Cargolux offering export services at Rickenbacker After more than a year of successful import operations at Rickenbacker International Airport, Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines International S.A. began utilizing its advanced fleet of Boeing 747-8 freighters for export services on Dec. 20. “Cargolux has been a fantastic partner with Rickenbacker and we couldn’t be more enthusiastic about their decision to add export services,” said Elaine Roberts, President & CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which operates the airport. “Rickenbacker has gained significant momentum this year in becoming the region’s preferred freighter destination for the eastern United States and this new service from Cargolux is a tremendous opportunity to propel the Columbus Region as a global gateway for cargo.” Cargolux has been providing import services to Rickenbacker through Hong Kong since June 2013. “The supply chain efficiencies and the geographic advantages of Rickenbacker have proven to be very beneficial to our business and our customers,” said Piergiorgio Curci, Vice President of the Americas for Cargolux. “There is significant interest to begin exporting goods from the Columbus Region to our hub in Luxembourg and throughout our extended network around the world. We look forward to offering this new service and to our continued partnership with Rickenbacker.” Having both of the extensive networks of Cargolux and Cathay Pacific available at Rickenbacker will give businesses in the Columbus Region and the eastern United States an even greater opportunity to compete on a global scale.

Allegiant adds service to New Orleans and Fort Lauderdale

Attention travelers! We’re happy to inform you that in early 2015 Allegiant will be offering two new services flying out of Rickenbacker International Airport. On Feb 5, 2015, the airline will begin twice-weekly seasonal service to New Orleans, Louisiana. This is the first time any airline operating in Central Ohio has offered a scheduled nonstop service from Columbus to New Orleans and it’s just in time for Mardi Gras! With the convenience of the Rickenbacker Charter Terminal combined with Allegiant’s low fares, don’t miss your chance to enjoy the cultural and culinary delights that only New Orleans can offer. Service will run through April 8, 2015. Another exciting win for the region is the new year-round nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale, Florida beginning March 13, 2015. This service complements Allegiant’s additional service to Orlando-Sanford, Punta Gorda, St. Petersburg/Clearwater, and seasonal service to Myrtle Beach. To book your flights and learn more about Allegiant, visit Allegiant.com.

Road construction update

The East-West Connector which provides access to State Route 23 south of Rickenbacker International Airport is now open! Widened roads and a new bridge over the railroad tracks between Ashville Pike and US 23 now offer a high-capacity alternate path to the interstate between the Norfolk Southern Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal and State Route 23. This is the latest of many road improvement projects in the community. “We are wrapping up nearly 10 years and $90 million worth of updates and improvements to the roadways and infrastructure surrounding Rickenbacker International Airport,” said Elaine Roberts, President & CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which operates the airport. “It has been a tremendous team effort between multiple planning and funding sources.” Some of the benefits we are already seeing from these substantial investments include:

• Trucks routed to and from the Norfolk Southern Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal now face less congestion thanks to the widening of Rickenbacker Parkway • The intersection of Alum Creek Drive and Rickenbacker Parkway has been reconfigured for a more streamlined north-south flow to and from the interstate • A new traffic signal at SR-317 has been installed and large sections of the sidewalk and street lighting have been constructed making the area safer for both driver and pedestrian traffic • The construction of two flanking roundabouts and a flyover bridge at Groveport Road and Alum Creek Drive has nearly doubled its previous capacity and created more efficient access to Interstate 270 The roads are now safer and more conducive to the growth and developments we anticipate in the Rickenbacker area over the next several years.

COTA expands line 81 service to serve area businesses In response to feedback from Rickenbacker area businesses and riders, the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has added an additional weekday bus trip on Line 81 that departs from the stop at London-Groveport Road and Alum Creek Drive at 11:07 p.m. The service went into effect Jan. 5, 2015. Previously, the last trip left the area at 10:07 p.m. This later trip allows riders to transfer to other bus lines closer to Downtown. Over the past several years, COTA has coordinated with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and met regularly with stakeholder groups such as the Rickenbacker Employer Assistance Network (REAN) in an effort to improve bus connections to job centers in the Rickenbacker area. As a result of this collaboration, a number of improvements to Line 81 have been made. Based on shift times for employees, the hours of operation and the frequency of trips have been increased. Line 81 has also been extended further south. As a part of COTA’s Transit System Review, further improvements of how COTA serves the area are expected to be made in the coming years. For more information please visit cota.com or contact COTA at 614-228-1776.

