems 

means that Kirksville lacks basic connectivity with the national air transportation 

system.

Discussions with the Kirksville community indicate that Air Choice One has provided a 

much higher level of reliability than previous operators, flights crews and station 

personnel are very customer oriented, and that ridership has been increasing. These 

are all positive steps that have resulted in Air Choice One garnering support in the 

Kirksville community.

Still lacking, however, is availability of flights in key Internet distribution channels 

(i.e., Travelocity, Kayak, Expedia, etc.) and GDS systems. Air Choice One has 

indicated to the community that sales through these channels will be effective in 

2010, and plans to implement interline ticketing and baggage during 2010 as well.

Traffic Generation & Leakage

MoDOT’s air service consultant estimates that the relatively small population and 

economic profile of the Kirksville Regional Airport catchment area generates 

approximately 30,000 O&D passengers annually. With current air service capturing 

less than 2,000 of these passengers, the traffic leakage exceeds 95 percent. 

The vast majority of traffic leakage is occurring to St. Louis and Kansas City, both of 

which are reasonably accessible down State Highway 63 which interchanges with 

Interstate 70, and which provide consumers with a large choice of nonstop 

destinations, including a substantial number of departures on low-fare carriers.

Traffic capture rates could be marginally improved with a change in carrier as 

discussed above, however we do not believe that the number of O&D passengers 

utilizing IRK will ever return to the peak levels experienced during the early part of 

the decade when RegionsAir provided American Connection service on 19-seater 

turboprops. This is a factor of both the pull-down of the STL hub by American Airlines, 

the reality that future capacity increments at Kirksville are likely to be on 9-seaters, 

and the fact that IRK pricing is unlikely to competitive with fares offered at STL or 

MCI.
28

Regional Distribution of Traffic

As Air Choice One does not provide interline connections and travelers must buy a 

separate ticket for travel beyond St. Louis, data that quantifies regional distribution of 

traffic at Kirksville is virtually non-existent. The situation at IRK is more pronounced 

than at Joplin, as was discussed previously.

However, if it is assumed that communities of interest have not shifted too 

dramatically during the intervening period, a look back to the second quarter of 2004 

when RegionsAir provided American Connection branded can provide a reasonable 

estimate of likely distribution of traffic demand at Kirksville Regional Airport.

Regional Distribution of Traffic at IRK

2nd Quarter 2004

As the map indicates, the strongest demand was for travel to the southwest region of 

the United States, followed by the Plains region and then the Great Lakes region. 

Lacking data to the contrary and a major significant economic shift, we believe that 

this a reasonable representation

Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood (TBN)

TBN Catchment Area

Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood is served by Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Forney 

Field Airport (TBN) which is a public use facility owned and operated by the US Army. 
29

The Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood catchment area is bordered to the south by that 

of Springfield-Branson National Airport and the north by that of Columbia Regional 

Airport. To the east, and easily accessible via Interstate 44, is St. Louis. 

Over the past two decades the Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood catchment area has 

seen strong growth both in terms of average household income and population. Of all 

the communities in this application, the Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood had the 

highest percentage growth in population and it had the second highest in average 

household income. 

Waynesville – St. Robert Regional 

Forney Field Airport

Traffic Catchment Area

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

$25,601 $39,553 $46,085 80.0% 54.5% 16.5%

1990 2000 2007 % Change % Change 90-00 % Change 00-07

107,423 114,585 123,838 15.3% 6.7% 8.1%

Average Household Income

Population
30

The Fort Leonard Wood military installation is the primary economic driver within the 

catchment area. At any given time, the base and surrounding area has a population of 

approximately 100,000. This includes over 7,000 civilians, 14,000 military trainees, 

and approximately 6,000 permanent military personnel. The remainder of the 

supported “population” constitutes families of active duty personnel and retirees. Fort 

Leonard Wood has benefited from the Defense Base Closure and Realignment 

Committee (BRAC), experiencing facility expansion and assignment of additional 

personnel. In this context, the future of the base as an important part of the US 

military infrastructure and local economy is deemed secure.

