When Candace McGraw first landed at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2009, the region’s dominant hub was in freefall.
Reviled for sky-high airfares that were among the highest in the nation, the airport’s traffic was plummeting after the merger of Delta and Northwest airlines as the newly combined carrier swiftly de-hubbed CVG.
It was also the depths of the Great Recession, which slowed economic activity and sacked demand for business travel.
“When I arrived at CVG in late 2009, we had a great team and a tremendous can-do spirit,” McGraw recalled. “We just needed direction on how to stem the decline the airport was in and to leverage our strengths.”
First serving as chief administrative officer, then promoted to CEO of the airport in 2011, McGraw sought to move on from CVG’s historic reliance on one dominant carrier and pushed hard to court low-cost carriers that previously avoided the airport.
Not everyone supported the new strategy: Several members of the Kenton County Airport Board, which runs the airport, attempted to fire her and subjected her to numerous performance reviews. The coup failed, and several board members resigned in 2014 amid a statewide investigation into lavish spending by the panel.
CVG first landed a major low-cost carrier in 2013, when Frontier began service here. Allegiant arrived a year later and Southwest Airlines in 2017. In 2017, for the first time in its history, CVG’s airfares dipped below the national average.
Affordable ticket prices created a surge in passenger demand and the airport, halting then reversing the decline in fliers. Growth began to surge.
“Reaching out to understand the community and its needs were very important to me, McGraw said. “When I became CEO, I turned … my focus externally so I could better understand how the airport could drive a greater economic impact for our region.”
Under McGraw, the airport grew further by harnessing the region’s strong logistics sector to help attract Amazon’s largest air cargo hub, which opened for business this summer. The airport already had a strong cargo business with its existing DHL sorting facility, which has also expanded operations.
Expanding CVG’s cargo operations helped create jobs and make the airport less dependent on passengers. Diversifying its business operations also blunted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“CVG’s cargo operations have helped keep the lights on during the pandemic,” McGraw said.
From 2012 to 2018, the airport's contribution to the region's economy doubled from $3.4 billion to $6.8 billion, according to the University of Cincinnati's Economics Center.
After a decade on the job running CVG, McGraw's efforts are again drawn back to winning back passengers – this time in the wake of the pandemic and the health threat of the delta variant of the new coronavirus.
Passenger traffic plummeted 60% in 2020 as business and leisure travelers stayed home to avoid COVID-19 exposure as worldwide air travel slowed to a trickle. In 2021, CVG has recovered, but still has a long way to go.
"We expect to end the year serving 65% to 70% of the passenger volumes we experienced in 2019, most of that being leisure travel," McGraw predicted. "We remain optimistic that leisure travel will continue to return while business and international travel will improve in 2022."
About Candace McGraw
Birthplace: Pittsburgh
Current residence: Union
Family: Husband Joe, and children Sean, Luke (deceased) and Madeline
Education: University of Pittsburgh School of Law; bachelor and master’s degrees from Duquesne University
Occupation: Chief executive officer, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
What she says
What inspires you to give back? "I have had an amazing career and a supportive family. I know I have been blessed in so many ways, so I have an obligation to give back. Some day when I reach the Pearly Gates, I hope to be welcomed in. I believe that can happen if you have used your talents to help others."
What need in the community would you like to see addressed? "I would like to increase worker participation through education. Education is the great equalizer in our country. Through education and hard work, you can get almost anywhere. I am an example of and believer in the American dream."
Who most influenced or inspired you to care about others? "My mother and my husband."
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