Cincinnati Enquirer / Randy Tucker / March 21, 2020A dramatic decline in passenger traffic due to fears of the new coronavirus have led two more airlines to suspend flights at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron.Air Canada and Vacation Express - an Atlanta-based tour operator that flys to Mexico, Costa Rica and other popular vacation destinations - have both suspended their international flight operations, airport officials announced on their website.Delta Air Lines, which flew the only nonstop flight from CVG to virus-plagued Europe, announced last week that it was suspending the flight to Paris."The airport is experiencing a sudden and significant decline in passenger volumes. This is a fluid situation, and airlines are making changes rapidly,'' airport officials said in a statement.In an unprecedented move, the U.S. State Department on Thursday urged Americans not to travel overseas and to return to the United States if they can.[FULL STORY HERE](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/03/21/covid-19-more-closures-flight-cancellations-cvg/2891128001/)

WVXU Radio / Michael Monks / March 23, 2020_Cincinnati Edition_ speaks with Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Candace McGraw, about how the airport has been dealing with issues surrounding the coronavirus and what changes mean to passengers, employees and businesses.[RADIO INTERVIEW HERE](https://www.wvxu.org/post/how-coronavirus-impacting-cvg#stream/0)

BisNow / Cameron Sperance / March 9, 2020As major U.S. companies seek to capitalize on international freight connectivity and industrial growth, many are zeroing in on Middle America over coastal gateway markets.  Millions of square feet of warehouses are under construction in Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Texas, and Memphis. What connects them? Airports with major cargo capabilities.Amazon, FedEx and UPS have all announced multi-billion-dollar expansions in these and other inland markets to capitalize on existing transportation hubs that connect to the world. Developers and e-commerce companies are now following the freight, spurring an industrial boom across the American heartland.“One of the reasons we see so much buildup around these inland ports is it cuts down on transportation time and transportation costs,” said James Breeze, CBRE senior director and global head of industrial and logistics research. “Transportation costs are the highest costs for a supply chain, and any way occupiers can find to cut down on that cost they will, including building up around distribution centers.”Memphis, home to North America’s busiest cargo airport by volume, has been FedEx’s corporate hometown since 1973.Fort Worth Alliance Airport opened in 1989, when it was billed as the world’s first industrial-only airport. Amazon has named Alliance, already home to a FedEx regional hub, as one of its Amazon Air regional air hubs.Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport may have been built to accommodate a high volume of passenger traffic but, following a drawdown of service from Delta Air Lines over the last decade, the Kenton County Airport Board has leveraged the existing runway infrastructure to land new cargo hubs from air freight providers like DHL Express and Amazon Air. Freight companies are attracted to the markets due to their central location and land availability to scale up international operations. The cargo connectivity is now having a spillover effect in the industrial sector.  “We are seeing uniform demand increases around sites with compelling logistical qualities,” said Andrew Iglowski, the managing partner and co-founder of Boston-based industrial investment and development firm The Seyon Group. “Sites that are effectively junctions of product distribution are overtly strategic and less replaceable.” [Full Article Here](https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/industrial/want-to-build-an-industrial-boomtown-build-a-runway-and-wait-103309)

Erlanger, KY (March 9, 2020) ― The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) has been recognized as a top airport in the world by Airports Council International (ACI). CVG has earned a 2019 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award, which is a globally recognized customer experience award that is based on airport size (five to 15 million passengers) and world region (North America).“The Airport Service Quality Awards represent the highest possible recognition for airport operators around the world and recognize excellence in customer experience,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said.The ASQ Awards program is based on passenger opinion and measures passengers’ satisfaction across 34 key performance indicators, such as airport cleanliness and security checkpoint wait times.“CVG is proud to be named a 2019 ASQ Award winner,” said Candace S. McGraw, Chief Executive Officer of CVG Airport. “Providing a superior customer experience has long been a hallmark of CVG. I am proud and appreciative of the thousands of employees and many business partners at CVG who make this continued success possible.”

SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines celebrates its continuing growth with the announcement of new service to a brand-new destination for the airline: Cincinnati. Daily nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is scheduled to begin on Aug. 18.Cincinnati becomes the 93rd nonstop destination served from Alaska’s hub in Seattle. The route will connect two dynamic regions, each with thriving technology and business centers. The flights also make it convenient for travelers to connect to dozens of destinations across the West Coast using Alaska’s Seattle hub.Flights times based on local times“The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky community is excited to welcome Alaska Airlines and its strong West Coast presence to CVG,” said Candace McGraw, CEO of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. “The new nonstop service from CVG to Seattle offers excellent schedule times and will enhance travel options for both business and leisure travelers in the tri-state region going to the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and Alaska.”From Seattle, our guests can continue their journeys to other West Coast destinations or the islands of Hawaii. Seattle is also a gateway to Asia with nonstop flights on our Global Partners to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. Flyers can earn miles with Alaska’s highly-acclaimed Mileage Plan program while flying one of our 16 Global Partners to more than 800 destinations around the world.Guests will enjoy award-winning service in a three-class cabin that includes First Class and Premium Class; a fresh, seasonal food and beverage menu; Most Free Movies in the Sky with hundreds of movies and TV shows available for viewing on personal devices; free texting on most flights; and Wi-Fi connectivity for purchase.Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly 47 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,300 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study for 12 consecutive years from 2008 to 2019. Learn about Alaska’s award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

Erlanger, Ky. (February 26, 2020) – Today, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), in partnership with Messer Construction Co., reached a project milestone on its new rental car facility. The highest beam was put into place topping off the Customer Service Building – the first of three structures making up the nearly 1.2M square-foot rental car facility. The Customer Service Building will be conveniently connected to the Terminal for passengers to make their rental car transactions once open in 2021.The two other structures, the Ready Return and Quick Turn Around, are also currently under construction and will be utilized to store and service the rental cars. All 11 rental car brands serving CVG (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty and Zipcar) will be housed in one location eliminating emissions from shuttles transporting passengers back and forth from rental car lots to the Terminal. “This project and investment in our infrastructure will provide a more seamless and efficient rental car experience for millions of CVG travelers each year,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “We look forward to elevating the passenger experience at CVG when the rental car facility opens in 2021.”“Messer is honored to continue our long-standing relationship with CVG, and specifically to be the Construction Manager for this transformational project along with the design team PGAL, Woolpert, KLH, and THP,” said Greg Herrin, vice president, Messer.Facts and figures: Total construction costs = $171M Construction on CVG’s roadway began in August 2018 as an enabling project to the new rental car facility. One year later, the roadway opened (Aug. 2019). Groundbreaking for the rental car facility took place in 2019.Representatives from CVG Airport, Messer Construction (general contractor), PGAL (architect), and the various rental car companies that will be a part of the facility at CVG Airport celebrate this milestone in front of the top beam.Front row/ Left to right:  Shanae Brooks (Messer), Edwin Agudelo (PGAL), Payal Harrell (PGAL), Rayanna Davis (Hertz), Candace McGraw (CVG), Mike Coplon (Avis), Cassie Krautsack (CVG), Jeff Weiner (PGAL)Middle/Back / Left to right:  Tom Dorning (CVG), Ed Thompson (CVG), Damian Weller (CVG), Josh Blum (Hertz), Phil Spink (Sixt), Jake Marsac (Messer), Jason Kennedy (Avis), Harry Hunter (Avis), Barb Schempf (CVG), Jason Shorten (Messer), Mike Filomena (Enterprise), Paul Hegadus (CVG)

Cincinnati Enquirer / Julia Fair / January 30, 2020Traveling by air can be fun, nerve-wracking and expensive. But, that didn't stop local travelers from using the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2019. In fact, more local travelers climbed aboard flights at the airport than ever before. And, they were able to do it [with cheaper rates](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/01/22/cvg-cincinnati-northern-kentucky-airport-cheap-flights/4543768002/), according to the airport's 2019 year in review.  That's just part of the airport's 2019 successes. It increasedpassengers, added new flights and made nearly $1 billion in improvements to facility and more.   “We celebrated another year of records in 2019 serving the most local passengers in our 73-year history,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG Airport in a statement. “With added flights, expanded capacity and lower fares, our community is able to travel by air like never before. We have already started 2020 out strong with numerous announcements and openings so are looking forward to another successful year.” Local passengers reach new heights More final destinations Cincinnati airport:  average fare Soaring workforce Coming to the airport in 2020[FULL ARTICLE HERE](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/northern-ky/2020/01/30/cvg-cincinnati-northern-kentucky-international-airport-increase-2019-flights/2855460001/)

