INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Indianapolis International Airport is working to land new carriers and more non-stop service through an aggressive incentive plan.
That plan waives landing and other fees and provides up to $50,000 for marketing.
Last week it snagged Alaska Airlines with non-stop flights to Seattle.
Airport Senior Director of Commercial Enterprise Marsha Stone called the incentives "very standard practice in airports across the country for communities to compete for new routes."
She said federal guidelines dictate what incentives airports can offer and "fall within those."
Stone said Seattle and San Diego have been the top two target markets passengers in Indy want.
"Indianapolis is the largest city of any without non-stop flights from Seattle and San Diego," she said.
She said the incentives for Alaska Airlines are valued at $855,000 over two years and will be paid for with airport funds.
San Diego and Portland, Oregon are the next two non-stops the airport is trying to land. Others on the target list are: Orange County, San Jose, Sacramento and Ontario in California, as well as Austin, Texas, San Antonio, Hartford, Conn., Jacksonville, Fla., Providence, RI, West Palm Beach, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The airport authority is also pursuing non-stop international flights to London and Frankfurt, Germany.
Stone said while London is top of the list, "It will take some work."
