Near Airport Parking Industry Trade Association Hosts Rep. Graves for Shuttle Ride-Along at MSY
Near Airport Parking Industry Trade Association Hosts Rep. Graves for Shuttle Ride-Along at MSY
|
House Transportation & Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Rides with Park N’ Fly to Louis Armstrong International, Learns about Curb Access Firsthand
KENNER, LA—Today, U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA-6) joined the Near Airport Parking Industry Trade Association (NAPITA) for a Member Ride-Along aboard a Park ‘N Fly shuttle to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).
NAPITA, an association of national parking operators dedicated to providing dependable and affordable travel options that improve the customer experience at major American airports, welcomed Representative Graves at Park ‘N Fly New Orleans who, aboard the shuttle, heard firsthand about the issues facing NAPITA members as a growing number of stakeholders seek access to limited curb space at America’s airports.
“Open dialogue with the commercial ground transportation industry is critical for the efficient and safe operation of our airports” says Sarah Fisher, Chief Government Affairs Officer with The Parking Spot. “How you get to and from the airport curb is just as important in the overall air travel experience as what airline you can board and what items you can take in your bag, it’s just not getting the same amount of air time in the federal conversation. The Near Airport Parking Industry Trade Association believes now is the time for attention to be given to the curb. Infrastructure construction, customer demand and utilization, private investments, traffic congestion, future technological changes, environmental concerns—all of these things and more demand that we put together thoughtful policy on how to handle airport ground transportation.”
Ground transportation operators are vital partners to the aviation industry. You cannot get to an airport or on a plane without some form of ground transportation, and when choosing how to get to the airport, more than 2,000,000 Americans choose to park with a NAPITA member. However, airports control access to their curbs for all types of ground transportation, including taxis, limos, ride-share services, rental cars, etc.
The curb space at our nation’s airports is not only important for the safety and security of the airport, but it is also a scarce resource for an increasing number of travelers and the ground transportation industry and becomes more congested by the day. Just as delays on the tarmac harm economic productivity, issues at the curb lead to missed flights, lost time, and unhappy travelers.
Of these ground transportation operators, near-airport parking industry operators are the only ones that compliment and directly compete with the airport for ground transportation services.
In New Orleans, near-airport parking operators pay seven percent of gross revenue to drop their customers at the airport curb. Other ground transportation operators pay a flat fee per passenger pick up.
Park ‘N Fly Regional Director of Operations Marcy Zamora said, “Louis Armstrong International Airport does not have adequate parking for the number of travelers traveling through the airport, and Park ‘N Fly New Orleans provides an additional 1,200 parking spaces to bolster scarce airport resources. However, near-airport parking operators and other stakeholders have been left out of conversations about the new terminal despite being a critical partner to the airport. We, along with our partners at NAPITA, believe ground transportation plays a vital role in the broader air travel industry and the overall experience for air travelers and must become a part of planning conversations and policy discussions.”
NAPITA believes a federal stakeholder working group would provide the venue necessary to understand and address these and other issues, leveraging the expertise of our membership, the federal government, and airport operators to craft transportation policy that best serves the traveling public.
As the national organization for near-airport parking operators, NAPITA will continue to advocate for the industry and the vital role it plays within the broader air travel industry.