https://www.facebook.com/story.php?stor ... 7011569657

Looks like a Facebook live announcement at 9am tomorrow announcing new service, any ideas as to where and if possibly from a new airline?

Mobile has always been sort of the black sheep of airports on the Gulf Coast region with historically high fares and Gulfport and Pensacola Airports on either side.

I’m personally hoping for service to Denver

Silver just announced Huntsville a few days ago using the new ATR. Perhaps new service to MCO?

My initial thoughts (if it’s on an existing carrier) are AA to MIA or DCA. Perhaps UA to EWR?

No ideas. I haven't lived in Mobile in literally decades. But happy as I am to hear of new service at MOB, I'm not sure what would drive growth or support new service.

GSPSPOT wrote:

No ideas. I haven't lived in Mobile in literally decades. But happy as I am to hear of new service at MOB, I'm not sure what would drive growth or support new service.

Might have something to do with current/future activities at the other Mobile airport.

I could be wrong, but that doesn't seem the kind of thing that would generate much new traffic. Not like a corp HQ would. But it's all good if new service is announced.

My guess is commercial service is moving to Brookley or Silver to Tampa or Orlando.

MOB is so far out of the way for anything other than Mobile itself, I would assume most eastern shore people use PNS, I know in all my years of going to Orange Beach I have never considered flying into MOB. PNS is so much closer for the beaches.

MOB should be closed. PNS serves the metro area just fine.

Before we go closing airports, let's consider commercial traffic at BFM instead. Eastern Shore (of Mobile Bay) residents wouldn't "have" to drive to PNS to fly anymore.

There are serious rumblings of the commercial passenger traffic moving downtown to BFM from MOB.

Allegiant to SFB/PIE/PGD?

Maybe Southwest may start new service? Hmm.


Q

As a MOB commuter, I’m hoping it’s UA!

AC to YYZ?

ViaAir to SFB, details forthcoming...

Transition to BFM being seriously considered

50 seat ERJ service

Mentioned another possible announcement of service to Alabama by Via

Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday service

Orlando it is, that’s nice, hoping for Denver next

ViaAir Schedule for MOB:

SFB-MOB 11:42-12:12 ERJ x236
MOB-SFB 12:42-14:58 ERJ x236

ViaAir seems to be launching some interesting routes lately. I wonder if they are getting subsidies on some of these? But good news for Mobile! I have always thought it could support more service.

I knew DL served MOB ....didn't realize UA and AA did.


So it's

DL to ATL
UA to IAH
AA to DFW & CLT

...and now, Via Air to SFB

When I read the thread title I was thinking about something along the line of an all business class A319LR or CS100 service to Toulouse

727LOVER wrote:

I knew DL served MOB ....didn't realize UA and AA did.


So it's

DL to ATL
UA to IAH
AA to DFW & CLT

...and now, Via Air to SFB

UA goes to ORD from MOB as well.

southsky wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

I knew DL served MOB ....didn't realize UA and AA did.


So it's

DL to ATL
UA to IAH
AA to DFW & CLT

...and now, Via Air to SFB

UA goes to ORD from MOB as well.

Well then....this little airport is doing fine. Why close it?

727LOVER wrote:

southsky wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

I knew DL served MOB ....didn't realize UA and AA did.


So it's

DL to ATL
UA to IAH
AA to DFW & CLT

...and now, Via Air to SFB

UA goes to ORD from MOB as well.

Well then....this little airport is doing fine. Why close it?

The object is not closing it period. It is moving commercial passenger service to BFM (Mobile Downtown Airport). This would enhance accessibility to the airport for the areas east of the bay.

Mobile Airport? How does that work?

kjeld0d wrote:

Mobile Airport? How does that work?

Mobile, Alabama, U.S.A.

'Sometimes' Via Air to SFB

southsky wrote:

727LOVER wrote:

southsky wrote:

UA goes to ORD from MOB as well.

Well then....this little airport is doing fine. Why close it?

