Cincinnati Enquirer / Randy Tucker / May 20, 2020Flyers are slowly coming back to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, but officials don't anticipate passenger traffic returning to pre-pandemic levels for at least a couple of years.In the meantime, the airport could lose between $62 million and $91 million over the next 18 to 24 months as a direct result of the falloff in business related to the COVID-19 crisis, according to figures presented earlier this week to the airport's board.Airport officials said prudent financial planning has positioned the airport to fly above the virus-related turbulence that cut air service out of CVG by 59% and passenger traffic by more than 90% in April, compared to the same month last year.“We’re very focused on making sure that when demand returns, this is a financially attractive and cost-competitive place to do business,’’ Dil Gruffydd, CVG's chief financial officer, told board members Monday night.CVG has $110 million in reserves and is eligible for up to $43 million in government grant money from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) to help pay down debt and cover operating expenses during the pandemic, officials said.Gruffydd said the CARES allocation and other funds available to the airport could cover operating expenses for 600 days, or more than a year and a half. But he also noted the airport didn't expect to exhaust those funds because of strong financial management.The airport in Hebron has already implemented a variety of cost-cutting measures, such as consolidating parking at the main terminal and shutting down some passenger lounges.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2020/05/20/cincinnati-northern-kentucky-airport-cvg-could-lose-up-91-m-over-next-2-years-due-covid-19-pandemic/5222016002/) (subscription-based)

Cincinnati Enquirer / Cole Behrens / May 20, 2020Travelers looking to fly in or out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) may find themselves with fewer options to get them to their destination as 53 out of its 88 routes have been temporarily suspended, according to data presented Monday to the airport’s board.The airport is still operating 34 nonstop flights, with three more to be added back on in June, according to Mindy Kershner, a company spokesperson. Flights to LaGuardia in New York City and Washington D.C., as well as to Providence and Newark, will resume next month.All remaining flights on legacy airlines such as Delta, American and United are to their major hubs across the nation.Bobby Spann, the VP for external affairs, said airlines have been focused on connecting to hubs – Atlanta for Delta, Dallas for American – as the demand for air travel has decreased. As demand increases, Spann said, airlines will reopen their routes to cities for nonstop destinations.“Airlines have indicated to CVG that any temporary suspension of service to nonstop destinations can eventually return when demand returns,” Spann said.The temporary suspensions for May are as follows: American: New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Miami, Washington D.C.-Reagan Delta: Austin, Hartford, Boston, Baltimore, Paris, Charlotte, Cancun, Washington D.C.-Reagan, Denver, Dallas, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Orlando, Chicago-O’Hare, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Fort Myers, Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto United: Denver, Houston, Newark Southwest: Denver, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa Frontier: Atlanta, Austin, Cancun, Dallas, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Punta Cana, Raleigh, San Diego Allegiant: Denver Air Canada: TorontoWilliam Rankin, an associate professor of Aviation Management at the Florida Institute of Technology and former airport manager of 29 years, said the formula airports use to calculate how they use their planes and where they plan routes is complex, and the COVID-19 pandemic has created unforeseen complications with their calculations.Rankin said this disruption of traffic patterns varies from the disruptions seen during 9/11 because of the infectious nature of the new coronavirus.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/05/20/cvg-suspends-numerous-flights-several-returning-june/5226921002/)  (subscription-based)

Business Courier / [Chris Wetterich](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/bio/16481/Chris+Wetterich)Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has seen 53 of its 88 airline routes suspended amidst the Covid-19 crisis, according to new data presented to the airport’s board Monday, with the airport anticipated to be smaller, in terms of direct flights, for at least the next 18 months.Even that number is a bit inflated, with 18 of the non-suspended routes being on Allegiant, which often is canceling flights seven to 10 days in advance, according to the airport.All of the remaining flights on the legacy airlines – Delta, United and American – are to their hubs across the nation. The airline industry has been devastated by Covid-19, with CVG seeing a 90% reduction in passengers as of Sunday.Demand will be a key factor in how many nonstop flights return, said [Bobby Spann](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/search/results?q=Bobby%20Spann), CVG’s vice president for external affairs. Carriers are projecting a smaller footprint for at least the next 18 months to 24 months, and they already planned to retire aging portions of their fleet.“It is a very fluid situation. If our corporate travel comes back … we’ll be fine. We will come back smaller for the next 18 to 24 months,” Spann said. After that, “I’m confident we’ll see a network at the same if not better than where we were.”The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and the Northern Kentucky Chamber are leading an effort to draft a letter from the region’s CEOs to CVG’s incumbent airlines and others it has been attempting to attract assuring them of local business’ demand for broad, frequent air service, airport officials said.“The best knowledge in the industry is somewhere between 18 and 36 months before we get back to 2019 levels,” said CVG CEO [Candace McGraw](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/search/results?q=Candace%20McGraw) of the industry’s future.[FULL STORY HERE (subscription-based)](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/05/18/cvg-reveals-nonstop-routes-that-have-been-suspende.html)