Erlanger, Ky. (January 27, 2020): Eight new food and beverage options are coming to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), incorporating more local flavors, national brands, and an additional fresh/healthy option.SSP America, a division of SSP Group, a leading operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, has been awarded a contract to develop and operate the eight new spaces. CVG travelers will see SSP America introduce a tailored mix of award-winning local and proprietary brands, anchored by industry-leading quick service national brands.“Currently one of the fastest growing airports in the nation, CVG is experiencing positive growth as a direct result of the airport’s focused inward investment,” said Paul Loupakos, vice president of business development, SSP America. “SSP America is delighted to be a part of this next chapter. We bring a diverse mix of local and national brands, as well as custom-designed restaurants that will give passengers a true taste of the region.”  “We look forward to partnering with SSP to bring these new food concepts to CVG,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “The new concessions throughout CVG, both in food and retail, continue to elevate the customer experience for our passengers.”The new food and beverage locations are anticipated to open the first quarter of 2021 through first quarter of 2022. Those changes include:  Two locations, one in Concourse A and one on the west side of Concourse B, will become Dunkin’ — The mighty Dunkin’ brings a globally recognized, all-American brand with an industry-leading, premium coffee offering and wide-variety of donuts, sandwiches and snacks.Chick-fil-A at the Concourse B food court moves to a larger space within the food court (formerly Torn Basil location) — Chick-fil-A brings a popular, multi-award-winning, fast casual chicken restaurant with industry recognition for both their speed and high-level customer service.The current Chick-fil-A location in the Concourse B food court will become Fuzzy’s Taco Shop — Fuzzy’s Taco Shop brings a popular, award-winning, fast casual Mexican restaurant with industry recognition for their high-level guest experience.  Fuzzy’s soft corn tortillas are brimming with flavorful fillings such as grilled or tempura fish, shrimp, spicy pork, fajita chicken and shredded brisket—each, individually wrapped in foil to maintain warmth and on-the-go, portable perfection. Burritos, quesadillas, “Diggable” burrito bowls, “Loaded” nachos, and “Big Bowled” salads round out the menu.The Local in Concourse A will become a Bourbon Kitchen — Designed specifically for ­­­CVG by SSP America’s Food Travel Experts, this Bourbon Kitchen brings a regionally-focused, bourbon distillery tasting room experience featuring world-class, Kentucky bourbons and a bourbon inspired, localized menu.Stella Artois/Urban Market in Concourse A will become a localized café & bar — This offering will bring something for everyone — handcrafted drinks and Ohio brews combined with locally tailored street eats in an upbeat urban setting.Hop & Cask in Concourse B will become Carmella’s Modern Trattoria — Modern, Italian trattoria concept is created by SSP America’s team of leading Food Travel Experts and specifically customized for CVG. Carmella’s features a chef-driven menu and made from scratch dishes, including freshly prepared pizzas; overstuffed sandwiches; hand-patted burgers; small plates of antipasti; and a wide range of soups, salads and pasta, as well as classic steaks and Chicken Marsala entrees. Panda Express in Concourse A will become Camden Food Co. — Award-winning, SSP boutique brand designed specifically for travelers and the airport environment, Camden provides an express service, urban gourmet market full of fresh, modern, made-to-order as well as grab-and-go food options prepared with locally sourced ingredients.About SSPSSP America is a division of SSP Group, a global leader in the business of creating restaurants, bars, cafés and marches in environments where people are on the move. With over 50 years of experience, SSP's nearly 39,000 employees serve approximately 1.5 million passengers daily in 35 countries.  Our operations span around 2,800 outlets across 480 locations representing more than 550 of our own and licensed brands.