The object is not closing it period. It is moving commercial passenger service to BFM (Mobile Downtown Airport). This would enhance accessibility to the airport for the areas east of the bay.

No....I was referring to this comment:

Goodyear wrote:

MOB should be closed. PNS serves the metro area just fine.

southsky wrote:

There are serious rumblings of the commercial passenger traffic moving downtown to BFM from MOB.

That's been talked about for decades on & off. I'll believe it when I see it. Never mind that it makes perfect sense.

Frankly MOB deserves better. I see this lasting about 6 months, assuming it ever begins.

GSPSPOT wrote:

southsky wrote:

There are serious rumblings of the commercial passenger traffic moving downtown to BFM from MOB.

That's been talked about for decades on & off. I'll believe it when I see it. Never mind that it makes perfect sense.

http://www.fox10tv.com/clip/14156839/regional-airport-commercial-flights-could-relocate-to-brookley

This is local news reporting on the possibility of moving from MOB to BFM.

I just don't see how moving to BFM improves traffic that much at MOB. It might get you a little more of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic, but not that much. Bearing in mind that a majority of beach traffic to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach comes by car anyway. Plus, building the new terminal at BFM likely means taking on quite a bit of debt which gets passed on to passengers in the form of higher landing fees and PFCs.

MOB is just too far out of most people's way. BFM is centrally located in the metro area, plus adjacent to the main E-W interstate highway in the region, plus a main railroad line. I could def see at least freight operations at BFM.

FlyPNS1 wrote:

I just don't see how moving to BFM improves traffic that much at MOB. It might get you a little more of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic, but not that much. Bearing in mind that a majority of beach traffic to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach comes by car anyway. Plus, building the new terminal at BFM likely means taking on quite a bit of debt which gets passed on to passengers in the form of higher landing fees and PFCs.

I actually agree. Not to mention PNS has much more air service than MOB, so that Gulf Shores and Orange Beach traffic will still be inclined to use PNS for better flight options.

FlyPNS1 wrote:

I just don't see how moving to BFM improves traffic that much at MOB. It might get you a little more of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic, but not that much. Bearing in mind that a majority of beach traffic to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach comes by car anyway. Plus, building the new terminal at BFM likely means taking on quite a bit of debt which gets passed on to passengers in the form of higher landing fees and PFCs.

That’s not accurate, many of Mobile’s suburbs—and all of the affluent suburbs—are on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Mobile Regional is too far away so those folks use Pensacola. If Mobile’s commercial service was at Brookley, that would be closer for them than Pensacola. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic would still likely use Pensacola, but that isn’t a substantial amount of traffic.

ATLgaUSA wrote:

FlyPNS1 wrote:

I just don't see how moving to BFM improves traffic that much at MOB. It might get you a little more of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic, but not that much. Bearing in mind that a majority of beach traffic to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach comes by car anyway. Plus, building the new terminal at BFM likely means taking on quite a bit of debt which gets passed on to passengers in the form of higher landing fees and PFCs.

That’s not accurate, many of Mobile’s suburbs—and all of the affluent suburbs—are on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Mobile Regional is too far away so those folks use Pensacola. If Mobile’s commercial service was at Brookley, that would be closer for them than Pensacola. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic would still likely use Pensacola, but that isn’t a substantial amount of traffic.

This is the exact thought process of the Authority. Besides, BFM is also 5 minutes from downtown.

ATLgaUSA wrote:

FlyPNS1 wrote:

I just don't see how moving to BFM improves traffic that much at MOB. It might get you a little more of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic, but not that much. Bearing in mind that a majority of beach traffic to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach comes by car anyway. Plus, building the new terminal at BFM likely means taking on quite a bit of debt which gets passed on to passengers in the form of higher landing fees and PFCs.

That’s not accurate, many of Mobile’s suburbs—and all of the affluent suburbs—are on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Mobile Regional is too far away so those folks use Pensacola. If Mobile’s commercial service was at Brookley, that would be closer for them than Pensacola. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic would still likely use Pensacola, but that isn’t a substantial amount of traffic.

