Our Approach
Our Resources
Examples Of Our Successes

The Boyd Group, Inc.
Advisors to the Aviation Industry
Since 1984

78 Beaver Brook Canyon Road
Evergreen, Colorado, 80439
303-674-2000
303-674-9995 Facsimile
aviation-info@aviationplanning.com

The Boyd Group Advantage

Air Service
Development & Recruitment

Air Service Development Isn't The Only Thing We Do.
... That's Why We're Better At Doing It

The Boyd Group has become the respected leader in crafting successful air service development programs for airports across the nation.

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. 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.

We can say that, because The Boyd Group is at the forefront of discussion and analysis of aviation issues. That's the reason that not only leading aviation firms, but also the national media, call on our experts for new perspectives and insights. They call on us again and again for one simple reason: We're the best at what we do.

At The Boyd Group, we are 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. This candor has gained us high credibility throughout the aviation industry.

Our Track Record Of Success

Before we get into how we accomplish air service programs, let's go over a few examples that illuminate the reason The Boyd Group is better... i.e., what we've accomplished for our client airports...

Low-Fare Air Service Recruitment - Sarasota/Bradenton

In 2004, The Boyd Group assisted SRQ in crafting a successful Small Community Air Service Grant proposal for funding to assist the entry of AirTran to the market. The Boyd Group assisted further with traffic, fare, and passenger forecasts which helped the carrier decide to implement service.

More Low-Fare Service Recruitment - Sarasota/Bradenton

The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group, 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 The Boyd Group. 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 The Boyd Group more successful than any other consultant in air service development assistance.

Low Fare Service - Durango, Colorado

The Boyd Group 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. The Boyd Group 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. The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group. 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

The Boyd Group 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

The Boyd Group 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. The Boyd Group helped position RST to attract Allegiant to provide nonstop leisure/vacation service to Las Vegas.

New York/Newark Access - Bangor International Airport

The Boyd Group 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

The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group has since evinced the interest of Southwest Airlines in examining potential service at Akron/Canton.

Additional Hubsite Access - Lewiston, Idaho

The Boyd Group 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. The Boyd Group 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, The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group/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, The Boyd Group 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

The Boyd Group 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.

Our Approach

First, We're Independent Research Experts In Air Service Issues

We'll start with this - The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group. That's because, as air service experts and the leading aviation forecast firm, The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group, 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, The Boyd Group 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 The Boyd Group. 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

The Boyd Group 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 Accuracy Problems. At The Boyd Group, 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. - are riddled with errors. Airlines are reported as flying to cities where 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.

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. The Boyd Group 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.

MIDT Data. Representing A Decreasing Share of The Marketplace. Other consultants sell and otherwise rely on numbers from "Marketing Information Data Tapes," or MIDT for short. Supposedly, this data can provide reliable information on where, historically, passengers come from, based on the location of the booking made through a traditional computer reservation system.

The Boyd Group does not rely on, nor would ever charge its clients for, such data, simply because the MIDT source - CRS systems - are increasingly being shoved aside by changes in airline retail channels. True, MIDT data can produce some flashy pictographs allegedly showing where passengers are generated in a geographical area, but that doesn't change the fact that the core source of such data is no longer reliable.

The reason is that airlines are increasingly moving away from using traditional CRS systems in favor of much cheaper internet channels - channels that MIDT data do not reflect. In fact, there are some low-cost carriers that now rely on internet channels for the majority of their bookings, leaving MIDT data out in the cold. Other changes in retail channels, such as major corporations remoting their travel management to companies in other parts of the nation, or even other parts of the world, also render MIDT data as a very expensive source of questionably-accurate information.

The Boyd Group: Moving To New Forecast & Data Methodologies. Therefore, The Boyd Group has invested considerable energy and resources developing alternative - and more accurate - traffic generation and forecast methodologies.

Our Airports:USA 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. Airports:USA DataMiner(tm) 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.