MBS International Airport leader James Canders is not one to settle. He spent four years in the U.S. Army, a tour of duty that saw him work as an aviation operations specialist here and abroad. He spent a year, back in 2004-2005, as a civilian contractor at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, a complex he has called “The Wild West Airport.”
Fast forward to May of 2020 and Canders, less than two years in as MBS assistant director, was named the Freeland-based airport’s new director. It was a challenging time to accept the position given that the airline industry had all but been grounded by the worldwide pandemic.
With a willingness to try new things and make tough budget-cutting decisions, and an ability to convince the MBS Airport Commission to cut loose more funds for multifaceted marketing strategies, Canders has his sights set on elevating the airport by attracting more flights and more passengers.
Two pandemic-marred years saw passenger numbers decline about 56%. Today MBS is operating at 80% capacity, but there’s more work to be done.
“Over the next two years I’m looking to be more aggressive with our marketing,” Canders said. “We need to make a big push. We are becoming more self-sufficient and I want to keep this momentum going.”
MBS has an average of 3,500 vacant aircraft seats a month, roughly 20% of its overall capacity.
“With many potential customers driving to Detroit or Flint instead of flying out of MBS, we are looking to fill those empty seats,” Canders said. “As the existing schedule gets closer to service capacity, the more attractive we become for additional flight options from existing carriers, as well as potential new carriers.”
At its marketing-heavy monthly meeting Nov. 16 – one marked by robust discussion between commissioners (led by Commission Chair Steve Arnosky) and Canders – the MBS Commission gave Canders the go-ahead for his marketing plans across different mediums and platforms.
“I understand the hesitancy,” Canders said. “I know it’s asking a lot of the commission. I’m trying to be fiscally responsible. Our marketing budget has decreased about 60% over the past 10 years. We need to be operating at about 90 to 95% capacity to get another airline to come in here.”
“MBS is pushing to increase our marketing to expand existing services as well as attract new service,” Canders said, noting that the airport can handle at least one new carrier with its existing facilities, and a fourth could be possible with some facility modifications.
As part of Canders’s more aggressive marketing approach that involves a larger presence in the digital market, MBS has inked a $48,000 deal for 2024 with Spectrum. The digital marketing campaign includes streaming video ads, targeted ads, and internet keyword searches.
“Spectrum casts a wider net than its competitors,” Canders said.
The commission also agreed to extend a month-to-month agreement with Airport One, LLC, through 2024 for a website software addition that allows for the booking of flights to and from MBS. The cost is $2,000 a month.
“The new website feature through Airport One and powered by the search engine Kayak aids in finding low-cost tickets out of MBS,” Canders explained. “All future marketing strategies (radio, digital, etc.) should drive customers to our website. Not only can the Airport One add-in provide our customers with low-fare options, but there are travel package deals available for those with flexible travel plans.”
“Let’s explore digital,” said Tom Miller, Commission Secretary. “Every ad agency, every television station, every radio station will tell you they are the best option. Let’s stagger our advertising. We are giving James some leeway on a couple of contracts. Let the providers prove to us after a couple of months that we’re getting results. We have to get that passenger number up to 90% or above.”
“They do provide performance metrics,” Canders said.
Canders also informed commissioners that the new customer-centric website feature allows for a one-stop shopping experience for flights on “our existing carriers (Delta and United) and redirects the customer to the airline’s website for purchase. This not only ensures the best deal on airfare one may find through external programs like Priceline and Expedia, but ensures customers retain all the loyalty perks associated with that airline.”
He added: “It also encourages the region to fly locally and avoid the drive to Detroit or Flint.”
Additional radio advertising is also in the mix. MBS has a long-standing partnership with Alpha Media for advertising on WSGW 790 AM and 100.5 FM, one that Canders said has been extremely successful. The commission agreed to expand its radio advertising by coming to terms with another Alpha Media-owned station, The Moose 94.5 FM, to spend $1,010 a month.
“The Moose 94.5 is the number one country station in the region, reaching over 100,000 different listeners each week,” Canders said.
MBS is spending $950 a month advertising on WSGW’s two stations. Adding The Moose pushes the expenditure to $1,960 a month.
