Photo: Alex Roy (WFIU)
The flights will be available primarily to employees of Columbus and Detroit’s automotive industries.
Currently, commuters traveling to Columbus from Detroit must fly to Indianapolis where they can either rent a car or find other transportation. Columbus Municipal Airport Director Rod Blasdel says business has picked up enough to justify adding direct flights.
“We are going to have a shuttle that will begin November 1, at least that’s the plan here,” he says. “It’s going to make four roundtrips from Detroit to here and back.”
The flight will be available primarily to employees of Columbus and Detroit’s automotive industries. Blasdel says any empty seats can then be taken by other businesses or people who want to specifically travel to Detroit or Columbus.
“This is a public-private venture. In other words there are so many seats on there that will be dedicated to either business or commercial industry or something of that nature,” Blasdel says.
Although an outside company is coming in to operate the direct flight, Blasdel says the Columbus area will still benefit from the increased traffic. The airport is looking at possibly expanding direct flights to Nashville, TN and Chicago.