Untold Stores of Innovation Podcast / Apple Podcasts / May 2020Why do stories matter to the innovation process? What values can be instilled in innovators who share stories? How do innovation leaders inspire creators to tell and share their success and failure stories? Brian Cobb, chief innovation officer at Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), partners with startups, internal stakeholders, and division leaders to make problems visible and discover data-driven solutions. By both measuring and sharing their travelers’ stories, CVG has developed industry-changing tech. Innovation comes from many places, but according to Brian, paying close attention to user experience is always a good place to start. In fact, he mentions that much of the innovation coming out of CVG was inspired by a video on this very subject. Even though it was made years ago, and by University of Cincinnati students, the ideas within sparked innovation in a big way.[More Information Here](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untold-stories-of-innovation/id1502778345?i=1000474929533)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced the appointment of 30 board members to the newly-formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB), including _Candace McGraw_, CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.  FAA  via AviationPros / 5/17/2020WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today announced the appointment of 30 board members to the newly-formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB). Former U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will serve as chair of the board.“The Department welcomes Dr. Heather Wilson and these accomplished advisory board members, who share a commitment and passion for encouraging women to access opportunities in aviation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.Dr. Wilson is the President of The University of Texas at El Paso, one of the top 5% of research universities and one of the nation’s leading Hispanic-serving institutions. She previously served as the 24th Secretary of the Air Force and represented New Mexico in the U.S. Congress for a decade. She graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in the third class to include women and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in England. Wilson is an instrument-rated private pilot and aircraft owner.“Women are underrepresented in aviation and I look forward to working with Secretary Chao, the FAA, and the advisory board to develop strategies that will encourage more women to consider careers in the aviation industry,” Dr. Wilson said.The WIAAB was established on October 3, 2019, under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The purpose of the WIAAB is to develop strategies and recommendations that would encourage women and girls to enter the field of aviation. The WIAAB will assess education, training, mentorship, outreach, and recruitment of women in the aviation industry.Board members represent a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise, including those from major airlines and aerospace companies, nonprofit organizations within the aviation industry, aviation and engineering business associations, the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol, and institutions of higher education and aviation trade schools. A full list of appointees and their biographies is available [here](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ahr/advisory_committees/women_aviation/media/WIAAB_Membership_Bios.pdf).“From Secretary Chao to the several women on my senior leadership team, and the more than 10,000 women in the FAA, we see the professionalism and contributions that make our aviation industry the gold standard for the world every day,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “We salute the WIAAB’s new board members for their commitment to illuminate this career path for more women.”A Federal Register Notice to solicit nominations for candidates to serve on the Board was published on October 8, 2019, and closed October 29, 2019.  Nearly 200 competitive applicant packages were submitted for consideration.Members will be appointed to the WIAAB for the duration of its existence, which is anticipated to be a minimum of 2 years, and will meet up to two times per year to carry out its duties.

WVXU / Ann Thompson / May 12, 2020If you're getting ready for your next business trip or feel ready to venture out on a vacation, there are some changes you need to know about at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in this COVID-19 era.[](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/wvxu/audio/2020/05/cvg_covid_ann_wrap.mp3)Listen to sounds bytes [here.](https://www.wvxu.org/post/here-are-covid-19-changes-you-can-expect-cvg#stream/0)CVG has installed plexiglass guards at all airline ticket counters and gates. New signage reiterates the need for social distancing and good personal hygiene. Queue lanes are wider inside the TSA security checkpoint to make spacing easier.According to airport CEO Candace McGraw, "One of the things that's being debated right now (is) should there be temperature checks for passengers? I know there's some conversation going on in Washington about TSA doing temperature checks. I don't know how that's going to play out."McGraw was the speaker at Tuesday's Eggs 'N Issues event sponsored by the [Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.](http://www.nkychamber.com/)It can be viewed [here.](https://vimeo.com/417606002)Do I Have To Wear A Mask?According to McGraw, "We are encouraging everyone to wear a mask the minute they hit the terminal building. It will not be required but we're strongly encouraging it. Now, the airline employees will have to be wearing them, the airport employees will be wearing them. They'll be everywhere and I know a passenger will need one to board an aircraft."[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.wvxu.org/post/here-are-covid-19-changes-you-can-expect-cvg#stream/0)

