Shining a Light on RST, a 2019 Thursdays Downtown Partner
To make Thursdays Downtown a successful community event, the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) is appreciative of its partnerships like the one with Rochester International Airport (RST) and wants to shine the spotlight on them! Let's learn a little more about the organization from Tiana O'Connor, RST's marketing and communications manager!
Katie: Tiana, thanks for sitting down with me and chatting about RST! Tell us about the organization and how long it’s been a part of the Rochester community.
Tiana: The Rochester International Airport is served by United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which collectively offer 13 flights each day to Atlanta, Chicago, and Minneapolis and provides air service to southeast Minnesota and border regions of Iowa and Wisconsin. The Rochester Airport was founded in 1928 by the Mayo brothers in southeast Rochester near the current fairgrounds location. RST has a long running history of being a transportation cornerstone in our community.
Katie: What excites RST about the community or why is the organization involved in community events?
Tiana: Rochester is going through tremendous change right now. It is exciting to be involved and connect with our community. We enjoy being a valuable community partner here in Rochester.
Katie: Why does the organization partner with the RDA for Thursdays Downtown?
Tiana: Thursdays Downtown draws both residents and visitors alike. By attending the event weekly, we are able to interact with so many people and help to answer questions and share exciting news about changes at RST. The team at RST is working hard to get more flights for our community. It takes the support from our local travelers to recruit additional routes from the airlines. Being at Thursdays Downtown is a great way to personally connect with the our travelers, and we can genuinely thank them in person for the increased support for choosing to Fly Local.
Katie: What else about RST might be of interest for people?
Tiana: Most people think of commercial air service when they think of RST. However we also support daily private aircraft operations and over 22 million pounds of air cargo annually. The economic impact of having private aviation access and an air cargo operator based in our community is huge.
Katie: Speaking of interesting facts, how many passengers fly in/out of Rochester International airport in a given year?
Tiana: Rochester International Airport accommodates approximately 370,000 passengers annually.
To learn more about RST, please visit its website.