Link provided by the author-Tom Bona from BusinessRockford.com, thanks Tom !!! Here is the story:
Irish destination likely for Rockford airport
Chicago/Rockford International Airport could get weekly flights to Ireland starting as early as December.Maryland-based Kenny Tours is in talks to set up regularly scheduled charter service between Rockford and the western Ireland city of Shannon.It would be a similar model to Apple Vacations’ weekly flights to Cancun, Mexico.
Kenny Tours would contract with another airline to operate flights, but Kenny Tours would coordinate motor coach tours and lodging in Ireland.Kenny Tours hopes to have a deal in place with an airline within 10 days and U.S. Department of Transportation approval shortly thereafter.
Bob Nay, Kenny Tours’ director of sales and marketing, said they’d target people in this region looking to travel to Ireland, as well as Irish tourists looking to visit Chicago, Milwaukee and the Midwest.“(At major airports) people are coming in four hours before their international flight just to make sure,” he said. “Whereas, with us, you get on your flight at Rockford at 9 at night, you’re up there, you have a drink and you’re in Ireland at 8 a.m. ready to go on a tear.”
Airport Executive Director Bob O’Brien confirmed talks with Kenny Tours. He said he knew they were interested in starting anytime between this fall and next spring.O’Brien said Kenny Tours can compete with American Airlines’ and Aer Lingus’ flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Ireland by focusing on the free parking and short lines at Rockford.
Also, O’Brien said it’s a lot cheaper for the company to fly out of Rockford, so they can pass the savings on to their customers.Nay said one-week vacation package deals start as low as $1,000 a person. The company also plans to offer flights independent of vacation packages.
Kenny Tours is also hoping to start nonstop service to Ireland from Niagara Falls, NY; Lansing, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; and other markets.Kenny Tours has been in business since 1989, mostly scheduling trips between the United States and Ireland on other airlines. Nay said the company wanted to offer its own regularly scheduled charter service so it could get lower prices.
Staff writer Thomas V. Bona may be contacted at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
4 months ago
7 comments:
hmmm......Worcester to Ireland??? If Northwest can pull of Bradley-Amsterdam, then why not?
Did you notice the other cities Kenny Tours were targeting--all smaller secondary airports. That would be perfect for Worcester.
Dave makes a good point, Worcester to Amsterdam would make for one heluva bachelor party weekend !!!
Yeeee - Hawwwwwwwwwwwww !!!!!!
Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA
Harry:
Too bad it was not Hooters to Amsterdam? Worcester would truly be the Right Time, Right Place.
Bill
slight porblem we have at worcester...our runway is quite short. So despite the short flight time to ireland, any airline would suffer cargo penalties making the trip probably uneconomical
Loved the Hooters reference, Bill !!! Viva Viagra !!!
Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA
Atually our runway is decent size. Yes, it's 7000 feet. But Trenton, NJ has a 6000 foot runway and they get Evergreen 747's. Also, 727's are supposed to have 9500 foot runways to depart from, but just last week when the Nets came to town, a 727 took of pretty easily. Also, I think we had Pan Am....haha
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