Our Analytical Firepower™ Makes The Difference
At Boyd Group International, change is the watchword.
We don't stand still. We don't assume that yesterday's approaches will still work. We actively research the aviation industry and the trends affecting it. This expertise we bring to all areas of our consulting practice. The fact is that assisting airports in building air service access isn't the only consulting we do. And that's the reason we're much better at doing it.
Our superior Airports:USA forecasting and analysis tools are part of the reason. So’s the fact that we’re former airline planners ourselves.
But another reason is the high respect airline executives have for the professionals at the Boyd Group International. Maybe that’s why airlines themselves call on us when they need strategic and tactical planning assistance. So when we present data on our client airports, the planners know that the information is reliable and relates to the individual airline's specific strategic needs.
Not "Studies" - Instead, We Deliver Results. We've achieved results for our clients because we know and understand the current and future trends in the airline industry better than any other consultant.
Boyd Group International is very different from other consultants. Proudly so. We speak out on important issues that affect aviation. We maintain our own cutting-edge databases of traffic forecasts and trends. We do not rehash semi-accurate government data, and we always tell our clients the facts as we see them, as is and where is. We turn projects down when they don't stand up to economic realities.
This candor has gained us high credibility throughout the aviation industry.
Consulting Services Provided
Air Service Enhancement
Boyd Group International has successfully assisted airports all around the nation in recruiting new air service. Airlines respect the work of Boyd Group International, and they know that our data and presentations reflect reality, not wishful thinking. Our services include development of airline-specific route and revenue projections and completion of presentation materials.
For more detail on how we've assisted airports across the country, click here.
True Traffic Base Determination & Definition
The entire concept of an airport's "catchment area" is completely obsolete.
That's because airports serve more than one customer base. There's business travel. Leisure travel. Impulse travel generated by low fares. And there's passenger demand driven by the levels and types of air service quality offered. Every airport addresses and serves these needs to differing degrees.
This means that there is no one easily definable market area for a given airport. In fact, an airport can have a number of "areas of air service influence" depending on the passenger strata, the air service in question, and the effects of service at other airports in the region.
Boyd Group International has assisted airports in accurately defining its range of influence areas based on service patterns and airline category. The results are accurate traffic and revenue projections for the specific carrier being targeted for additional service.
Boyd Group International draws on its proven air service forecasting expertise to prepare accurate futurist projections that reveal air service vulnerabilities and opportunities for its clients.
Airport Strategic and Tactical Planning
Boyd Group International was the first to add tactical planning to long-term strategic airport programs.
Today, other consultants are following our lead, adding "tactical planning" to their brochures. We're honored they're following our lead.
This goes beyond meeting the needs of today, and outlines what the community will need in the future. But building a future air service development program needs a well-developed Blueprint. We begin by analyzing the future economic and demographic shifts in the region. Then we use our unrivaled expertise in the area of future airline strategies and operational trends to assist in crafting a clear and decisive air service development plan, based on near-term, mid-term, and long-term goals.
Our Blueprint reviews all aspects of the airport's strategic position. Current traffic capture. Existing service strengths and weaknesses. Demographic trends in the region. Corporate direction of incumbent airlines. Fleet plans that may affect capacity and fare availability. Competition from other airports in the region.
Once completed, the Blueprint provides the airport with a flexible "battle plan" to assure its goals.
Economic Impact & Opportunity Analyses
Knowing the true regional economic impact of an airport is a very useful tool to assure positive public perception and convince other governmental entities of the value of the airport in the region's economy.
Utilizing its extensive internal databases, along with industry-standard tools such as IMPLAN, Boyd Group International helps airports gain a clear picture of its current and future impact on the region it serves.
An Airport Economic Impact & Opportunity Analysis from Boyd Group International provides your community with a data road map - where the jobs are, where the strength of your airport is, and where opportunities exist for new ventures that can strengthen the financial underpinnings of your facility.
Don't get stuck with just an "economic impact study" - get the whole picture of your airports economic opportunities in the new international economy.
For more information, click here. Give Boyd Group International a call at 303 674-2000. Or, just click here to request more information regarding how we can assist your airport in identifying and capitalizing on its role as a jobs and economic generator for your region.
