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Columbus Regional Airport Authority says $2 billion terminal progressing; airport not configured to be a major airline hub
Summary
Columbus Regional Airport Authority president Joe Nardoni described progress on a planned $2 billion airport terminal and said the authority has saved funds for the project. Nardoni also told the forum that, while Columbus is adding routes, the airport is not positioned to be a major airline hub in the sense of O'Hare or LAX.
Joseph "Joe" Nardoni, president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, told a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum that work on a planned terminal has been years in the making and that the authority has increased its capital reserve for the project.
"We went from having $15,000,000 saved for this terminal to nearly $250,000,000," Nardoni said, and that the authority engaged Gensler as architect on the terminal plan. He described the project as a roughly $2,000,000,000 investment and said the airport team and its board have been "extraordinarily committed to delivering this terminal project."
Nardoni urged travelers to allow extra time as construction continues and said the authority is "making significant progress." He also stressed the airport's independent governance structure, saying the Columbus Regional Airport Authority is nimble because its board of directors are the decision makers.
On the question of whether Columbus could become an airline hub, Nardoni said Columbus "is not situated to be a hub" in the way major hubs such as Detroit, Chicago O'Hare or LAX are. He characterized Columbus as a ‘‘medium hub’’ under Federal Aviation Administration categories and said while the airport is actively adding air service, the airlines decide hub status.
Nardoni also said the authority is pursuing federal support for an air mobility hub and is competing for federal funds; he described a $140,000,000 federal opportunity for an air mobility hub.
Ending: Nardoni described the terminal as part of a broader strategy to keep Columbus Airports competitive and to attract and retain a skilled workforce, while continuing to add service and pursue federal support for air mobility projects.
