Phoenix Sky Harbor airport could offer $5 million for new nonstop international flight
In an effort to attract more international flights, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport will ask city leaders to continue its financial incentive program.
The airport wants to offer up to $5 million to support new nonstop flights to unserved destinations like Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai, and Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam.
Sky Harbor’s Lexi Van Haren told council members the FAA does not allow airlines to receive payments directly.
“We can offer fee waivers as well as marketing reimbursement dollars, and we can advise our economic and tourism partners,” she said.
The incentives provided would depend on distance and frequency. For example, airlines offering nonstop flights to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, India and Europe would get more than flights to Canada and Mexico.
“It's estimated that for a long haul carrier to provide daily service from Phoenix to Asia, that they would need to, the break even revenue would need to be more than $90 million. So it's a massive investment for an airline in order to start that service,” Van Haren said.
If the council approves, the program would last four more years.
Starting in May, Air France will begin nonstop service to Paris three times weekly, and Condor Airlines will return to Phoenix and offer flights to Frankfurt. In February, American Airlines started direct flights from Phoenix to Tijuana, marking the only international service from Tijuana into the United States.
