Letter to the Editor of Springfield Bussiness Journal

( Sent May 12, 2011 )



Gentlemen,

I've read your coverage of the Branson Airport with interest for several months. I admit I'm an obvious Branson supporter but I must say I'm turned off by your biased reporting about this company. Normally, I believe that your reporters do a good job of being even handed and attempt to just report the story. But in this case your obvious bias often pours from the page. I don't expect you to be a cheerleader for this project, but you should at least admit that it is an interesting story as it relates to private enterprise versus total government control of a typical public enterprise.



Yes, the projections have missed their plan which was prepared during much different times. Yes the business has lost a great deal of money during this time. All fair points that must be reported. However, wouldn't it be more accurate to report that these projections were not prepared in anticipation of the worst recession we have suffered in many decades. Those projections were made....not when airlines were cutting service and markets throughout...but during the "good times" when it appeared that more service would be needed...not less. In fact, it would be interesting if you were to talk to bond people to see how many of their bonds that were issued during that same period are performing as projected. Couldn't this be included in the story, instead of making these guys sound like idiots or just out to fleece the bond holders when they did their business plan and revenue projections. How many of the other similarly timed issues are getting forbearance agreements negotiated at this time.?



As a reader I think it would be interesting to know that the airlines that are flying into Branson are making money. Frontier Airlines are reducing seats nationwide, but they are adding flights to Branson because they are flying at about 90% load factors. Department of Transportation data reports that for the second and third quarters of 2010, the Branson Airport was in the top 25 percent of all of AirTran's flights for "revenue per available seat miles"...a very important indicator for Southwest's future plans. Instead, your story makes the airport sound like it is a ghost town....when in fact you can take pictures of nearly full flights landing everyday.



I appreciate your quotes from Mr. Hynes, the aviation consultant, but don't you think that including any of the following quotes would have been accurate and balanced his opinion?

“We have an airport starting from scratch,” Hynes said. “Branson started from zero.” Hynes said in 2009, when the airport was only open eight-and-a-half months, it saw 48,167 passengers. “To get 40,000 passengers the first year was great,” Hynes said. In 2010, the airport saw 94,923 passengers. “That is a tremendous increase,” he said. Hynes estimates in 2011, the airport could see 140,000 passengers, but doesn’t expect that kind of growth rate to continue into 2012. He expects a 5-15 percent annual increase starting in 2011. The Southwest Airlines acquisition of AirTran Airways should be great news to Branson Airport. “Southwest’s acquisition is probably the greatest thing that could have happened to the airport,” Hynes said. “I think they will make Branson a mini-hub.” Couldn't you find any of these thoughts important and or intersting enough that you could have included them in your story?

I totally understand your frustration when the subject of your story won't talk with you....but that doesn't give you the right to just fill in the story based on your own opinions...or perhaps that of The Springfield Branson Airport management. As a business publication it would appear to me that you would be interested to see how much the Springfield Branson airport ticket prices have dropped since Branson began operations. I would also wonder if the millions of dollars in national advertising that the Branson community has invested in the "low cost airline service now available" message has had in the past increases in passengers in Springfield. Check out the chambers web site, it includes links to Springfield's airport as well. Won't lower cost transportation help the entire SW Missouri region? Wouldn't it be interesting to see Branson continue to add service to its airport and bring more visitors to this region? As for me, I have several businesses that will consider Branson and or this part of the state to locate their business if we can provide good low cost air service. It might even help current businesses to expand....its a much bigger story than just tourism.

Again, you don't have to be a cheerleader for this enterprise, I just think you should give the project a fair shake and at least do some fair reporting. I would expect this sort of treatment from your friends at The Newsleader, but I had higher hopes for you.



Stephen N. Critchfield
Broker/Partner
Commercial One Brokers, LLC
Branson, Missouri