WLWT-TV 5 / Alanna Martella / July 24, 2020BOONE COUNTY, Ky. —Nine days. That's how long this stuffed animal dog was on its own little vacation at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.You may remember seeing this cute fella flooding your Facebook and Twitter feeds. A stuffed spotted dog was left behind at the airport.“We posted on social media and after a few posts, we reached more than 1 million people,” said CVG Spokesperson Mindy Kershner.Airport officials launched a massive effort to return the pup to its owner.Airport personnel gave the stuffed pup the Cincinnati experience, behind the scenes tours of the airport terminal, plane cockpits and of course showed him Cincinnati’s own ice cream.“We introduced him to Graeter's Ice Cream—he's never had that before!" said Kershner.As it turns out, the stuffed animal, named Masch Masch, isn't your average toy.He belongs to 6-year-old Florida resident Jaydence Ronco, who, along with his two brothers, Sully and Corbin, was adopted.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.wlwt.com/article/6-year-old-boy-reunites-with-beloved-stuffed-dog-left-behind-at-cvg/33417467)

Barstoolsports.com/ Liz Gonzales / July 27, 2020I don't know if "name a place where you're likely to lose a personal belonging" has ever been asked on _Family Feud_, but I can guarantee you "airport" would be right up there. People are always in a rush, always running late, and there are entirely too many stops between you and your destination to _not_ lose something: ticket gate, security, bathroom, _Hudson News_, terminal, plane seat, plane pocket in front of the seat (my #1 lose-spot), overhead compartment, baggage claim, car, etc. As a result, I'm sure airport/airline employees find lost belongings so often, few are quick to jump into action to return the item. Which is exactly what makes this story so damn wonderful! Not only did the Cincinnati Airport Tweet the lost pup when they found him, but they developed an entire social media campaign to get him home.Think about how much time they spent going from location to location just to take a picture of a stuffed animal. And for what? To hopefully, _maybe_ reunite him with the kid that left him behind? Yup. Doug and Phyllis Ronco, of Madeira Beach, Florida, said they were driving to the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport to retrieve their son’s stuffed animal Friday.I mean… COME ON! It could have been a random kid's random toy, but it wasn't. "I think our son was half a slaeep when he left Masch-Masch (the dog's nickname) at the terminal," Ronco said.  "Under normal circumstances, he would never forget him . . . it's very special to him."For that little boy, his pup symbolized the beginning of his new life with his brand new family; that stuffed puppy meant everything to him and, in a single moment, he was gone. And 99.9% of the time, he would have stayed gone. But not this time. This time, thanks to kind people at the Cincinnati Airport who went above and beyond the call of duty, the puppy had no longer lost his way. "The times we are in, some people see the humor in something lighthearted, and others say, 'Is this all you can do, talk about this stupid stuffed animal? he (Ronco) said, laughing.Hell yes! At this moment in time, it's vital we cling to every story that doesn't make us feel like everything is terrible and getting even more terrible by the minute. And if it manages to bring a tiny tear to your eye on a Monday afternoon, well that's just an added bonus.  [FULL STORY HERE](https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/2704647/an-airport-launched-a-campaign-to-reunite-a-stuffed-puppy-with-its-owner-and-its-the-best-story-youll-hear-all-week)

NBC's The Today Show / Good News Segment / July 25, 2020A young boy was reunited with his beloved stuffed animal, but not before staff at a Cincinnati airport took it on adventures, including riding on the tarmac, working with a gate agent and even going inside a plane cockpit.[STORY HERE](https://www.today.com/video/boy-reunited-with-stuffed-animal-thanks-to-friendly-airport-staff-88277061556?fbclid=IwAR3k84c8Zxg03i9zIakePbIeW0CbC4wrtY4G4JIGIRjWChZvJHpetfb2GE8)

WLWT/ Staff / July 14, 2020Workers are the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport are hoping to reunite a passenger with a stuffed animal that was left behind at the airport."We think this guy missed his flight at CVG this morning!" CVG officials wrote on Facebook Tuesday.CVG officials said the stuffed animal was found hanging out by Starbucks outside of the security checkpoint."Look familiar? Help us share so we can get him home," the Facebook post said.AdvertisementCVG posted a photo of the stuffed animal, which was a white dog with black spots. The dog has a spotted ear and an all-black ear.

