Nonstop Flights Vital for Business

Is a trip of 400 or 500 miles with no nonstop flight worth it?

The question nags at nearly any business traveler. Nonstop flights to business centers stand at the top of many businesses’ wish list.

“We hear about it all the time,” said Jonathan Kersting, vice president at the Pittsburgh Technology Council. “Direct flights are as important to tech businesses as talent and capital. It’s just that important.”

While Zoom helped businesses navigate the pandemic, companies still want in-person meetings and visits, Kersting said. “And no one wants to spend more than half a day trying to make connections that you could miss, half a day to go 500 miles,” he said.

Direct travel boosts trade and innovation

Nonstop air travel is about more than just convenience and good business. It leads to economic growth and innovation, especially in the global context, according to a study released last year by Harvard Business School Associate Professor Prithwiraj Choudhury.

In his examination of flight and patent data, Choudhury found that a 10 percent increase i