Market Service History

For most of the current decade, Waynesville/Fort Leonard was provided branded 

service to the St. Louis hub, first as Trans World Express and then American 

Connection. RegionsAir served the market until revocation of its operating certificate 

by the FAA in 2007, when Great Lakes Aviation bid and was awarded the EAS contract 

to provide 18 weekly roundtrips to Kansas City and St. Louis at an annual subsidy rate 

of $519,858. Great Lakes Aviation service is not affiliated with a global airline brand, 

but does offer interline connections and distribution via GDS and Internet booking 

engines. 

In October 2009, US DOT awarded Great Lakes Aviation the EAS designation at 

Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood for another two year period ending October 31, 2011 

at an annual subsidy rate $1.29 million. In awarding the contract, US DOT granted 

Great Lakes the flexibility to operate service to Kansas City or St. Louis, but at a 

minimum of 18 weekly roundtrips. Great Lakes has been pulling down its St. Louis 

operation and current schedule data indicates service to Kansas City only

US DOT renewal of Great Lakes Aviation as the EAS provider was done so despite 

comments submitted by the military regarding the low-level of reliability that the 

carrier provides. This, along with the fact service is not branded an on-line 

connection, has resulted in declining passenger traffic since Great Lakes took over 

service at TBN.

In May 2010, Great Lakes Aviation provided notice to terminate Essential Air Service 

at TBN. Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood is expected to begin working with a new EAS 

provider in the Fall of 2010. 

In recent years, Great Lakes Aviation 

has provided nonstop service between 

Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood and 

two hubs. MCI service was supported 

by EAS subsidy, whereas Great Lakes 

flew STL at its own risk.
31

TBN O&D Passenger Trend

CY 2000 – CY 2009

SOURCE: T-100 filings in Airports:USA® DataMinerTM, 2009 traffic is actual through July and forecast for remainder of year

TBN Air Service & Traffic Trend

CY 2000- July 2009

SOURCE: 

Airports:USA® DataMinerTM

Note the sharp drop in traffic during 2007 reflects a temporary period without air 

service following the revocation of RegionsAir operating certificate.

Traffic Generation & Leakage

The Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood catchment generates an estimated 75,000 O&D 

passengers annually. With O&D passengers forecast to approximate 14,000 during 

2009, this equates to a market leakage rate of 81 percent. While not as pronounced 

as in some of the markets in this application, it nevertheless represents a significant 

level of leakage.

There are two major factors resulting in traffic leakage at Waynesville/Fort Leonard 

Wood:

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Psgr. 15,026 17,182 13,898 13,273 14,252 17,114 16,537 3,429 10,501 14,054

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Load Factor 40.6% 51.6% 41.8% 42.1% 42.5% 50.9% 50.9% 34.5% 25.4% 23.5%

Passengers 15,026 17,182 13,898 13,273 14,252 17,114 16,537 3,429 10,501 7,027

Daily Deps. 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 0.7 3.0 3.6

Daily Seats 91 91 91 86 92 92 89 27 114 140

Aircraft Type J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31 J-31/B1900 B1900 B1900

Destinations STL STL STL STL STL STL STL STL MCI/STL MCI/STL

Airlines Transtates/ 

Regions Air RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir RegionsAir/ Great Lakes Great Lakes Great Lakes

Gross OW Fare $244.73 $241.96 $262.91 $279.37 $327.36 $318.94 $349.68 $369.47 $369.69 $342.82
32

• Proximity and ease of access to low-fare service at both St. Louis and Tulsa (to a 

lesser degree, Springfield-Branson) via Interstate 44; and

• Low market confidence in Great Lakes Aviation, partiuclarly among the military 

which is the largest driver of passenger traffic in the region, due to past 

operational reliability.

While there is little that can be done to counteract the impact of low-fare service, the 

community and airport can work with the EAS provider to improve overall operational 

reliability. Under the best of circumstances, it is estimated that the airport could 

capture approximately 20,000 O&D passengers, slightly more than the peak levels 

achieved during the early part of the decade.