Traffic Capture Opportunity Analyses
Having an accurate picture of the true passenger potential at your airport is a critical first step in developing an effective air service maintenance and recruitment program, particularly for small and mid-size airports.
The operative term in the new, 21st-century airline industry environment is "true passenger potential" for the local airport, not simply determining the total traffic generated in the region. Traditional "leakage studies" are yesterday's approach, because what's important today is identifying the traffic segments that the airport can actually capture within the realities of the US airline industry.
Boyd Group International is more successful than any other consultant in crafting viable air service development plans. One key reason is that we understand the realities of the airline industry, the strategies each carrier system pursues, and the economics of the fleets they operate.
So Boyd Group International doesn't mislead clients by trying to make them believe that that a small rural airport currently served by 19-seaters has a true catchment area generating some preposterous number of passengers, like a million or more, when most of this traffic really belongs to another, larger airport, by virtue of the current and potential levels of air service available.
Remember, Boyd Group International is called upon by airlines themselves to assist with strategic and fleet planning. That allows us to be brutally honest when we provide traffic capture analyses for our clients. We understand the fleet trends, market objectives, and operating costs that will affect decisions for new or expanded air service.
This wide expertise allows Boyd Group International to give its clients a clear and more accurate picture of which traffic segments can be captured and retained - and which segments cannot.
A Traffic Capture Opportunity Analysis accomplished by Boyd Group International provides a community with the information it needs to assure that it maintains and, where possible, increases its air service access. This includes:
- Identification of True Traffic Generation by Destination
- Identification of Current Local Capture By Market
- Identification of Market Diversion To Nearby Airports
- Air Carrier System Market Penetration
- Identification of Re-Capture Potential Based On Emerging Airline Trends
- Identification of Airline Industry Trends Affecting The Community
- Analyses of Potential & Expected Airline Shifts Affecting the Community
- Re-Capture Opportunity Matrix, By Market & Passenger Segment
- Recommendations and Marketing Planning Discussions
What also makes a Traffic Capture Opportunity Analysis by Boyd Group International more effective is that we rely on our suite of Airports:USA® Traffic Databases, and not raw DOT traffic data, which is riddled with errors. This gives our clients a clear picture of which airline systems (not certificated operator) represent re-capture opportunities.
If you want clear, hard, traffic projections based on airline realities, including recommendations on how to protect and grow local traffic, a Traffic Re-Capture Analysis is a project you should consider. Give us a call at 303 674-2000, or click here to request information on your specific needs.
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“How come
fares are so high?”
“Why don’t we have a low fare carrier?”
“Why do I have to drive to another airport to get a good fare?”
“Why isn’t the airport doing anything to fix this?”
It’s a rare and lucky airport director who hasn’t heard these types of questions.
Sometimes they aren’t questions. They’re accusations. The hard realities of air service – particularly at mid-size and smaller communities – are often difficult for consumers to understand. They see all the news about low fare carriers and wonder why fares at the local airport are “so high” and service levels are “so low.” The result is community confusion and often civic anger aimed squarely at the airport.
Responding to this, Boyd Group International developed a product we named and marketed as Community Team Building™. It’s an airport-specific program that cities across the nation have found successful in not only dealing with this situation, but in turning these civic energies into positive efforts for their airport. Community Team Building™ was first marketed a decade ago as part of Boyd Group International's comprehensive services it offers to airport clients, and today, clients know it to be part of the unique firepower Boyd Group International can bring to bear in assisting in air service development.
Community Team Building™ is an informational program delivered on-site at your community by air service experts from Boyd Group International. In a compelling and often entertaining presentation, it relates the specific challenges your airport faces in regard to emerging trends in air service. We review the new economics of air service, changes in airline fleets, competitive strategies at specific carriers, and what the community can expect in the future.
CTB candidly outlines what can be achieved, and what cannot and why. The program reviews the economics of air service, the value of connectivity, and illuminates the potential improvements that can be possible when the community gets behind the airport. It demonstrates how the airport is part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Typically, a Community Team Building™ program is structured to make two to three presentations to various civic groups, plus presentations to the local media. The program itself is about 40 to 45 minutes, plus ample time to field and answer questions.
