Delta Airlines TravelBank Soars Past $400,000
Eugene, UT -
Eugene to Salt Lake City service to begin May 1
Travel Bank pledges from Eugene businesses soared past $400,000 for the new Eugene to Salt Lake City service on Delta Airlines. This means the new, daily, non-stop service will begin May 1.
“Fifty businesses have pledged $560,000 to the Delta TravelBank,” according to Dave Hauser, president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is the third time we’ve used the travel bank concept and the response from local companies has been phenomenal. Businesses really want this new service.”
The TravelBank is the third piece of a promotional puzzle assembled by the airport, local government and business leaders to bring Delta service to Eugene. In addition to the $560,000 TravelBank pledge, the Eugene City Council approved a $400,000 revenue guarantee for Delta Airlines and the Eugene Airport and the Salt Lake City Airport have kicked in $225,000 for a marketing support program. “It’s encouraging to see local business working closely with local government,” says Hauser. “Hopefully this can be a model for future economic development efforts.”
“Expanded air service is critical to local business,” says Ron Farmer, chair of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. “Direct flights from Eugene help companies develop new markets. We’ve seen it before. When Eugene added non-stop flights to Phoenix, business and tourism activity in Arizona increased dramatically.”
From Delta’s hub in Salt Lake City, passengers can make direct connections (departures within three hours) to 62 destinations. Salt Lake City is Delta’s third largest hub with 125 daily flights.
“The new Delta service will make it even easier to fly out of Eugene,” says airport manager Bob Noble. “Currently, 49 percent of the Eugene-area passengers headed east fly out of Portland. With this new Delta service, in the time it takes to drive to Portland, park, stand in line and go through security, Eugene-Springfield travelers will be in Salt Lake City waiting for their connections to Chicago, New York, Atlanta, London and other points east.”
Delta’s new Eugene to Salt Lake schedule will make it easy for skiers headed to Utah, business passengers on day trips to the Salt Lake area, and tourists going east. Two flights will leave Eugene daily at 6:45 am and 1 pm.
“Local businesses showed Delta Airlines how much we want them,” says Hauser. “The entire community will benefit from this new service. I couldn’t be more proud of the leadership demonstrated by local businesses.”
Source: Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
Publication Date: January 12, 2004