In addition to Kansas City and St. Louis, a small amount of traffic leakage may be 

occurring to Springfield-Branson National Airport, located along the southern 

boundary of the Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Forney Field Airport catchment area. 

While the only low-fare service at SGF is on Allegiant Air, the market does provide 

access to CNC branded carriers and multiple hubs.

Finally, we would note that leakage of international traffic at Waynesville/Fort Leonard 

Wood is exceptionally high and has been for some time. To illustrate this, despite 

branded access to the TWA (and later American hub) at STL, Waynesville/Fort 

Leonard Wood only generated an average of 200 international passengers on an 

annual basis in the early part of the decade. Since Great Lakes assumed operations at 

TBN, not a single international passenger has shown up in the O&D traffic database. 

This is exceptionally unusual for a market with such a high dependence on military 

traffic and indicates high levels of “high value” traffic leakage. At the very least, traffic 

to points such as Frankfurt and Seoul, South Korea should appear in O&D tables. 11

Regional Distribution of Traffic

Notwithstanding service reliability issues, the reported regional distribution of traffic at 

Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood probably provides a more accurate picture of true 

demand distribution given that the airport had service to two hubs. 

Data for the second quarter of 2009 indicates strong demand to the Plains and 

Southeast regions of the United States (see map on next page). As with other 

markets, a portion of the Plains region demand is likely attributable to an exaggerated 

percentage of ticket sales to STL and MCI, when passengers then connect to another 

flight on separate ticket. That said, indicated demand to and from the Southeast 

region likely reflects a true community of interest.

 11 Airport personnel at TBN indicate that there are 2-3 international PDEW. While this may be accurate, 

these passengers presently do not appear on the international O&D data as reported by the airlines to the 

US Department of Transportation. 
33

Regional Distribution of Traffic at TBN

2nd Quarter 2009

Pricing Issues

As with virtually any market that depends on unbranded service using interline 

agreements for access to the national air transportation system, competitive fares 

relative to MCI and STL are an issue for the Waynesville/Fort Leonard Wood market. 

Great Lakes interline agreements require the passenger to either pay a higher fare by 

connecting to a Comprehensive Network Carrier (CNC) or a separate ticket to connect 

with Low-Fare Network Airlines. This discourages travel from TBN and encourages 

traffic leakage.

Summary

As evidenced by a historical analysis of air service activity at these airports, all airports 

have at one time or another supported substantially larger numbers of passenger 

enplanements and have catchment areas with adequate population and income to 

support higher enplanement levels. A number of circumstances can influence the use 

of these airports that could include but would not be limited to fares or cost, aircraft 

size, code-sharing availability, flights schedules and service reliability.

Since three of the four communities in this application will be receiving new EAS 

service in late 2010, the marketing funds proposed within this application for those 

communities will go toward promoting awareness within the local communities of this 

new service. The Columbia Regional Airport has been successful with the Delta 

Connection service to Memphis. The proposed funding in this application will go 

toward enhancing and securing a continued growth of this service. While the three 

remaining EAS communities have population levels, income and catchment areas that 
34

would support higher enplanement levels, all communities are pursuing enhanced air 

service to accommodate existing demand. 

Description of the Community’s Air Service 

Development Efforts over the Past Five Years 

and the Results of those Efforts

Columbia Regional Airport

The City of Columbia has actively pursued additional air service in recent years with 

the assistance of an air service consulting firm. The City has also worked successfully 

with other communities and mid-Missouri entities to provide a financial commitment 

for air service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport but have not been successful in 

attracting a carrier. The City has utilized local funding for airline marketing purposes 

and has secured State Aviation Trust Fund Air Service Grants. The local funding and 

state air service grants have allowed COU to market the current Delta Connection 

service to the mid-Missouri region through means not previously utilized, and the City 

has been effective in educating the public and increasing enplanement levels in 2009 

and 2010 to pre 9/11 enplanement levels. 

Joplin Regional Airport

The Joplin Regional Airport has been active in air service development for a number 

of years. JLN has worked with an air service consultant and has aggressively pursued 

new markets and carriers. In 2005, Joplin received a Small Community Air Service 

Development Grant that was used as a revenue guarantee for Joplin to Dallas service. 

