TF Green International Targets Airlines

Theodore Francis Green International Airport (IATA: PVD; ICAO: KPVD) believes it can take advantage of its location in Warwick, six miles (10km) south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island to establish itself as a stress-free alternative gateway to Boston, as well as serving the growing traffic to the ‘Ocean State’ of Rhode Island. Its location has a catchment area of approximately six million people within an hour’s travel spread across Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut and southeastern Massachusetts, including the Cape Cod region and its close proximity to Interstate 95 means it has efficient links to the surrounding areas.

Originally opened in September 1931 as Hillsgrove State Airport and renamed under its current title in 1938 to commemorate a former Rhode Island governor and long-time senator, the facility was most recently upgraded in the mid-1990s and now houses a single terminal with the capacity to handle eight million passengers per annum. It is managed by Rhode Island Airport Corporation, a quasi-state governmental agency under the control of the State Economic Development Corporation and is operational 24 hours a day. In terms of infrastructure, it has two runways - 5/23 is 7,166 by 150ft (2,184 x 46 m) and 16/34 is 6,081 by 150 ft (1,854 x 46 m), the former being CAT III capable – and has 24 parking stands, with 17 gates equipped with airbridges.

TF Green’s terminal building is split into north and south concourses with one gate specifically used by Air Canada to handle the airport’s single international link to Toronto, which is operated by Air Canada partner carrier Air Georgian using a Beech 1900.

Source: Flightbase (February 14-20, 2011)

As the table above illustrates, low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines has the largest presence at the airport, offering 183 weekly flights to eight destinations during the analysis period. US Airways also has a notable presence with 134 flights to four destinations, with some being operated by regional partners Air Wisconsin, Chautauqua Airlines, Piedmont Airlines and Republic Airlines under the US Airways Express brand. A total of 23 destinations are currently served non-stop.

Source: IATA BSP (December 2009 – November 2010);

The busiest link from the airport in terms of demand is to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, with Orlando International a close second. Both routes are served by Southwest Airlines using a mix of Classic and Next-Generation Boeing 737 models. Philadelphia International is the main hub airport served from TF Green with Southwest Airlines and US Airways competing head-to-head on the route. US Airways uses mainline Airbus A320 Family jets as well as regional equipment on its more than 50 weekly flights and has a greater share of this O&D market.

Flightbase (February 14-20, 2011)

In the 2009 calendar year the airport handled 4,328,741 passengers and was expected to grow slightly in 2010. Already this year, Southwest Airlines has announced plans to launch flights to Charleston and Greenville/Spartanburg from March and this will help boost traffic figures for 2011.