7A: Increase Airlift at Indianapolis International Airport
Continue to pursue strategic expansion of air service at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) that supports economic development strategies and Indy’s appeal as a visitor destination. We know the airline industry has been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19 and will take some time to recover. As a result, there will likely be significant structural shifts in the industry, however it is in our best interest to continue strategic expansion of air service, in particular non-stop and direct routes to underserved target markets and international hubs.
Value to the Community
More flights to more places makes it more convenient for residents to travel and for their friends and families to visit. Air travel is also an important part of Indy's economic development strategy to grow and attract businesses that are plugged into the global economy and require convenient access to more established commerce centers.Value to the Hospitality Industry
Increased direct air service makes Indy a more competitive and compelling place to host events, particularly for events that have significant coastal or international attendance and for events that have very high volumes of attendees who create high peak demands on flights. Connections to broader economic development strategies helps to sustain these flights while also growing potential business travel.Updates
- March 2024. Indy Airport Adds More Non-Stop Flights. Due to the busy time of year, there have been new flights offered at Indy airport. The west coast is gaining four more flights, the sun belt is gaining four more flights, and the east coast is adding two more flights and extra capacity on existing flights. Country Airlines has also added a special round trip flight for the Total Solar Eclipse between Minneapolis and Indianapolis. In addition, Southwest is adding two special flights for people to watch the eclipse in the air.
- April 2023. Runway Reconstruction Project. Indianapolis Airport Authority is continuing its $190 million construction project to enhance capacity. The plan is to reconstruct Runway 5R-23L and Taxiway D and add LED runway and taxiway lighting.
- June 2022. Flight route returns update. Flights to Boston, New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Raleigh/Durham, and Toronto have returned after pandemic-related cancellations. A direct flight to Kansas City is also scheduled to return in Spring 2023.
- September 2021. Austin and San Francisco NonStops Added. A new nonstop route to Austin has been added while a nonstop route to San Francisco lost because of the pandemic has been restarted.
- . Many new flights added over summer. New direct flights to leisure destinations including Palm Springs, Key West, Myrtle Beach, Panama City have been added, as well as a nonstop flights to business destinations Boston and Minneapolis.
- March 2021. New nonstop flights added. The number of destinations with non-stop connections from IND grew to at least 47 in early 2021, with the addition of several leisure destinations like Pensacola, Orlando, Portland, ME, and several South Carolina cities.
Key Partners
Confirmed Partners
Recommended Partners
Priority + Progress
Active priorities are the top 20% or so of actions that TTI is most focused on and engaged with.
TTI Role
The support role means TTI is actively supporting partners in their implementation of this action. This type of role is typically applicable when partners seek to engage Visit Indy regularly or seek help in an important yet limited role.
