Ohio Deserves Stronger International Connectivity
Ohio is the 7th most populous state with around 12 million in the United States, yet its international air connectivity remains limited compared with what might be expected from a state of its population, economic strength, major corporations, universities, manufacturing base, and international communities.

As Ohio's capital and a centrally located, rapidly growing metropolitan area with over 2 million population, Columbus is well positioned to play a larger role in improving the state's global connectivity.

Connect Columbus to the World — Attract Investment, Create Jobs, and Build a Brighter Future for Ohio
Columbus has transformed into one of the most dynamic business, technology, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics centers in the Midwest.

As the capital of Ohio and one of the largest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the region, Columbus is increasingly connected to the global economy.

However, one critical component of our infrastructure has not grown at the same pace:

Direct international air connectivity.

We respectfully request the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, State of Ohio, regional economic-development organizations, business community, universities, tourism organizations, and civic leaders to work together with international airlines to establish sustainable direct international passenger service from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) to major international hubs.

Columbus Is Strategically Located in the Heart of the Midwest
Location is one of Columbus's greatest advantages.

Columbus is centrally positioned within Ohio and within convenient driving distance of several major metropolitan areas.

Cities such as Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Akron, and Toledo represent a combined population of well over 6.5 million people, are within a few hours' drive, while major neighboring metropolitan areas including Indianapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Lexington are also within the broader regional market surrounding Columbus.

This gives Columbus an opportunity to serve a potential passenger base extending far beyond the immediate metropolitan area.

International air service should therefore not be evaluated solely based on the population of Columbus.

The broader opportunity includes:

Central Ohio + the State of Ohio + surrounding Midwest markets.

With excellent interstate highway access and its central geographic position, Columbus has the potential to become an increasingly important international gateway for this broader region.

Columbus is not at the edge of the market—it is at the center of it.

A Growing Metropolitan Economy
The Greater Columbus metropolitan area has a population of more than two million people and continues to grow.

Central Ohio is also home to diverse communities with family, cultural, educational, and business connections throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and other regions of the world.

More importantly, Columbus has developed a significant corporate and technology economy.

Major national and multinational companies headquartered in or maintaining significant operations in Central Ohio include companies across banking, insurance, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and other industries.

Among them are JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, PNC Financial Services, Discover, Vertiv, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Mettler-Toledo, Cardinal Health, Nationwide, Honda, American Electric Power, Huntington, Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, and many others.

Their executives, engineers, technology professionals, researchers, consultants, suppliers, customers, and business partners increasingly operate in a global economy.

International connectivity is therefore becoming an important part of Central Ohio's economic infrastructure.

Today, Columbus Travelers Must Connect Elsewhere
Thousands of Central Ohio residents and business travelers travel internationally every year.

Today, international travelers from Central Ohio often have to connect through major gateway airports such as Chicago, Detroit, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, or Toronto before continuing to destinations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and other parts of the world.

Those additional connections add more cost, travel time and inconvenience and can make Columbus less competitive when companies evaluate globally connected locations.

A growing international business center should have stronger direct access to the global aviation network.

International Air Service Is Economic Infrastructure
This petition is not simply about making vacations or family travel more convenient.

International connectivity is about economic development.

Direct international service can help Central Ohio:

• Attract international companies and foreign investment
• Encourage multinational corporations to expand their Ohio operations
• Support existing companies doing business internationally
• Improve executive and professional business travel
• Strengthen technology and advanced-manufacturing development
• Support research institutions and universities
• Attract international talent and students
• Increase tourism and international visitors
• Generate airport, hospitality, transportation, and service-sector activity
• Strengthen Columbus's national and international competitiveness

When companies consider where to establish offices, research centers, manufacturing facilities, technology operations, and regional headquarters, transportation connectivity is an important consideration.

A globally connected Columbus can become a more attractive destination for global investment along with surrounding cities.

Creating Jobs and Opportunities for Ohio's Children
Perhaps the most important reason to pursue international connectivity is not about today's generation.

It is about the next generation.

Thousands of children are born and raised in Ohio. They attend our schools and graduate from our colleges and universities.

We invest in their education and prepare them to compete in a global economy.

Our next challenge should be to create enough opportunities so that they can build their futures right here in Ohio.

International connectivity can support the attraction of global corporations, technology companies, advanced manufacturing, research centers, startups, international investment, and new industries.

Those investments create careers.

Our children should have the opportunity to:

Study in Ohio.
Build their careers in Ohio.
Start businesses in Ohio.
Raise their families in Ohio.
And build the future of Ohio.

We should create an environment where talented young Ohioans do not feel that they must move to larger coastal or other metropolitan areas simply to pursue global career opportunities.

A brighter future for Ohio's children begins with creating opportunities here at home.

Supporting Ohio's Universities and Research Community
Ohio is also home to outstanding universities, colleges, hospitals, and research institutions.

International air connectivity can make Central Ohio more accessible to international students, professors, researchers, scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, academic conferences, and global partnerships.

Universities increasingly compete globally for talent.

Better international connectivity can strengthen Ohio's ability to attract that talent and retain it after graduation.

This creates another important connection:

Education → Talent → Innovation → Investment → Jobs → Economic Growth.

Building a Sustainable International Route
We recognize that international airline service cannot be created by a petition alone.

Airlines make route decisions based on factors including passenger demand, corporate travel, connecting opportunities, aircraft availability, operating costs, airport infrastructure, incentives, and long-term financial sustainability.

That is precisely why the entire region should work together.

The airport, State of Ohio, local governments, economic-development organizations, corporations, universities, tourism organizations, nonprofit organizations, and community groups can collectively demonstrate the strength of the Columbus market.

The objective should be to build a compelling business case for airlines to serve Columbus.

Rather than focusing only on one specific destination, Columbus should pursue service to a major international connecting hub capable of providing convenient onward connections throughout Europe and to destinations in India, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

A successful initial international route can establish the market and create opportunities for additional international destinations in the future.

A Community Effort
Successful international service requires passengers to support it once it arrives.

That makes community participation important.

Businesses can demonstrate corporate travel demand.

Universities can demonstrate international student and academic travel.

Community organizations can demonstrate visiting-friends-and-relatives travel.

Tourism organizations can demonstrate visitor potential.

Government and economic-development organizations can demonstrate the economic impact.

And residents can demonstrate that Central Ohio wants to be connected directly to the world.

Our Request
We respectfully ask residents throughout Columbus, Central Ohio, and the surrounding region to sign this petition asking our airport leadership, government officials, economic-development organizations, corporate leaders, universities, and community organizations to work together to pursue sustainable direct international air service from Columbus.

This initiative is about much more than an airplane taking off from Columbus.

It is about attracting investment.

It is about creating jobs.

It is about supporting our businesses.

It is about connecting our universities to the world.

It is about retaining talented young Ohioans.

It is about creating opportunities for our children.

And it is about positioning Columbus and Ohio for the next generation of global economic growth.

Columbus has the population.

Columbus has the businesses.

Columbus has the universities.

Columbus has the talent.

Columbus has the geographic location.

Columbus has the growing international community.

And Columbus has the economic momentum.

Now is the time to strengthen our international connectivity.
Please Sign and Share This Petition
We encourage residents, businesses, professionals, students, universities, community organizations, and everyone who believes in the future of Ohio to sign and share this petition.

Every signature can help demonstrate the community support behind this initiative.

Let's connect Columbus to the world.

Let's bring more investment and jobs to Ohio.

Let's create a brighter future for our children and the generations that follow.

— Ganesh Vathyam
Columbus, Ohio