Community Team Building™ has a real track record and has become a resource airports have relied upon. It’s been presented successfully at airports from Saginaw to Fresno, from Jackson to Lynchburg, and a lot of points in between. A community united behind its airport is one with a better chance or retaining and recruiting the air service it needs for the future. CTB covers all the bases and answers the tough questions. When we’re done, your community has a clear view of what can be done, what can’t, and how citizens can rally behind their local airport.
So join the many airports that over the years have turned to Boyd Group International’s Community Team Building™. Give us a call and let us discuss your specific airport’s issues and how a tailored CTB can turn criticism into enthusiastic support.
Boyd Group International has assisted its airport clients in repositioning their future role in the region. We work with the airport's planning staff in reviewing current and expected shifts in demographics, business base, and population migrations. From that data, we prepare a Repositioning Plan that clearly defines where the airport wants to be in five, ten, and 15 years into the future.
We have worked with several airports in this regard, including Flint, Akron/Canton, and Bloomington/Normal. All have achieved meteoric growth due to a clear vision of the future role for their facilities.
Too many airport master plans are accessorized with forecasts that are essentially throw-away data and which have little relationship to the real airline and traffic trends of the future. The unrivaled forecasting expertise of Boyd Group International helps clients develop accurate traffic, operations, and revenue projections. Not re-hashed DOT data, but direct and forthright forecasts that reflect the trends and the emerging challenges that airports will need to deal with in the future.
Our services are tailored to the needs of each specific client. Call or e-mail us for more information
Before we get into how we accomplish air service programs, let's go over a few examples that illuminate the reason Boyd Group International is better... i.e., what we've accomplished for our client airports...
Low-Fare Air Service Recruitment - Sarasota/Bradenton
In 2004, Boyd Group International assisted SRQ in crafting a successful Small Community Air Service Grant proposal for funding to assist the entry of AirTran to the market. Boyd Group International assisted further with traffic, fare, and passenger forecasts which helped the carrier decide to implement service.
More Low-Fare Service Recruitment - Sarasota/Bradenton
Boyd Group International further assisted SRQ in gaining JFK service via jetBlue. Preparing a compelling set of airline-specific data, the carrier entered the market, and it immediately become one of the strongest of all Florida markets served by jetBlue. With the help of Boyd Group International, SRQ today is recapturing over 600,000 passengers previously lost to Tampa.
Low Fare/Vacation Service - Bangor, Maine
Bangor recruited its first-ever nonstops to Florida with the assistance of Boyd Group International. Allegiant was provided with data that showed not only strong demand for leisure-travel in this market, but our analyses also indicated strong northbound traffic generation. Our research found that approximately 25% of all visitors to the Bangor/Bar Harbor region were from Florida. It is this type in in-depth analysis that makes Boyd Group International more successful than any other consultant in air service development assistance.
Low Fare Service - Durango, Colorado
Boyd Group International helped Durango craft a proposal that successfully recruited Frontier Airlines Q-400 service to Denver. This much-needed addition not only brought fare discipline to the important DRO-DEN local market, but brought the Four Corners Region access to low-fare service to points across the nation.
Air Service Restoration - Latrobe, Pennsylvania
This community lost all air service in 2004, as a result of the pull-down of the US Airways hub at Pittsburgh. Boyd Group International analyzed the market and determined that this event could actually be an opportunity for recruiting better air service. Our traffic and revenue projections indicated strong potential traffic for the right carrier. Boyd Group International accomplished a successful Small Community Air Service grant application, and crafted a proposal using the funds to recruit Northwest Airlink service to Detroit. Result: Better air service access than the market had with the prior, traditional service from US Airways.
Low Fare Service - Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman today has access to Frontier Airlines' hub at Denver International, attained with the assistance of Boyd Group International. The firm analyzed traffic flows and revenue potential using its Airports:USA® database, showing the carrier that Bozeman was a better application of resources, and one that would strongly contribute to network revenues.
New Hub Access - Durango, Colorado
Boyd Group International identified significant shortfalls in access between the East and this emerging oil and gas gateway in Southwestern Colorado. Developing extensive revenue and traffic projections, Delta Air Lines was recruited to add service to its hub at Salt Lake City.
New Airline Recruitment - Sarasota-Bradenton
Boyd Group International assisted SRQ in demonstrating the value of the market to American Airlines. The result was the return in 2007 of the AA brand to the airport with the establishment of Eagle service to the carrier's Miami hub.