Make-A-Wish and Allegiant Air grant four wishes on one flight

Make-A-Wish photo l to r: Owen Mottie, Nevaeh Samuels, Angelina Harris and Nathan Kohrmann

Four brave Central Ohio kids began to see their wishes come true on Dec. 14 when they all traveled by limousines to Rickenbacker International Airport to board a flight to Orlando to spend a week enjoying Disney theme parks with their families. All four children are living with life-threatening medical conditions. “As far as I know, we have never had four Make-A-Wish kids on the same flight,” said Emily Denholm, Marketing & Communications Manager for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. “We typically grant about 130 wishes in Central Ohio every year and about 13,000 in the tri-state region. I’m so glad I could be here for this great event, meet these kids and help spread the word about the Make-A-Wish foundation in Columbus.” When the families arrived at the airport, they were escorted to a private area of the terminal to enjoy cake, beverages and balloons. All of the kids shared what they were most looking forward to on their trips to Orlando:

• Five-year-old Nevaeh Samuels was looking forward to meeting Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from Frozen • Five-year-old Owen Mottie was going to be treated to a meet-and-greet experience with Buzz and Woody from Toy Story • Five-year-old Angelina Harris wanted to meet all of the Disney princesses • Twelve-year-old Nathan Kohrmann planned to ride all the extreme roller coasters and enjoy spending time at Universal Studios Make-A-Wish is Allegiant’s primary charity and they donate travel to wish kids and their families in cities across the country. Learn more at Wish.org and Allegiant.com.

Rickenbacker staff Adopts-A-Family for the holidays

The Columbus Regional Airport Authority staff working at Rickenbacker International Airport has been participating in the Groveport area Adopt-A-Family program for as long as anyone can remember. Angie Atwood, Foreign-Trade Zone #138 Administrator, manages the efforts out of Rickenbacker. “We have some incredibly generous people working for the Airport Authority,” said Atwood. “Our people donate bicycles, high-dollar toys, DVDs and some of the cutest clothes money can buy. We all want the families we adopt to have the best Christmas they possibly can.” “Angie does a great job coordinating this project for Rickenbacker,” said Bryan Schreiber, Manager of Business Development - Air Cargo, Columbus Regional Airport Authority which operates the airport. “She spends a lot of time making the process easy and rewarding for the rest of us.” While many of the gifts donated to these families are fun toys for the kids, there are also more critical and functional gifts given. “Every child in the family we adopt receives a coat, hat, gloves, pajamas and socks,” Atwood explained. “They also receive food donations. This program really puts family needs into perspective and our staff is happy to help make their holiday brighter.” To learn more about the Groveport area Adopt-A-Family program, contact Christine Boucher at 614-836-4530 x1518 or email [email protected].

Business students from The Ohio State University tour Rickenbacker Institutions of higher education in Ohio are reaching out to businesses in the Rickenbacker community in order to enhance their programs and gain a better understanding of the growing needs of the logistics industry, both locally and around the world. Last month, two large groups of business students from The Ohio State University visited Rickenbacker Global Logistics Park to get a real-world glimpse of the logistics infrastructure and international business connectivity in Central Ohio. Michael Huether, Vice President of External Affairs for The Logistics Association (TLA) at The Ohio State University, was looking for an opportunity to provide a real-world logistics view to TLA’s members. About twenty students, many of them international students, came to Rickenbacker to learn about our business model. Tours of the Norfolk Southern Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal and the Forward Air international air cargo sort facility were also on the agenda. “It was a very educational and interesting experience,” Huether said. “Our students appreciated the behind-the-scenes look into logistics and we will definitely want to come back to do this again with more students.” A couple weeks later, O.S.U. students in the Fisher College of Business Global Business Learning Community (GBLC) came to Rickenbacker for a lecture and tour. “Our students appreciate the opportunity to see their business curriculum brought to life and, as a coordinator, I always love to connect them to local Ohio companies who are re-innovating and reshaping the way we do business in the Midwest,” said Zachary Grammel, Program Coordinator for the Office of Global Business at The Ohio State University. “Students were very engaged and these types of interactions are always enjoyable,” said Bryan Schreiber, Manager of Business Development - Air Cargo, Columbus Regional Airport Authority who met with the students. “We are excited to see these programs and partnerships grow in colleges and high schools here in Central Ohio. These students are the next generation of industry leaders and innovators, pushing supply chain efficiencies to the next level.” To learn more about scheduling a tour at Rickenbacker, contact Kim Snell at 614254-7751 or email [email protected].

The Rickenbacker Area Report is a newsletter written and distributed by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority to serve as a communication tool for businesses and military surrounding Rickenbacker International Airport, Canal Winchester, Groveport, Lockbourne, Obetz and northern Pickaway County.