Revving up airline coverage
Now’s about the time for those midsummer doldrums when we all dream of jetting off to an exotic locale…or even someplace just moderately exciting.
Businesses writers without cash for a trip can do the next best thing – catch up with the airline business.
Even if you don’t have a major carrier headquartered inside your beat, you probably have an airport nearby that employs part of your audience either directly or in ancillary jobs with suppliers, cargo handlers, cleaners, the security force and other support services.
And the aircraft themselves ferry inbound tourists, business travelers and other passengers who leave their economic footprint in your area.
So spend some time developing a dossier on air traffic in your region. Which carriers are dominant? Check out their financials – most airlines are reporting earnings this week – and sign up at their media relations centers for e-mail feeds.
Are there any specialty firms like vacation charter services, corporate jet sharing programs or private shuttles operating out of your region? They – along with hands-on suppliers like the catering companies, the cleaning services, airport concessions operators – can provide useful data about traveler habits as well as interesting fodder for feature stories. For example, why does a snack pack worth $1.99 on land cost $8 aloft, and who gets to pick out the ingredients?
Your airport authority reports are public record; often available on Web sites. Traffic figures, landing fee revenues and other data should point you to key players.
Other helpful sources of data include:
• Bureau of Transportation Statistics – They offer stats including passenger counts, load factors, airport passenger counts and so on.
• Air Transport Association – This industry trade group’s Web site is packed with data and explanations; the ATA spokesman and economists are accessible and in tune with economic trends.
• International Air Transport Association – This is a Montreal-based organization representing 90 percent of carriers around the globe. They’re particularly helpful with industry-wide issues, and will frequently offer economists or officers to speak to the media on issues that carriers themselves might not want to comment on. If you cover a major tourist destination, they can offer insight about patterns of foreign visitors.
Fuel is a huge cost factor for airlines; in fact those few who do manage to eke out a profit these days usually do so based on their fuel hedging practices (buying ahead at what they hope are rock-bottom prices.) Check with the Energy Information Administration, the federal fuel-information site, for helpful current and historical info on jet fuel prices.
Another helpful source of data and links: The Aviation Database. This is actually a fee-based consultancy that generates customized reports for people/businesses, but they have an excellent collection of historical stats and links to other sites that have great information.
Despite the hassles of flying these days, aviation is still a rather sexy business that lends itself to consumer pieces or just plain interesting feature stories. So forgive the clich
