Editor's note: The survey can be accessed here.
A Gainesville Regional Airport survey that gauges residents’ interests in nonstop flights to New York City may result in more convenient travel to the Big Apple in the future.
The online survey, which opened Monday, had garnered about 500 responses as of Wednesday, said Laura Aguiar, an airport spokeswoman.
New York City’s LaGuardia Airport is the No. 2 destination leaving Gainesville, she said, topped by Miami and followed by Atlanta and Boston.
“New York has always been a very strong area for us, I think because of our technology-based businesses and other business travel,” she said. “It’s interesting to note that LaGuardia is so popular, and it’s not even a direct route.”
Aguiar said she’s confident Gainesville has enough passengers to fill direct flights to New York City.
The challenge, she said, is to show airline operators that offering direct flights would be profitable.
She said the survey’s purpose is to confirm that Gainesville travelers could fill up the flights, if offered.
“We do think it’s viable, and we just need to be able to convince the airlines that this is a viable route for nonstop service,” she said.
The survey includes 11 multiple-choice and three free-response questions that ask people if they would take a flight to the New York City area, how often they would take the flight and what flight times would be most convenient.
The survey will be open for at least another week, Aguiar said.
If an airline that already services Gainesville begins to offer a direct New York City route, Aguiar said, it will not cost the airport money.
However, if the route is added, it would bring more patrons, which could clog the usually full waiting and dining areas and restrooms, she said.
She said the airport is conducting a study this year to explore expansion of the terminal to accommodate higher foot traffic.
“Our traffic numbers are up. Our terminal is full. So now, our focus really becomes on adding a destination,” she said. “Maybe not a new airline, but a service.”
Kelsey Reese, a 21-year-old UF marketing senior and UF Career Resource Center intern, said nonstop flights to New York City could open up better avenues for both job-seeking students and out-of-state employers who seek new hires.
“It makes it easier for the employers to visit Gainesville and talk to students about internships,” she said, “and it gives students more opportunity to get internships that aren’t in Gainesville.”
Nicole Larson, a 24-year-old UF agricultural education and communication senior, said she has flown to New York City three times since she’s been at UF.
She said she went to tour and job hunt.
But because Gainesville didn’t offer direct flights, she drove two hours south to catch a nonstop flight out of Orlando.
Larson said nonstop flights are more feasible for students and minimize the risk of lost baggage.
“As a student, I would prefer a flight out of Gainesville,” she said. “For me, it’s that sense of convenience.”
Contact Kelcee Griffis at kgriffis@alligator.org.
A plane takes off from Gainesville Regional Airport on Wednesday afternoon. An online survey created by the airport asked residents about their interest in nonstop flights to New York City.
