>> CENTRAL INDIANA TECH
COMPANIES DEALING WITH THE
FALLOUT FROM THE INVASION IN
UKRAINE AND WHAT ARE THE ODDS
INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT LANDS ANOTHER NON-STOP
FLIGHT TO EUROPE?
OUR PARTNERS AT THE IBJ ARE
LOOKING INTO THESE AND OTHER
STORIES THIS WEEK.
FOR MORE WE ARE JOINED BY IBJ
EDITOR LESLEY WEIDENBENER.
LESLEY, JOINING US FROM THE IBJ
NEWS ROOM.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M DOING GREAT, GERRY.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOU REMEMBER, WE ALL
REMEMBER, INDIANAPOLIS HAD THE
NON-STOP FLIGHT TO PARIS.
I THINK WAS VERY POPULAR, WENT
AWAY.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES WE GET
ANOTHER NON-STOP TO PARIS BACK
ON THE BOOKS AT INDIANAPOLIS
INTERNATIONAL?
>> WELL, AIRPORT OFFICIALS SAY
IT IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO
HAPPEN THIS YEAR BECAUSE
BUSINESS TRAVEL JUST HASN'T COME
BACK IN THE WAY THAT ALL THE
AIRLINES AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY
GENERALLY WERE HOPING.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT 2023, OR 2024
TO BRING THAT FLIGHT BACK, OR
MAYBE TO LOOK AT DOING A LONDON
FLIGHT INSTEAD.
THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE GOAL IS TO GET A FLIGHT
INTO EUROPE BACK ON THE BOOKS AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
>> YEAH.
VERY INTERESTING.
YOU MENTIONED THAT LONDON
FLIGHT, THERE IS A LOT OF
INTEREST THERE.
BUT REALLY, LESLEY, AS WE WERE
TALKING, INDIANAPOLIS REALLY
INTERESTED IN SEVERAL
INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS, AS
POTENTIAL NON-STOP ROUTES.
>> WE TALKED TO FORMER I.E.D.C.
CHAIRMAN, OR DIRECTOR, JIM
SCHELLINGER.
HE TOLD US THERE HAVE BEEN
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TEL AVIV,
ABOUT A TOKYO, AND ABOUT
GERMANY.
THESE ARE ALL PLACES WHERE A LOT
OF INDIANA COMPANIES ARE DOING
BUSINESS.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS
THE STORY TALKS ABOUT IS THE
IMPORTANCE OF HOW MUCH CARGO
THERE IS TO SHIP, AND HOW BIG OF
A DIFFERENCE THAT CAN MAKE IN
WHETHER THE CITY CAN LAND A
FLIGHT.
>> VERY INTERESTING.
SWITCHING GEARS NOW TO THE
INVASION, AND THE SITUATION IN
UKRAINE.
THAT HAVING AN IMPACT ON SOME
INDIANAPOLIS AREA TECH
COMPANIES.
>> YEAH, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
DON'T KNOW THAT UKRAINE IS
ACTUALLY A PLACE WHERE LOTS OF
TECH WORKERS ARE LOCATED.
IN FACT, WE TALKED TO SWAN
SOLUTIONS, WHICH IS BASED IN
CARMEL, THAT COMPANY HAS 150 OF
THEIR WORKERS IN UKRAINE IN
SEVERAL LOCATIONS.
SO THEY'RE IN A REALLY
INTERESTING BALANCING ACT,
TRYING TO KEEP BUSINESS GOING
WHILE MAKING SURE THOSE FOLKS
ARE SAFE.
>> LESLEY WEIDENBENER, GREAT
STUFF COMING UP IN THE IBJ THIS
WEEKEND.