George Spohr

gspohr@gannett.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Will United Airlines return to Purdue University Airport?

The Chicago Tribune reported the airline was shifting its focus onto its domestic business. As part of that strategy, the newspaper said, “United will begin flying to new destinations out of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport — mostly to smaller Midwest cities.”

Lafayette is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Midwest missing from United's route map.

United — via its then-United Express regional partner Great Lakes Airlines — used to operate flights between Lafayette and O’Hare. In 2009, university and community leaders tried enticing United to restore O’Hare service with a $500,000 grant and a revenue guarantee to offset any losses during the first year of service.

Their proposal outlined the airport’s biggest challenge: “Without recent passenger data, the market does not forecast in airline planning models.”

United spokeswoman Erin Benson said the airline isn't ready to announce its new Midwest routes yet.

"We're still working on that whole process," she said.

Commercial service from Purdue University Airport ended in 2004. United was one of several airlines that tried making a go of service at the airport, which is Indiana’s second-busiest after Indianapolis.

Should United restore service to Lafayette, it would operate in a very different and potentially much more lucrative market.

Since United left, Greater Lafayette’s population has swelled to where over 550,000 people now live in the airport’s catchment area, and employers from Subaru to the university have added thousands of new jobs. Additionally, the price of fuel has dropped significantly in recent years, making shorter routes more profitable for airlines.

Restoration of service also would plug a gap in the middle of United’s Indiana route network, which includes Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne and South Bend.

It also would be something of a minor miracle for an airport that has all but given up on passenger service.

Earlier this year, outgoing airport director Betty Stansbury said the university-owned airport was more focused on physical improvements, research and education than finding a carrier, though "we would certainly be receptive if one showed interest."

Purdue University did not return a request for comment.

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