But 1) those suburbs aren't that large and 2) MOB is still closer to them than PNS, so I'm not convinced that you're going to shift that much traffic by going to BFM. Is it really worth the expense and time just to pick up a maybe an extra 100 passengers a day? That's all those Eastern Shore suburbs are realistically generating that's not already using MOB. And frankly, part of MOB's problem is they get bled from the likes of MSY and GPT and moving to BFM isn't going to fix that either.

Mobile's (as a region) problems are:
1) they aren't much of a tourist destination (so LCC's are hesitant to serve the area)
2) Mobile isn't a particularly wealthy market so they don't generate a lot of origin traffic
3) Proximity to other airports that have more leisure traffic (and hence LCCs) steals traffic away (MSY, GPT, PNS, VPS).

Moving from MOB to BFM doesn't fix any of those problems. I don't deny that the move might get you slightly better passenger numbers, but not sure it's enough to be worthwhile.

FlyPNS1 wrote:

ATLgaUSA wrote:

FlyPNS1 wrote:

I just don't see how moving to BFM improves traffic that much at MOB. It might get you a little more of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic, but not that much. Bearing in mind that a majority of beach traffic to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach comes by car anyway. Plus, building the new terminal at BFM likely means taking on quite a bit of debt which gets passed on to passengers in the form of higher landing fees and PFCs.

That’s not accurate, many of Mobile’s suburbs—and all of the affluent suburbs—are on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Mobile Regional is too far away so those folks use Pensacola. If Mobile’s commercial service was at Brookley, that would be closer for them than Pensacola. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach traffic would still likely use Pensacola, but that isn’t a substantial amount of traffic.

But 1) those suburbs aren't that large and 2) MOB is still closer to them than PNS, so I'm not convinced that you're going to shift that much traffic by going to BFM. Is it really worth the expense and time just to pick up a maybe an extra 100 passengers a day? That's all those Eastern Shore suburbs are realistically generating that's not already using MOB. And frankly, part of MOB's problem is they get bled from the likes of MSY and GPT and moving to BFM isn't going to fix that either.

Mobile's (as a region) problems are:
1) they aren't much of a tourist destination (so LCC's are hesitant to serve the area)
2) Mobile isn't a particularly wealthy market so they don't generate a lot of origin traffic
3) Proximity to other airports that have more leisure traffic (and hence LCCs) steals traffic away (MSY, GPT, PNS, VPS).

Moving from MOB to BFM doesn't fix any of those problems. I don't deny that the move might get you slightly better passenger numbers, but not sure it's enough to be worthwhile.

The other questions is whether the level of air service in MOB would actually change by the move. MOB doesn't have much compared to PNS and definitely nothing compared to MSY. Even VPS and GPT seem to do better service wise.

There are more than 200,000 people in Baldwin County, the majority of whom live in the Eastern Shore area. While Mobile Regional May be closer by distance, it is not by travel time because you have to drive through all of Mobile, on surface roads, to get there. A move to Brookley would greatly increase the catchment population for Mobile commercial service.

ATLgaUSA wrote:

There are more than 200,000 people in Baldwin County, the majority of whom live in the Eastern Shore area. While Mobile Regional May be closer by distance, it is not by travel time because you have to drive through all of Mobile, on surface roads, to get there. A move to Brookley would greatly increase the catchment population for Mobile commercial service.

This, and MOB currently gets higher percentages of business travel and international travel than both PNS and GPT - leaving a good bit more room for leisure travel growth. Having the airport closer to I-10 (and thusly much more accessible to larger swaths of travelers) will certainly draw more people - including those that may currently take a flight or two (or more) out of PNS and/or GPT currently. I know at least 5 at my office that would instantly switch from PNS to BFM when the switch is made due to proximity alone. When the ridership increases, air service as a whole improves.

Not to mention Mobile's cruise terminal is 3 minutes from BFM...