The Joplin Regional Airport participates in the State Aviation Trust Fund Air Service 

Development Grant program.

Kirksville Regional Airport

Little marketing has been done at the Kirksville Regional Airport prior to 2006. In 

2007, the Kirksville Regional Airport received a Small Community Air Service grant for 

$30,000. The Kirksville Regional Airport participates in MoDOT’s State Aviation Trust 

Fund Air Service Grant program and has initiated a print, radio, TV and billboard 

advertising campaign.

Waynesville Regional Airport

Air service development is in its infancy at TBN. Great Lakes Airlines has devoted 

funds for the development and marketing of service from the airport. The community 

has also undertaken marketing efforts in partnership with Lambert- St. Louis 

International Airport. The Waynesville Regional Airport also participates in the State 

Aviation Trust Fund Air Service Development Grant program. This program has 

provided funding for billboards/signage along Interstate 44, local print-media 

advertising, promotional activities, and radio and television advertising.
35

Strategic Plan for Meeting those Needs under 

the Small Community Program

Advertising Campaign

The target audiences for the advertising campaign will consist of the approximate 

catchment area for each of the airports. The advertising plan will consist of a 

multimedia campaign promoting the new EAS service in three communities, the Delta 

Connection service at Columbia and the benefits of such. The campaign will use 

radio, billboards, newspapers, internet and television.

Communication Campaign

Along with the advertising campaign, a secondary campaign consisting of educating 

the local public, businesses, chambers of commerce, community organizations, etc. 

about local air service, its economic value and the requirements for local support.

Travel Agent Outreach

A travel agent outreach will be implemented to communicate with travel agents and 

corporate travel departments that support mass-market activities and which 

emphasize the benefits of local air service.

Timetable

The proposed advertising, communication and outreach campaign is proposed for a 

period of approximately 18 months once a notice to proceed is given for the project. 

The following timeline is proposed:

Grant Selection Process December, 2010

Contract Negotiation February, 2011

Advertising Campaign February, 2011 to August, 2012

Communication Campaign February, 2011 to August, 2012

Travel Agent Outreach At outset of Advertising and Communication 

campaigns with follow-ups

The timing of the Small Community Air Service Program fits well for the three EAS 

communities who will be supporting new EAS service in the Fall of 2010

Past Projects

Two of the four communities within this application have received a prior Small 

Community Air Service Grant. The Joplin Regional Airport received a Small 

Community Air Service Grant in 2003 that was used as a revenue guarantee for Joplin 

to Dallas service. In 2007, the Kirksville Regional Airport received a Small Community 

Air Service Grant. Part of this grant was used to purchase an electronic LED sign.

Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of this proposal are to bring awareness to the traveling 

public, local businesses, community organizations, corporate entities, etc. about new 

EAS service at the three communities and the promotion of the existing service at the 

Columbia Regional Airport. A goal of the Missouri Department of Transportation –
36

Aviation Section is to inform the traveling public within the State of all easily 

accessible modal choices that are available to them. The utilization of other 

accessible modes of transportation can assist in decreasing capacity and other 

constraint issues on other modes of transportation.

Description of any Public-Private Partnership 

that will Participate in the Project

In 2008, the aviation industry in the State of Missouri including the four communities 

participating in this application pursued a change through the state legislature to 

expand the eligibility of State Aviation Trust Funds. The State Aviation Trust Fund is a 

fund that uses a portion of the sales tax on jet fuel sold within the state for capital 

and maintenance improvement projects at airports. This state program is similar to 

the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. The expanded 

eligibility included funding for the study or promotion of expanded domestic or 

international scheduled commercial service, the study or promotion of intrastate 

scheduled commercial service, or to assist airport sponsors participating in a federally 

funded air service program supporting intrastate scheduled commercial service.