Cincinnati Business Courier / Chris Wetterich / May 11, 2020[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport](https://www.bizjournals.com/profile/company/org_xx_034a178aab7111e88b7612c1e58b58b2) was again ranked the best regional airport in North America by London-based Skytrax [based on a surveys of airport customers worldwide](https://www.worldairportawards.com/worlds-top-100-airports-2020/).It’s the seventh year out of nine that CVG has won the award for airports that primarily serve regional traffic. CVG regularly touts the ranking to passengers and in marketing materials.“To earn this distinction for seven of the last nine years reflects the outstanding commitment of the best airport team and partners in this industry,” said CVG CEO [Candace McGraw](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/search/results?q=Candace%20McGraw). “As our community readies to start traveling again, they can be assured that an excellent airport experience—one that is safe and healthy—always has been and always will be our top priority.”When ranked among every other world airport, CVG finished 34th, up from 37th in 2019.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/05/11/cvg-is-among-the-worlds-best-airports-industry.html)

Airport Improvement Magazine / Mike Schwanz / May - June 2020Savvy airport officials know that it makes sense to help senior-level executives improve their leadership skills and broaden their perspectives. Such training helps the executives _and_ airports. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) put a global spin on its development program by sending one executive to experience life at a European airport and another to observe operations at an Asian airport. Both worked through an exchange program developed by Airports Council International (ACI). The organization’s Executive Leadership Exchange Programme (ELEP) is designed to support succession development at member airports by facilitating domestic and international exchanges. Candace McGraw, chief executive officer at CVG, was an early proponent of the program. As chair of ACI North America, she worked with the chair of ACI Europe—the chief executive officer of Munich Airport (MUC)—to coordinate an international ELEP pilot between the two airports in fall 2018. McGraw later worked with another colleague at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), who serves as the chair of ACI Asia Pacific, to coordinate another exchange for summer 2019. “By taking advantage of an opportunity to immerse themselves in a different structure or business model, the intent of ELEP was for our industry’s top future leaders to gain critical insights and bring home new and innovative ideas,” says McGraw.She selected Scott Gibbons, the airport’s vice president of business administration, for the two-week pilot at MUC.“Candace and I thought this would be very helpful for our airport, and would give some of our senior staff an opportunity to see how other airports in the world operated,” Gibbons says. “From a personal standpoint, I always have been interested in an international exchange to a world-class airport. I was very excited for this opportunity.“Munich worked out very well,” he continues. “It consistently is ranked among the best airports in the world. It gets a lot of visits from officials from other airports, and its staff has experience showing people around.”The schedule for the visit was largely developed by MUC, with input from CVG. “My primary goal was to gain exposure in departments or functions where I had no previous experience,” Gibbons says.[Full Story Here](https://airportimprovement.com/article/cincinnatinorthern-kentucky-int-l-pilots-global-exchange-program)

Erlanger, KY (May 11, 2020) ― Today, London-based Skytrax announced the 2020 World Airport Awards, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) was named the Best Regional Airport in North America. This marks the seventh year of the last nine that CVG has topped this award category for airports serving primarily regional traffic. Additionally, CVG ranked highly in the following award categories. #2 Best World Airport Serving 5-10 Million Passengers #5 Best Airport Staff in North America #6 Overall Best Regional Airport in the World (#1 Rank in North America)“On behalf of everyone at CVG, we are especially proud to be honored with the Best Regional Airport Award this year,” said Candace McGraw, CEO of CVG. “To earn this distinction for seven of the last nine years reflects the outstanding commitment of the best airport team and partners in this industry. As our community readies to start traveling again, they can be assured that an excellent airport experience—one that is safe and healthy—always has been and always will be our top priority.”Skytrax’s World Airport Awards are based on responses to customer satisfaction surveys, as benchmarked and ranked by airport passengers around the world. More than 550 airports across world regions are ranked in a number of areas, and the awards are independent of any airport control or input. More information about the awards can be found at [https://www.worldairportawards.com/](https://www.worldairportawards.com/).