Low Fare/Vacation Service - Rochester, Minnesota
This important technological and medical city is in the shadow of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Boyd Group International helped position RST to attract Allegiant to provide nonstop leisure/vacation service to Las Vegas.
New York/Newark Access - Bangor International Airport
Boyd Group International assisted Bangor in developing compelling route and market data that indicated strong potential for local and flow traffic to Continental's hub at Newark. The firm's advanced DataMiner traffic analyses focused on not only the local New York traffic component, but also detailed and quantified the strong outside-originating traffic from Florida to Maine.
Long-Term Air Service Development Blueprint - Akron/Canton Regional Airport
Boyd Group International completed a long-term strategic air service plan for this growing airport. The plan assisted the airport in re-positioning itself as an important part of the air service infrastructure of Northeast Ohio. Instead of competing with larger, nearby Cleveland, the strategy was changed to position the airport as a co-access point to the region. The document prepared by Boyd Group International has since evinced the interest of Southwest Airlines in examining potential service at Akron/Canton.
Additional Hubsite Access - Lewiston, Idaho
Boyd Group International worked with the small but vibrant community of Lewiston/Clarkston in crafting a successful proposal to recruit new Delta Air Lines service to Salt Lake City. The Delta Connection service opened a new access gateway to the East Coast. Previously, consumers headed for the East, Southeast, and Southwest were forced to backtrack through Seattle. Boyd Group International identified a range of key traffic flows generated in the region that would provide net-new system contribution for the Delta system.
New Westbound & Mexico Access - Chattanooga, Tennessee
In 2004, Boyd Group International assisted Chattanooga in crafting a successful Small Community Air Service Grant. It then went about developing convincing data to recruit Continental Express service to Houston Intercontinental Airport. This has opened the entire region to new access to points in the West as well as key industrial centers in Northern Mexico.
Jet Air Carrier Recruitment - Bloomington/Normal, Illinois
A small rural airport that had never in the past had any jet service, in 1996 Bloomington/Normal asked Boyd Group International/ASRC to assist in carrier recruitment. The result was the entry of two jet carriers, AirTran and Frontier in 1996. Our efforts brought the airport to the attention of these carriers, and the data developed resulted in BMI gaining jet service in the face of competition from much larger airports. We have since worked with BMI in gaining additional new jet service from Northwest, and the growth of the airport as an emerging regional center also attracted United Express to enter the market. Subsequent to these efforts, BMI became one of the nation's the nation's fastest growing airports.
Southwest Airlines Recruitment - Jackson, Mississippi
An air service development study completed for Jackson, Mississippi assisted that airport in bringing Southwest Airlines service to this community. Announced service includes nonstop service to Chicago, Orlando, Baltimore/Washington, and Orlando. This was accomplished in the face of enormous competition for Southwest's services from much larger cities.
America West Express Recruitment - Bakersfield, California
In 1998, the Boyd Group worked with Bakersfield, California in developing data and assisting in its presentation to America West Express. The result has been successful implementation of new service to Phoenix, and a significant increase in traffic and fare-based competition at this Southern California airport.
Jet Carrier Retention - Moline/Quad Cities, Illinois
When AirTran announced the intention to end service at Moline, Boyd Group International assisted the airport in convincing the carrier to not only continue flights, but to add additional service to the carrier's Atlanta hub. The result has been highly positive to not only the community, but to the airline, which is enjoying strong traffic generated from the Quad Cities Area, with load factors higher than the carrier's system average.
Northwest Airlines MSP Service - Bishop International Airport - Flint, Michigan
Boyd Group International has worked with Bishop International Airport in attracting new air service and re-framing the airport as a viable alternative to nearby Detroit/Metro. The firm assisted in gaining new Northwest Airlines nonstops to Minneapolis/St.Paul.
First, We're Independent Research Experts In Air Service Issues
We'll start with this - Boyd Group International is an activist research and forecasting firm. We are the only aviation consulting firm that conducts independent, on-going research and analysis of aviation events and trends.
Airports:USA® is our data and information source. Containing historical and forecast data, it gives us a deep expertise that allows us to hit the ground running when our clients call. We know the challenges they face.
