Tag Archives: issues

Silver Airways indefinitely suspends plans for southeast expansion, including Birmingham

Silver Airways saab340bSilver Airways formally announced plans on June 10 to indefinitely suspend beginning non-stop service from Birmingham, AL to Jacksonville, FL and New Orleans, LA less than a week before the flights were scheduled to begin, according to several media outlets. As recently as May 16, the Fort Lauderdale, FL-based company was promoting an airfare sale for the new routes, first announced in April. The company released a statement, referenced by WVTM 13 in their report, stating in part, “[d]espite robust marketing efforts, this market is not able to support flying this route at this time.” Refunds are being offered and the airline’s website still shows the proposed expansion on its route map.

It would have marked the first offers of direct-flight service to the two destinations from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport since Southwest Airlines discontinued serving them in 2013. A similar lack of support within the market was cited by the airline and in a subsequent AL.com report when the plans were announced in late 2012.

Silver also announced plans to not offer direct service between Orlando, FL and Savannah, GA on June 11 (service was set to begin June 23). (though Savannah was already celebrating the return of seasonal direct-flight service via Allegiant Air to several cities in Ohio). It was not the first time the company intended to expand its footprint only to delay and eventually suspend the plans. January saw Silver announce its intention to offer service from St. Pete Clearwater International Airport to Fort Lauderdale and Key West beginning in March. The change in plans (first delaying them, eventually backing out completely) came shortly after the company announced several new appointments: chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and vice president of airports and customer service.

According to an interview the Sun Sentinel conducted with company CEO Sami Teittinen in February, it’s been refocusing its efforts on Florida and the Bahamas in recent months. There is still a presence in the metro Washington, DC area, but it has seen its own share of issues and concerns recently (though efforts to remedy others appear to be working).

Are 3,000 Twitter followers (& growing) enough for the NBA?

older skyline photo of BirminghamFive days ago a Twitter account was born – and with it rekindled hopes of Birmingham, AL landing a professional sports franchise. Last night’s push to garner 3,000 followers for @NBABirmingham on the social network seems to have worked. This morning’s column by Kevin Scarbinsky in The Birmingham News should push it well over that mark by lunchtime.

The folks cheering for its success (this site included) aren’t the only ones wanting to hear positive news from NBA commissioner David Stern. Ever since news of the potential sales of the New Orleans Hornets (a recently completed sale keeps them in NOLA with talk of a name change being floated) and the Sacramento Kings (a team technically still in play due to talks for a new arena taking several twists and turns – and Stern’s recent comments about their once proposed move to Anaheim) were floated, Anaheim, CA; Columbus, OH (a recent entrant); Kansas City, MO; and Las Vegas, NV (they’re already hosting the NBA Summer League) have made pitches to be the next home for an NBA franchise. That’s a pretty impressive list – especially when you haven’t included the folks in Seattle, WA who still want a replacement for their Sonics (who incidentally are in the NBA Finals this year as the Oklahoma City Thunder).

Despite the long odds, the enthusiasm of the account’s operator, 15 year old George Chamoun, can be infectious:

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/NBABirmingham/status/215063624530665473″]

Then there’s the fact that Stern doesn’t seem himself as commissioner past 2018, based on comments made at the end of the interview he participated in during halftime of Game 3 of this year’s NBA Finals. It could be the opening many fans are hoping gives us a better chance. You could argue they’re just laying the groundwork for when it’s finally time.

On the agenda: Sewers and skyboxes

Official flag of the City of BirminghamCouncilor Rafferty’s proposal to reduce the number of representatives from the City of Birmingham serving on the BJCTA‘s Transit Advisory Committee (held over for three weeks already) is back on the council agenda today (Item 6). There’s also a $22,000 bid to re-carpet Legion Field‘s skybox (Item 20).

The major item on today’s agenda involves the city’s storm water management program. Item 14 allows the mayor to enter a contract with Malcolm Pirnie for up to $535,975 to assist with the development of that plan and to help prepare a required report to ADEM. Item 15 puts them under contract (for $89,895) to help address issues brought up during a recent audit of the city’s storm water management system.

The recap will be online later today

Detours abound at Children’s Hospital

Children’s Hospital has just announced that there will be traffic detours as a result of construction on their new facility through January 2, 2010.

Motorists will want to avoid 5th Avenue South between 16th and 17th Streets. We’re assuming that you’ll want to definitely avoid it around evening rush hour – though it is the holidays so traffic may be reduced just enough where it may not affect things that much.

Artur Davis to hold town hall meeting tonight

U.S. Representative Artur DavisWe’re trying to think of snappy headlines for some of these posts, but there are only so many ways to say certain things… like this one. We could talk about the varying opinions of the Congressman’s constituency. We could try to get you to comment below about the issues that should probably come up during this evening’s meeting. Instead, we’ll just tell you that it’s over at the Jefferson County Courthouse in the County Commission chambers beginning at 6 p.m.