BRADLEY MARKETING DIRECTOR KIRAN JAIN SEES RAINBOW
BEYOND STORM CLOUDS

Jain explains that many airlines’ strategic business plans were conceived pricing oil at a maximum of $70 to $79 per barrel. “So this throws a wrench into their planning, plus there was a major economic downturn. So airlines usually retrench into their core hub markets. Long hauls use more fuel, so those flights are the ones that go: Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Amsterdam. It really tests a new market to a degree which they’re not used to being tested,” she comments. “But our business has been tested before, and it’s all come back. It’s the nature of the beast! From a route development standpoint, we’re very aggressive. When the cycle ticks upward, Bradley will be right there,” Jain insists.

Hill wouldn’t be surprised to see comparable service restored at Bradley. “Getting the original flight to Amsterdam was just a huge breakthrough, something a lot of people thought couldn’t be done,” Hill recalls. “Northwest saw the opportunity, and we’ve now broken the ice on trans-Atlantic service out of Hartford,” he believes.

Still, losing the Amsterdam route is a blow to Bradley’s trans-Atlantic connections to Europe and beyond. “We had phenomenal connections into various Indian communities, and we’re sure with the data that we have that these flights will be back. Another major carrier will want to take this route, and it’s proven and tested,” states Jain.

While many circumstances that will affect reintroduction of the route are tied to elements beyond Bradley’s control (the economy, airline refinancing, fuel costs, etc.), Jain is concentrating on what the airport can control. “We’re extremely fortunate to have an airport like Bradley right in our midst, and it’s one of the best assets: you can get anywhere in the world from here, no matter what. With 230 flights daily, to 36 destinations, are we still better off than our peer airports? I would say yes!” says Jain, ever the marketing professional.

Jain highlights Bradley’s position of having more flights to more destinations than any of the smaller regional airports in the local marketplace, including Albany, Manchester and Providence. “Plus, we have a phenomenal relationship with transportation safety folks here. So you can park and walk in less than five minutes,” she expounds.

Frequent flier Imre Berty, an environmental consulting engineer based in New Haven, says, “You have to build in so much more time to get to the New York airports, with traffic and all. There’s the potential for mind-numbingly dense traffic, and potentially missing a plane is a big problem,” Berty worries. “I avoid all that at Bradley,” he endorses.

Jain considers the geographical location of Bradley as rock solid, covering 4.7 million people in its catchment area. “It’s a huge asset. And we can really align with the business community, they are our proponents. Being part of the DOT means access to all kinds of resources. We are our own business engine,” Jain states.

Given the economy and fuel price challenges, Jain says her main two responses are to replace trans-Atlantic service as soon as possible, and to try to backfill some of the seats the airport lost when some longer haul routes retrenched. “Take Denver, for instance. Domestic carriers can fill in for this service, and we’ll go after a carrier to fill in for Houston,” she continues.

In addition to recruiting carriers for important routes, Jain is looking for smart local travelers to fill seats. She believes Bradley’s strong emphasis on customer service sets it apart, with everything from live entertainment and flat screen TVs to rocking chairs and high-end Italian leather seating creating a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.

“It’s a nice place to hang out while you’re waiting for a flight,” agrees Christopher Laflamme, a field service application specialist for Applied Biosystems. He covers territory in eastern Canada from his base in Middletown. “There aren’t huge check-in lines, so I don’t have to plan on spending hours on line and then waiting on the tarmac. There are a limited number of flights, but there are flights to both Toronto and Montreal. And there is always availability whenever I need to get on a flight. I fly often to Utah, Maryland, Florida, Texas, California. I have to make connections, but I expect that nowadays with the airlines cutting back,” he analyzes. Laflamme has noticed recent improvements at Bradley, including more restaurants and upgraded amenities. “It’s easy to park and to get your bags,” he says. “Parking is reasonable, even at the terminal. It’s at least half of what lots of other airports charge.”

The Canadian flights Laflamme counts on are part of Jain’s effort to attract more customers. “Right now, we’re concentrating on peripheral regions more, as we’re attracting more customers,” Jain notes. “We’re continuing to show carriers our market is viable and we’re ready when the uptick happens. And this is the prime time for us to be out there showing them this. We’re dedicated to marketing, providing incentive programs for carriers bringing service in …. $300,000 in incentives can be dedicated to any one effort, for marketing and a whole slew of other costs and charges for new services coming to the airport,” she says proudly.

Bradley’s advertising and marketing will continue to focus on the themes of being quick, friendly, easy to get to, and a piece of cake compared to the other airports. “Passengers come to airports with the right mix of service. We’re not JFK, Newark or LaGuardia. But if people figure on construction delays and the cost of bridge tolls, plus sitting on the runway for an hour or hour and a half…they’ll start coming to Bradley. On-time departures here are over 85 percent. Newark is less than 65 percent, New York is less than 74 percent,” Jain boasts.

This jet-propelled marketer says her biggest challenge these days is patience. “Industry-wide, the fuel pricing must level off at some point. But it’s good, too. It weeds out those who weren’t prepared to begin with. It’s the survival of those who were meant to survive. The challenge is in the timing,” she believes.
One of four daughters of a sugarcane farmer in Kenya, Jain is the only child who did not go into medicine. “On a philosophical level, at the bottom of my heart I believe I’m doubly blessed because I have had incredible opportunities in the U.S. as an Indian woman,” she says. “I believe in the mantra, whatever you do, you must do it to the best of your ability. After a while it doesn’t seem like work. It’s difficult for me to hide my passion! I love the energy of the air service industry. I love facing challenges together with the airlines,” she concludes.

The Manchester resident moved here two years ago after having commuted from New York for two years. She says she is amazed at the number and strength of the Indian community here, and has been pleased to have had several speaking opportunities in Indian communities throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. A member of the Sikh temple in Southington, Jain is hoping to increase her ties to the local Indian community. Jain shares her home with children aged 12 and 9, a dog, and a husband who has his own investment firm out of New York. His airport of choice? “When he flies, it’s out of Bradley, of course!” Jain quips.