Authority spends big on events for midfield

Building a new airport terminal is expensive, so much so that even opening the doors in proper fashion doesn't come cheap.

The Canadian government has announced an investment in three Canadian airports.Airport officials say taxpayer money was not used for the events. The funds came from airlines and other airport users.But in the aggregate, the spending would be enough to buy two runway-clearing snow blowers. Or five years of airport refuse disposal under terms of a new, fiveyear contract with Ray's Trash Service.Gerig said Tobias wanted to use the occasion of the opening of the terminal in part to better familiarize airlines with the business community and its needs for additional air service here. At the same time, "the community got to hear the difficulties the airlines are going through right now," Gerig said.The expenditures are a sliver of the $1.1 billion outlay for the midfield terminal at Indianapolis International Airport, to open Nov. 11.Funding from the Airports Capital Assistance Program is intended to improve safety at the Fort Chipewyan, Grande Prairie and High Level airports.The Airports Capital Assistance Program provides finance to capital projects relating to safety, asset protection and operating cost reduction.Airport records show the authority board in September authorized another $275,000 to food and beverage and other vendors for opening events.He added that Tobias intends to use the event as a springboard for additional forums involving economic development and air travel.The airport tours were free and familiarized local residents with not only the configuration of the terminal but also how to find it. The new terminal is accessible from Exit 68 on Interstate 70 rather than from Interstate 465 as the current terminal is.((Comments on this story may be sent to aii.feedback@m2.com))"The airlines were very impressed with who we had," said Sease Gerig principal Lou Gerig."The more of those people who came to community days, the better. ... It was very important to our airline partners that we had this."Fort Chipewyan will receive CAD685,000 for wildlife control fencing; Grande Prairie will receive CAD105,414 in order to purchase a sand truck and a truck-mounted sander and CAD366,570 for a replacement snow blower; and High Level will receive CAD277,495 for a front-end loader and attachments.The contracts include up to $120,000 to Jug's Catering Services for a Sept. 6 contractor's event that fed 8,000 people at $15 a head.Trice said officials also hope attention to the terminal helps pique the interest of air travelers in the region. The Cincinnati area alone generates an estimated 35,000 travelers at Indianapolis International each year. Some employers in that region encourage their employees to drive to Indianapolis International, where a diversity of airlines creates lower fares to many destinations than from Cincinnati's Delta Air Lines-dominated airport.In the last two months, the Indianapolis Airport Authority board has approved spending at least $850,000 toward grand-opening parties and events in the form of contracts with caterers, event planners and public relations firms.Airlines are covering the bulk of bond payments on the new terminal, in part through higher fees they'll pay to land there beginning next year.Managing that event was locally based Rayna-Traylor Events, to which the airport authority on Sept. 5 authorized paying up to $245,000.Airport officials say events that on the surface appear frivolous have a purpose that will pay dividends later. Among them was a public tour of the facility Oct. 11-12 that drew an estimated 30,000 visitors.Meanwhile, the airport board in September authorized paying up to $150,000 to prominent Indianapolis public relations firm Sease Gerig & Associates for opening events and other airport services.

Airport officials say taxpayer money was not used for the events. The funds came from airlines and other airport users.

Author: O'Malley, Chris