Gainesville Regional Airport has been serving the community for nearly 75 years, and every year since, leadership has strived to expand upon the already solid reasons to fly GNV.
The most recent new reason to fly GNV are renovations and expansions to the airport, which were completed in summer 2021. The regional airport has become even easier to fly in and out of, and expansions to the terminal, parking lot and transportation routes are ready to serve growing numbers of passengers.
“Our terminal expansion has really, I think, wowed our community and people who hadn’t flown in Gainesville,” said GNV’s marketing & public relations manager, Erin Porter. “People would rather fly local and have that nice, calm experience versus the hassle of going down Interstate 75.”
Recent Developments
- 15,200-square-foot terminal expansion, including:
- Two new boarding gates and three new gate lounges
- Hundreds of new seats with charging ports
- Departure and arrival board
- Remodeling of existing and new food concessions
- Pet relief area
- Mother’s lactation room
- Renovation to existing terminal
- This was a $16 million project, funded in part by a $12 million grant from the FAA
- Immediate plans to build new, multimodal parking garage
- Expansion of airline ticket offices
- New bag handling system and moving TSA baggage screening to back of house
- Commercial Aircraft Apron Expansion
- Airport Fire Station replacement
Martin Kammerman is the director of air service strategy and development for ASM Global Route Development and has worked with GNV for six years.
“Traveling by air out of GNV is wonderfully convenient,” Kammerman said. “From that perspective, it’s hard to beat.”
Kammerman is part of a team that works on air service development for GNV — meaning the practice of adding new airlines and new routes to the airport. Air service development benefits the community by increasing competition among airlines and making fares more affordable. Increased flights and destinations would give travelers more options.
Working alongside Kammerman are Porter and GNV’s CEO, Allan Penksa. With the industry as a whole rebounding after the pandemic and recent improvements to GNV, there are promising opportunities for added service, which the team is working hard to secure.
The team of Penksa, Porter and Kammerman compare the air service development process to speed dating.
While airline headquarters visits are the preferred method of negotiating new routes, GNV attends several conferences with airlines annually, as it presents an opportunity to meet with more airlines at once. The team has 20 minutes to convince airlines what makes GNV the next best point on the route map for that airline — or why they are the best “date,” compared to other airports.
The effort for those 20 minutes is twofold: present the community aspects, and the data aspects, of why GNV is a good fit for that airline. They start with a basic introduction about the community, with the university being a major draw for travelers, then customize flight data to target each airline specifically.
“The good news is that both of these two concepts (community and data) are very much heading in the right direction, in terms of growth in Gainesville, in terms of growth at the university,” Kammerman said.
If the 20-minute meeting is successful, GNV may be invited to a more “formal date,” or a visit to the airline’s headquarters. There, GNV presents an hour of formal presentation, with Q&A opportunities and expansion on the details. Based on data GNV shares, the airline tries to determine how many passengers could fill how many seats on how many planes on a consistent basis, and would this be a profitable endeavor. If it proves a good match, they may decide to officially start their relationship — and add service to GNV.
A key detail Penksa, Porter and Kammerman all point out is that for airlines to commit to GNV, there has to be sufficient evidence proving passengers will choose this airport over nearby competitors. The airport is a conduit, but the ultimate decision is made by carriers and has to be supported by the community.
Just as in the human dating world, airlines are very different in their business plans and target markets and what customers and ticket yields they find attractive. Some cater to high-volume, low-yield leisure travelers, and some cater to business travelers. The type and size of aircraft used can be very different, and Gainesville might not always be the best fit.
“We’re working hard for (the community) all the time to try and expand service that’s really up to the airlines, and we give them our big best pitch. We do a lot of market research,” Penksa said.
Penksa, Porter and Kammerman share optimism that the benefits to choosing GNV — such as the easygoing experience of flying there, and the fact that it is often a cheaper option when considering travel and additional expenses to out-of-town airports, among other positives — will support their efforts to gain more destinations and ultimately benefit local travelers.
“(Travelers) should always take a look at GNV to make sure, hey, maybe that works for me, because it’s so much more convenient,” Kammerman said. “The more people that fly out of GNV, the more the numbers will grow, and the more attractive it’ll be to attract more airlines.”
Gainesville Regional Airport Quick Facts
- 16 daily departures
- 343 one-stop destinations
- Four international hubs where GNV has nonstop service: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami
- $374 million economic impact to North Central Florida
- Airport located 15 minutes from University of Florida and UF Health Shands Hospital
Compare Travel Plans
The Cost Calculator on Gainesville Regional Airport’s website allows travelers to compare all expenses among the GNV, Orlando International and Jacksonville International airports by entering fare costs.
Round-trip flights to Chicago July 18-19, 2022, as of June 7
To and From Gainesville GNV
Airfare: $404
Miles (round-trip): 0
Mileage Cost ($0.55/mile): 0
Travel Time: 0 hrs
Travel Time Cost ($20/hr): 0
Days Parked: 1
Total Parking Cost: 10
Total Final Cost: $414
To and From Orlando MCO
Airfare: $278
Miles (round-trip): 244
Mileage Cost ($0.55/mile): $134.20
Travel Time: 4 hrs
Travel Time Cost ($20/hr): $80 + $13.50 toll
Days Parked: 1
Total Parking Cost: 17
Total Final Cost: $531.24
To and From Jacksonville JAX
Airfare: $356
Miles (round-trip): 160
Mileage Cost ($0.55/mile): $88
Travel Time: 3 hrs
Travel Time Cost ($20/hr): $60
Days Parked: 1
Total Parking Cost: 14
Total Final Cost: $523.60
Gainesville Regional Airport Testimonials
“This is my first time using this airport, and it’s a real find! Since it’s a small regional airport, everything is close and very easy to navigate. I got through TSA in five minutes. I’d highly recommend it. Kudos to all of the airport staff, who were super helpful.”
— Gloria Bocchetti
“From the usual time of getting off the plane to baggage claim to exiting the airport taking up to an hour, this was a nice break, as it only took maybe five minutes. It’s probably only 300 feet from the airplane door to the entrance of the airport. Looking forward to coming back here and experiencing stress-free travel at the Gainesville Regional Airport.”
— Giovanni Salido
“Truly is the best airport to fly in or out of. When arriving for a flight, you’re treated with respect and first-class treatment. Been to other airports but always try to choose Gainesville as my first choice.”
— Annie M.
The above reviews were sourced from Yelp and Google, 2021-22.
By Jewell Tomazin