The Bulletin file photoAmerican Airlines will begin offering flights from Redmond to Phoenix on June 2. The Redmond Airport hasn’t had a flight to Phoenix since Allegiant canceled its twice-weekly service to Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.

REDMOND — As Central Oregon continues to grow, Redmond Airport will most likely continue to grow with it.

But whether that will involve more destinations, larger aircraft, more frequent flights or all of the above remains an open question, according to the assembled panel at the Redmond Economic Development Inc. annual luncheon.

With the airport closed since May 2 for an $18.5 million runway resurfacing project, the passenger boarding area on the second floor of the terminal was converted into space for 250 people to attend the luncheon, according to Jon Stark, senior manager for the economic development group. Alana Hughson, president and CEO of the Central Oregon Visitors Association; Trina Froehlich, senior air service consultant at Eugene-based consulting firm Mead & Hunt; and Maurice Evans, manager of the U.S. Forest Service Redmond Air Center, formed a panel that discussed ways to expand service in the future, among other topics.

“In 10 years, I could see almost full, larger regional jets in here, with first-class service offerings,” Froehlich said during the discussion.

Froehlich — who serves on the Central Oregon Air Service Team, a collection of volunteers who helps attract flights to the region — said that, with nonstop daily service to Phoenix set to begin in June, Redmond is running out of markets that it would make sense to expand into. McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, for example, is no longer a large hub, and Redmond Airport likely wouldn’t add it as a destination unless Allegiant Air brought service back to Central Oregon.

Other hubs, such as Dallas or Chicago, are too far east for the smaller regional jets that fly into Redmond. As a result, she said the more logical path to expansion would involve encouraging airlines to use larger jets, as well as more frequent flights to existing destinations.

“On the West Coast, there just aren’t a lot of hubs,” Froehlich said.

Given the challenges of getting flights to non-hubs, the airport has to be creative to attract nonstop flights, like those to Los Angeles International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. In both cases, the airport used grants from the federal Small Community Air Service Development Program to secure the flights, along with donations from local businesses.

“Without the incentives program, the airline simply wouldn’t commit to the market, because there are better offers on the table,” Froehlich said.

Still, Redmond Airport has advantages over other destinations. According to numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation, flights into and out of Redmond last year were around 87 percent full, which Froehlich said is ahead of the national average and in line with airports in Portland and Eugene. She also praised Central Oregon’s mix of business and leisure travelers, which helps differentiate the region from other non-hub locations. Generally, non-hubs specialize in one or the other to attract airlines.

“You get some extra service in the summer, but generally it’s consistent because you have both business and visitors,” she said, referring to Redmond.

Hughson, also a member of the air service team, added that the visitors association makes an effort to market in regions where the airport adds flights, bringing in new visitors.

“COVA has been marketing in the Phoenix market since the ink was dry on the contract,” Hughson said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com