The Quad City International Airport is asking businesses to promote flying rather than driving to other airports.
Michelle O'Neill reports the goal is to increase passenger traffic and help the local airport thrive.
Over the last six years, traffic at the Quad City Airport has dropped more than ten percent. Part of the problem is many people drive to Chicago before they take off. So, Marketing Representative, Cathie Rochau, says the airport decided to create the "Fly Local Alliance." It got input from the Chamber of Commerce Air Service Committee before rolling it out.
It's free for companies to formally endorse the airport. The Quad City Airport has also created an online trip calculator to help passengers compare the true cost of using airports, such as O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, that are miles from home. Rochau says the extras really add up.
The Quad City Airport is also asking businesses to send their employees a very short survey along with a link to the trip calculator.
Companies that have already signed up for the Fly Local Alliance include Admospheres Media and Marketing, the Kent Corporation, Modern Woodmen of America, Quad Cities River Bandits, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Southeast National Bank, and US Bank.