In 2008 and 2009, the Missouri Department of Transportation issued State Aviation 

Trust Fund – Air Service grants to nine communities that operate commercial service 

airports in the state. With the 2009 State Aviation Trust Fund Air Service Grant 

Program already underway, each community is pledging a portion of these funds as 

part of their non-federal contribution as part of this application. The combination of 

federal and non-federal funds allows the community’s to fully develop a marketing 

program that utilizes a combination of local, state and federal funding.

The Missouri Department of Transportation – Aviation Section and the four

communities participating in this application have recently completed an air service 

study.

MoDOT Aviation contracted with an air service development consulting firm to 

perform an air service study at these four airports, along with the Cape Girardeau 

Regional Airport. In turn, the five airports have contracted with MoDOT for their local 

participation in the study. From a contracting and administration perspective, this 

same approach has proven successful and will be used for the administration of the 

Small Community Air Service Development Grant.

This study has provided important information concerning potential passenger activity 

and was used to assist communities with their review of upcoming EAS proposals.

The combination of State Aviation Trust Fund Air Service grants, local funds and 

funding made available from USDOT through the Small Community Air Service 

Development Grant program will be used on a marketing program for each airport.
37

Description of Funding Necessary for 

Implementation of the Community’s Project

As part of the Small Community Air Service Development Program, the federal grant 

amounts for each community are shown below along with a corresponding State 

Aviation Trust Fund Air Service grant amount and a 10 percent local match 

requirement for the State Air Service grant.

Federal and Non-Federal Contribution Breakdown

Airport Proposed 

Federal 

Contribution

Non-Federal

Contribution

State Air 

Service

Grant 

Local Match 

on NonFederal 

Contribution

Cash

Total

Columbia 

Regional

$70,000 $18,000 $2,000 $90,000

Joplin 

Regional

$70,000 $18,000 $2,000 $90,000

Kirksville 

Regional

$70,000 $18,000 $2,000 $90,000

Waynesville 

Reg.

$70,000 $18,000 $2,000 $90,000

Subtotals $280,000 $72,000 $8,000 $360,000

Explanation of How the Community will Ensure 

that its own Funding Contribution is Spent in 

the Manner Proposed

Upon approval of this application, MoDOT and the four participating communities will 

submit a detailed plan for expenditure of grant funds to the Department for review 

and approval prior to the plan’s implementation.

MoDOT will also provide grant administration and will review documentation to assure 

its in compliance with grant requirements.
38

Descriptions of How the Community will 

Monitor the Progress of the Grant Project

MoDOT is a State Block Grant State and has a long working relationship with the 

federal government with respect to federal grants and sub-grants. MoDOT is 

accustomed to and familiar with reporting requirements and maintains a full staff of 

accounting and technical professionals and routinely provides grant administration on 

federal projects. MoDOT plans to act as the point of contact on this project as well as 

providing project management and oversight responsibilities. MoDOT and the four 

airports will submit status and financial reports as required.

The selection of a professional marketing consultant will be utilized to identify critical 

milestones and to make sure the advertising and communication campaigns and 

travel agent outreach are functioning at their fullest capabilities.

Description of How the Community Plans to 

Continue with the Project if it is not SelfSustaining after the Grant Award Expires

The goals and objectives of this proposal is to bring awareness to the traveling public, 

local businesses, community organizations, corporate entities, etc. about new EAS 

service to three communities and the continued success of the Delta Connection 

service at the Columbia Regional Airport. A goal of the Missouri Department of 

Transportation – Aviation Section is to inform residents within the State of all easily 

accessible modal choices that are available to them. The utilization of other 

accessible modes of transportation can assist in lessening demand on existing 

constrained modes.

Upon completion of this marketing campaign, the four commercial service airports will 

continue to pursue State Aviation Trust fund Air Service grants through the Missouri 

Department of Transportation – Aviation Section for air service improvements at each 

airport.

Designation of a Legal Sponsor Responsible for 

Administering the Program

The sponsor for administering the program will be:

The Missouri Department of Transportation – Aviation Section

Mr. Joe Pestka, Administrator of Aviation

2217 St. Marys Boulevard

Jefferson City, Missouri 65102

Phone: (573) 526-7912, Fax (573) 526-4709

joseph.pestka@modot.mo.gov