CityBeat / July 15, 2020A small stuffed dalmatian dog was left behind outside the security checkpoint at the airport this week, according to a tweet from July 14.They're hoping whatever traveler left him behind is looking for him, so they want people to spread the word that the pup is safe and sound at CVG and ready to head home.He's also been going on some adventures of his own while hanging out at the terminal.UPDATE: He hasn't found a home as of yet, but he has gotten a name: "Jet."Lost toys aren't uncommon at CVG, which recently reunited another displaced stuffed animal with its owner.According to the airport, 9-year-old Zaiden Kirby's beloved Beary spent a month at CVG after he missed his flight. Kirby is the son of a military father who has moved the family from Kentucky to Georgia to Ohio to Louisiana, where they live now. And Kirby has had his bear by his side since he was born, he told WXIX.[According to the WXIX story,](https://www.cvgairport.com/about/news/2020/07/09/wxix-beloved-bear-found-at-cvg-and-returned-after-social-media-campaign) "Beary was there with Zaiden in June at CVG, where Zaiden was set to board a plane home to Louisiana after spending a few weeks with his grandparents in Kentucky. Beary didn’t make it. Zaiden says he accidentally left him in the train at the terminal."Kirby's grandma launched a social media campaign to find Beary and CVG Police Officer Joe Woeste found the stuffed animal in a terminal and "applied a mask to the bear, buckled him up the front seat of his vehicle and eventually sent the itinerant ursine home," says WXIX.Here's hoping the same happens for this lost little dog.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.citybeat.com/arts-culture/culture/blog/21140206/cvg-trying-to-reunite-lost-stuffed-dog-with-his-family)

Erlanger, KY (July 21, 2020) ― Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation released its average airfare ranking report for the first quarter of 2020. The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) was shown to have the lowest airfares in the Tri-state region.Among the top 100 U.S. domestic airports, CVG ranked #78 with an average fare of $316. Average airfares at CVG were below the national average of $336.  Regional comparisons: CVG ranked #78 – average fare $316 Indianapolis (IND) ranked #61 – average fare $333 Columbus (CMH) ranked #52 – average fare $350 Louisville (SDF) ranked #31 – average fare $370 Dayton (DAY) ranked #3 – average fare $430CVG’s average airfare for the first quarter of 2020 decreased by seven (7) percent compared to the first quarter of 2019. In 2019, CVG served more than 9.1 million passengers.“CVG’s latest airfare ranking reflects this community’s support of airline options and low fares,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer of CVG. “As our community returns to flying again, CVG and our airline partners are educating travelers on what to expect throughout their journey and how to fly healthy.”[Click here](https://cvgairport.com/flight/tips/flyhealthy) for tips on how to fly healthy and for a video on what to expect when returning to the airport.

WXIX-TV 19 / July 9, 2020A beloved member of a Louisiana family spent a month at CVG after missing his flight, but Beary the bear is home at last.The story begins with 9-year-old Zaiden Kirby, whose whirlwind life as the son of a military father has been punctuated by move after move — from Kentucky to Georgia to Ohio to Louisiana, where the family lives today.Through it all has been Beary.“I’ve had him ever since I was born,” Zaiden explained.Beary was there with Zaiden in June at CVG, where Zaiden was set to board a plane home to Louisiana after spending a few weeks with his grandparents in Kentucky.Beary didn’t make it. Zaiden says he accidentally left him in the train at the terminal.“It was traumatic,” Zaiden’s mother, Kristin Kirby said.That is when the social media campaign began, thanks to Zaiden’s grandmother, who “bombarded” CVG’s Facebook page, according to Kristin.As luck would have it, CVG Police Officer Joe Woeste was able to answer the call. He found Beary in he terminal, then applied a mask to the bear, buckled him up the front seat of his vehicle and eventually sent the itinerant ursine home.[FULL STORY &VIDEO HERE](https://www.fox19.com/2020/07/08/childs-beloved-bear-lost-cvg-found-returned-after-social-media-campaign/)July 8, 2020 at 9:39 PM EDT - Updated July 9 at 9:02 AMCINCINNATI (FOX19) - A beloved member of a Louisiana family spent a month at CVG after missing his flight, but Beary the bear is home at last.The story begins with 9-year-old Zaiden Kirby, whose whirlwind life as the son of a military father has been punctuated by move after move — from Kentucky to Georgia to Ohio to Louisiana, where the family lives today.Through it all has been Beary.“I’ve had him ever since I was born,” Zaiden explained.Beary was there with Zaiden in June at CVG, where Zaiden was set to board a plane home to Louisiana after spending a few weeks with his grandparents in Kentucky.Beary didn’t make it. Zaiden says he accidentally left him in the train at the terminal.“It was traumatic,” Zaiden’s mother, Kristin Kirby said.That is when the social media campaign began, thanks to Zaiden’s grandmother, who “bombarded” CVG’s Facebook page, according to Kristin.As luck would have it, CVG Police Officer Joe Woeste was able to answer the call. He found Beary in he terminal, then applied a mask to the bear, buckled him up the front seat of his vehicle and eventually sent the itinerant ursine home.July 8, 2020 at 9:39 PM EDT - Updated July 9 at 9:02 AMCINCINNATI (FOX19) - A beloved member of a Louisiana family spent a month at CVG after missing his flight, but Beary the bear is home at last.The story begins with 9-year-old Zaiden Kirby, whose whirlwind life as the son of a military father has been punctuated by move after move — from Kentucky to Georgia to Ohio to Louisiana, where the family lives today.Through it all has been Beary.“I’ve had him ever since I was born,” Zaiden explained.Beary was there with Zaiden in June at CVG, where Zaiden was set to board a plane home to Louisiana after spending a few weeks with his grandparents in Kentucky.Beary didn’t make it. Zaiden says he accidentally left him in the train at the terminal.“It was traumatic,” Zaiden’s mother, Kristin Kirby said.That is when the social media campaign began, thanks to Zaiden’s grandmother, who “bombarded” CVG’s Facebook page, according to Kristin.As luck would have it, CVG Police Officer Joe Woeste was able to answer the call. He found Beary in he terminal, then applied a mask to the bear, buckled him up the front seat of his vehicle and eventually sent the itinerant ursine home.

