Overall air fares have decreased 60-70% since AirTran, one of the world’s leading low cost airlines, announced it would serve Mid-Continent with daily flights to Atlanta and Chicago. During the first month of AirTran operation, passenger traffic at Mid-Continent Airport increased 8% compared to the previous year.

122,110 passengers flew in and out of Mid-Continent Airport in May 2002, compared to 112,788 passengers in May 2001.

Wichita Mayor Bob Knight, who made lower air fares a top community priority, is pleased with the early success.

“I promised we were going to change the way airlines do business in Wichita and we have. In the process, we proved the City of Wichita can and will tackle serious problems, find sensible solutions, then put those solutions to work for the good of the community,” Knight said.

Airline experts estimate Mid-Continent Airport travelers will save $42.3-million in direct airfare costs during AirTran’s first year of operation. That translates into fare savings of $3.5-million per month. Since AirTran announced its arrival in February, Mid-Continent Airport travelers have saved an estimated $10.5-million (as of June) in air fare costs.

"Our business model works and is taking the industry in a new direction, ” AirTran CEO Joe Leonard said in a recent speech.

The proof is in the fares. Some examples:

• One airline was charging $1,298 for a round trip walkup fare to Chicago. That airline is now matching AirTran fares and charging only $315, a decrease of 76%.

• A trip to Atlanta with an advanced purchase roundtrip ticket costs $165 on AirTran. It used to cost $550 and $570 on two existing airlines before AirTran arrived. Now both those airlines have cut those Atlanta fares by 69% and 72% to stay competitive.

• One airline was charging $572 for a round trip advance purchase ticket to Washington DC. That airline is now charging $179, a drop of 69%.

• A trip to Tampa on another airline used to cost $1,563 for a round trip advanced purchase ticket. It now costs $227, an 85% reduction.

• You can go to New York City and back at the last minute for $215 since AirTran arrived. Before that, airlines were charging anywhere from $500 to $1,000 for the same trip.

Existing airlines are not only lowering fares, but upgrading service. Airline managers at Mid-Continent say passenger loads for all airlines have been strong. That indicates the market is growing with more travelers coming to Mid-Continent. Many of those passengers may have been driving to Kansas City or Oklahoma City before AirTran, or perhaps, not flying at all. Travel agents indicate many fares are undercutting ticket prices at Kansas City International Airport and Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City.

The Fair Fare$ Campaign

In August of 2001, the communities of South Central Kansas launched The Fair Fare$ campaign, a strategy to reshape air service and fares through Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Landing AirTran was the first step. Frontier service to the west through Denver is the next goal. Non-stop service to all 25 top Wichita markets is the ultimate goal.

The Fair Fare$ Campaign involved establishing a Travel Bank in which businesses and organizations pledged a portion of their annual air travel budgets to AirTran and Frontier Airlines. The Travel Bank is a Visa Purchase Card. As employees book travel, money is debited from the company's account. The program is set up through Intrust Bank and utilizes standard credit card payment clearing processes. These commitments represent a partnership between the businesses of South Central Kansas and the discount airlines, helping reduce some of the high risk of starting new airline service.