If you are wondering why a planned air cargo link between Erie and Germany failed, join the crowd. Even the negotiators closest to the project are still working to figure out what happened, even as I type.
The idea didn’t suddenly crash under the weight of changing global economics.
The plan to connect the central cities of the United States to those in Central Europe and the emerging former Soviet bloc nations through two smaller airports is still solid.
And that might be the concern.
The potential might be too good.
Since 9-11, going through customs has become an arduous process, especially in larger airports where cargo planes can stack up quickly. That’s a problem for same day shippers and people moving perishable goods like fruits and vegetables or flowers.
An air link between the U.S. and Europe that can connect two centrally located airports and move goods quickly at a reasonable price has a lot of upside.
The fact that German negotiators kept upping the ante for Erie to stay in the game might be a not-so-subtle hint that it started to dawn on them what their former Soviet air base outside Berlin was really worth.
They’re now saying that preliminary talks with another suitor are underway.
What a surprise...
While extremely disappointing, the failure of the German deal does not hinder plans for Erie to extend the runway here and increase cargo capacity.
Erie is still within truck distance to 80 percent of the American population.
Erie is still a smaller airport that can move items more quickly.
The plan continues here, just without the dedicated European link on the other side. At least for now.
Finally, if you see the folks at Erie Aviation, the private investors who backed this plan for the last five years, buy them a drink.
They deserve a standing ovation from Erie for putting in more than a million dollars of their own money, along with thousands of man hours, bargaining in good faith and trying to pull off a deal that could have redefined Erie’s economy.
If it’s presumptuous of me to speak for my entire community, then so be it.
Bravo, gentlemen. Thanks for trying.
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