Forbes / Katina Stefanova / July 2, 2020I had the pleasure to speak to Brian Cobb, the Chief Innovation Officer at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). During the interview, we spoke about the new-normal for airports in the post-Covid-19 world. Brian, whose job is to envision the future for aviation and to implement progressive, yet effective solutions, shared his perspective of the challenges airports are facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the investments they are making in order to make flying safe again. Katina: Brian, you have twenty-nine years of aviation experience, working in both the airline and airport sectors. Could you please tell us what ideas do you have and what projects are you driving today to make airports safe for flying again?  Brian: Right now we have to reestablish the trust and confidence of our product. When I say our product, I very much view it as the experience of flying - a combined product of airlines and airports. Airlines typically own the experience onboard and the airports provide the connection point. Both these worlds have changed dramatically. The biggest difference post-Covid-19 is that passengers and governments alike will be acutely aware of the risk of contagion. There are a number of changes to our operations we are already implementing: Many standards and new functions of the airport will be automated in order to drive efficiency and minimize human contact.In the post-Covid-19 world, when travelers get to the airport, they will meet more robots and fewer people. Human contact is more likely to spread disease and thus, the new airport environment will look to minimize that while maximizing service. Automation was already on the way - we can already imagine taking an autonomous driving car to the airport. Covid-19 will speed automation up.Our initial efforts have been focused on amplifying our already high cleaning standards. [CVG](https://www.cvgairport.com/ "https://www.cvgairport.com/") has launched _autonomous floor scrubbers_. In the past, most of the cleaning had to happen overnight. However, to meet the new standards for disinfecting and cleaning in a post-pandemic environment more frequent large area cleaning will be needed. From the perspective of the travelers, seeing cleaning crews during the day used to be disruptive. Now, seeing continuous cleaning provides a sense of security.The other area of automation that travelers will see will be in the food service areas. How food is made available to passengers and how it is consumed has to further minimize the risk of contagion. Self-service, automated food carts, and automated check-outs are all coming to the airport.Katina: When you say autonomous cleaning units, are you using a different type of cleaning technology? For example, are you using UV light or a combination of other technologies that are particularly suited for eradicating viruses or the spread of viruses? Has there been any innovation in that aspect?Brian: This is where we face a learning curve similar to what airports experienced post 9/11. To mitigate the risks arising from 9/11, airports and airlines rushed to implement new technology to improve the physical security of travel and prevent future terrorist attacks. On the one hand, that was good because it drove fast change and adaptation. However, there was a tremendous amount of waste due to unproven solutions, which were implemented and did not really work. Therefore, they had to be replaced later. Airports have always been at the forefront of innovation. The very concept of flight symbolizes the human pursuit to innovate and I am confident that in the post-Covid-19 world airports will adapt quickly. However, at [CVG](https://www.cvgairport.com/ "https://www.cvgairport.com/"), our goal is to drive innovation without waste, which requires relying on science, not on fads. Extensive testing and validation of new technology is the main lesson learned from 9/11, which airports are handling better to respond to the Covid-19 crisis.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.forbes.com/sites/katinastefanova/2020/07/02/return-of-the-airport-what-airports-invest-in-to-survive-covid-19/#743ca29820e7)