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Others Replace Independence at Dulles
Chief executive Fred Reid held a reception at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on Tuesday to celebrate Virgin America's new service at Dulles.
(By John Harrington -- Associated Press)
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In addition to Virgin America, the other airlines coming to Dulles this year included Aer Lingus, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Copa Airlines, international carriers with a handful of routes.
James E. Bennett, the airports authority's chief executive, attributes the increase in carriers to the high-profile coverage Dulles received when United announced daily service to Beijing and to the authority's program to attract service to Washington.
Dulles has the added benefit of being in a wealthy region that has been relatively unaffected by the economic downturn.
"We know that Fairfax is affluent and growing. Loudoun is affluent and growing," said Darryl Jenkins, an aviation consultant. "It's better to have customers with money than customers without money."
Southwest moved to Dulles last year specifically to target travelers from Northern Virginia, said Whitney Eichinger, spokeswoman for the Dallas-based airline.
"We had customers driving from Northern Virginia to Baltimore," she said. "We wanted to make a more convenient airport choice, closer to their homes and offices."
While Dulles may draw from the greater Washington region, the local economy benefits more from the airport's overall success, Jenkins said. New carriers could bring jobs and economic growth to Northern Virginia, said industry analysts.
"It's gravity," Jenkins said. "The closer you are, the stronger the attraction. Airports draw from the outlying areas, but the bulk of the people traveling are the ones that are reasonably close."
An increase in travelers into Dulles translates into more visitors spending the night in local hotels, eating in neighborhood restaurants and shopping at nearby malls, Fuller said.
In today's tight economy, more carriers offering more competitive pricing are important for bringing more non-business travelers, who are easily swayed by ticket prices, into Washington.
"Personal travel is price sensitive these days," Fuller said. "As fares are inching up, it's even more meaningful.
"Business travelers are coming anyway, but this may encourage them to bring their spouses or children," he added.