Airports:USA® data products include the only continuously-updated airport forecasts produced anywhere. Covering all areas of the nation, this gives us immediate and current knowledge of what's happening in air service throughout the United States - and a clear picture of what will happen in the future.
This makes Boyd Group International unique in that it is continuously up on the latest airline strategies and fleet trends - on a real-time basis - that affect our clients' air service. Other consulting firms waste money, billing for hours spent trying to learn about the client and the challenges it faces. Not at Boyd Group International. That's because, as air service experts and the leading aviation forecast firm, Boyd Group International already has that expertise.
That's what gives us the edge over our competition, and gives our clients superior results.
Second, We Don't Waste Our Clients' Money Doing Extraneous Reports
It seems that a lot of consulting firms are in love with producing massive "studies" that regurgitate reams of government data, and endless tables of historical traffic numbers. Typically replete with breathtaking graphics and volumes of verbiage, these documents mostly have the net result of increasing costs to the client, not to mention contributing to local landfills, instead of gaining new service.
At Boyd Group International, we understand that the goal is getting service, not impressing the mayor, the city council, and whoever else regarding how much we know about what's happened in the past. Our track record of success is the result of hard, focused research that identifies future trends and traffic shifts that represent revenue opportunities to the targeted airlines.
Anything else is fluff, and we don't do fluff.
We know that airline resources are limited. Therefore, our approach is to identify the air service need, quantify the future value of that service, and develop a tactical plan to position our client's proposal ahead of those of other communities also vying for those scarce airline resources.
We never lose sight of the fact that results are based on superior futurist expertise, not the volume of paper expended on reports.
Third, Boyd Group International Is Respected By The Aviation Industry
We're a multi-dimensional aviation consulting firm. We are called upon by a wide range of aviation clients, including airlines, aircraft manufacturers, OEM suppliers, and financial institutions. We're experts in areas other than just air service development.
That means our expertise in areas such as traffic forecasting, fleet projections, aircraft feasibility, airline business and strategic planning, and in financial analysis, all combine to provide an unrivaled depth of knowledge. Clients in these fields rely on expertise of Boyd Group International. It's also the reason that the national media frequently call upon our staff for cutting-edge input on aviation matters.
Therefore, when we approach an airline on behalf of a client, they know that our data is direct, concise, and is consistent with reality. Our results over the past few years in helping airports attract air service reflect the airline industry's respect for our work. Not only have we helped airports achieve higher levels of air service, but more importantly, we have assisted in re-framing the strategies and role that they will play in their regions.
Our Resources - Cutting Edge, Futurist, Superior
Boyd Group International understands that the past is not a reliable indicator of the future. We also understand that traditional sources of data are no longer reliable, either.
DOT and FAA Data - Major Reporting Issues. At Boyd Group International, we do not blindly rely on DOT or FAA data. Furthermore, as former airline planners ourselves, we know that much of the data from these sources - such as O&D tables, market share information, etc. - have outdated reporting channels, resulting in initial data that are not accurate.
Often, airlines are reported as carrying passengers to points they haven't even been near to. The effects of code-sharing are not reflected. Enplanement shares are inaccurate. These are just a few of the errors in raw DOT data. Is like crude oil: to be valuable, it must be scrubbed and refined.
The reason for these and other inaccuracies is simple - the DOT reporting process is wildly out of date. In fact, the DOT's own inspector general issued a report to this effect - back in 1997. Yet today, the problem still exists.
Some consultants simply take these federal data and repeat them - or worse, sell them - to unsuspecting clients. Boyd Group International knows that in their raw form such data are not reliable, nor, due to volatility in the airline industry, are they any indication of the future.
Boyd Group International:
Moving To New Forecast & Data Methodologies.
Our Aviation DataMiner® suite of data products is the result of over ten years of analysis of the effects of airline trends on air traffic flows and air traffic demand. DataMiner™ is a powerful tool we use to identify - far more accurately than native DOT data - historical traffic flows from a near-myriad of perspectives. Airports:USA® Forecasts represent an extensive set of proprietary databases that can project traffic generation by market, based on a wide range of real-world variables.
The result is that we can give our clients better information, more accurately, and far more cost-effectively. The results are reflected in our track record.
