Indianapolis Scores An Air Service Coup!


Another departure from Peoria-centric material.

Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday that it will begin nonstop service between the Indiana capital and Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, France on May 24, 2018. Equipment will be 225-seat Boeing 767-300ERs (example shown on final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport on September 6, 2015). Connections beyond Paris will be available through Delta's Skyteam alliance partner, Air France. 

Why is this significant? Because Indianapolis is getting its first scheduled intercontinental passenger flights. This may seem strange given that Indy is America's 15th largest city (864,164 residents in 2016) and that its metropolitan statistical area has reached 2 million. But proximity to much larger Chicago, which has long offered direct or nonstop service to Europe, and lack of hub status to offer sufficient connecting traffic are among factors relegating the city's passenger flights to North America.

Until now. 

Word is that Indianapolis was trying to persuade British Airways to offer nonstop service to London-Heathrow, but the city apparently lost this latest round to Nashville. That Delta was willing to offer similar service to another major European capital was most fortunate for economic development in the Hoosier State. 

Interestingly, Delta already offers Paris nonstops from nearby Cincinnati. The two services may compete for some passengers, though Indianapolis' new flights will draw traffic from through Indiana and perhaps even Central Illinois.  

Indianapolis International Airport is no stranger to the big leagues of commercial aviation. Since 1988, FedEx has operated a largely domestic hub there, though with nonstop freighter service to Paris (DeGaulle), France and London (Stansted), England as well as one-stop service to the Far East via Anchorage. There are lots of large jets (MD-11s, DC-10s, 767-300s, etc.) which congregate here during the night. Since 2006, Cargolux (Luxembourg) has offered Boeing 747 freighter service to Indianapolis's medical industry (Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics) with three weekly flights at present. 

- David P. Jordan

Comments

  1. mikefiedler1@gmail.comSeptember 14, 2017 at 3:26 PM

    Yeah, this is great for Indy and also giving the region another option. We have flown out of Indy a few times in the past. The flight options are decent, pricing is often less than Midway on Southwest, and parking cost is reasonable.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bartlett Grain Co. LP to Build Elevator on UP Peoria Sub!

Image
Bartlett Grain Co. LP's Bureau County facility will be similar to its Canadian Pacific Kansas City-served South Jacksonville, Illinois facility, shown May 2, 2020.  Bartlett Grain Co. LP is planning to build a $50 million grain loading facility in Bureau County, Illinois. Media reports here and here  tells us Bartlett Grain will build on 155 acres east of Rt. 40 and north of Interstate 80 between County Roads 1700 and 1745 East. The complex, complete with a rail loop capable of loading up to 120 cars, will employ 25 to 30.  Rail service will be provided by the Union Pacific on its Peoria Subdivision, which runs from Nelson south to Barr. Grain will be shipped to Mexico.  - David P. Jordan
Read more

Black Band Distillery Expands to ex-Cat Tire!

Image
Black Band Distillery, presently operating at 1000 SW Adams Street, is planning to expand to the vacant property at 2400 SW Washington Street. That is according to WCBU News .  Although the article omits it, this property has a long history with the local distilling industry. National Cooperage & Woodenware Co. constructed a plant there in 1900, though a predecessor apparently had begun barrel making operations there c. 1885. This firm survived Prohibition (1920-1933) because the barrels could also be used for packing corn syrup, condensed milk, cider, vinegar, liquid chemicals, flavoring extracts, etc. Hiram Walker & Sons, which purchased one-third to one-half of its production, gained control of National Cooperage in 1946. A new four-story expansion began in the fall of 1964 only to be destroyed by a tornado on September 14, 1965. Operations resumed at the start of 1966 and the entire plant was replaced in 1967-1968.  Changing economics led to closure in 1972. Caterp...
Read more

Union Pacific's LPD01 Derails Due to Vandals 11-18-24!

Image
Union Pacific's LPD01 job leaves and departs Adams Street Yard in Peoria on July 1, 2024.   I hope the judge makes an example of these two clowns!   Union Pacific's LPD01 job was either going to or returning from Collier Yard to work the Keokuk Junction Railway and Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway interchanges. Damage to the locomotive explains why Adams Street Yard and the adjacent Low Line are still full of cars.    Peoria County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page:    Train Derailment Arrests Peoria County Incident #24-7190   (Peoria County, IL) - On Monday, November 18th, 2024, at approximately 3:00 pm, Peoria County Sheriff's Deputies were notified by the Bartonville Police Department of an incident where BPD officers had two males detained for derailing a train near the train crossing on Sanitation Rd (100 block) just outside of Bartonville. The Union Pacific Locomotive Engineer saw the males near the derailing device and called Bartonvil...
Read more