Posted on by 3twenty9
CENTRE COUNTY — The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County will host the first-ever State College Air Service Summit, a Voice of Business Event presented in partnership with The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and State College Regional Airport.
The event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 8:15 ti 10:45 a.m. in the maintenance hangar of SCRA. Breakfast is included with registration.
The summit will provide the business community and local leaders with a firsthand look at the dynamics of regional airline service. Panel discussions and presentations will explore how routes are developed and sustained, the process of attracting new and retaining services, and the role air travel plays in Centre County’s economic growth and connectivity.
Featured speakers include:
- Greg Scott, President and CEO of CBICC
- Mike Carroll, Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Tim Sieber, Managing Director of Volair Aviation Consulting.
- Fritz Smith, President and CEO of HVAB
- Ralph Stewart, Executive Director of the Centre County Airport Authority (CCAA)
“We look forward to welcoming the business community to the Air Service Summit,” said Greg Scott, President and CEO of CBICC. “This event is designed to give our business community insight into the current state of air service and what is being done to strengthen and expand it.”
Regional air service impacts overall economic competitiveness by serving as a talent attraction tool, tourism asset, and value add for residents. Reliable and expanded flight options would increase business connections, draw visitors and researchers to Penn State University and other local institutions, and make it easier for leisure travelers to reach Centre County.
“Air service provides a critical link between Centre County and the rest of the country and world,” said Fritz Smith, President and CEO of HVAB. “It fuels our tourism economy by making the region more accessible to visitors and event planners, while supporting local businesses and residents who depend on efficient connections for work and leisure travel.”
Current offerings at SCRA include nonstop flights to Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. via airline carriers American Airlines and United Airlines. Leaders at SCRA, CBICC, and HVAB are working to add routes and increase service to benefit travelers, visitors, and the regional economy alike.
“Through a coordinated, strategic effort and partnership with CBICC and HVAB, we hope to grow air service and add routes to support our region’s travel needs,” said Ralph Stewart, Executive Director of CCAA. “The Air Service Summit will give our community the opportunity to hear directly from experts about the realities of airline attraction and the strategies in motion to enhance our offerings.”
Register for the event at www.cbicc.org.