Embry-Riddle Business Students Play Pivotal Role in Facilitating New Prescott Airline Service

Prior to the solicitation of new air service, Embry-Riddle School of Business students worked collaboratively with City of Prescott officials to explore: local leisure and business travel patterns, airport facility evaluations, passenger needs and concerns, and the needs of prospective air carriers as part of the students’ “signature” capstone business-consulting experience.

“Along the pathway to our improved air service, the City has greatly benefited from the impressive airport and airline-focused research and foundational relationship-building efforts undertaken by the Embry-Riddle business students,” said Dr. Robin Sobotta, City of Prescott Airport Director.

Led by Embry-Riddle professor Rick Gibson and supported by other School of Business faculty, the Eagle Consulting program provides business students with a unique opportunity to serve as consultants to private and public sector partners. Embry-Riddle’s School of Business is recognized and respected for this experiential learning approach, which has provided consulting expertise to selected clients such as Costco, Eviation, Drake Cement, ShipHaus, PlaneSmart, and Synergy Air-- while promoting student skill development needed for career success.

“This was one of my favorite projects as a student at Embry-Riddle,” said Amelia Cassidy, now a network planning and scheduling analyst at United Airlines. “We worked as student consultants and our job was to develop a market analysis to see how many people were driving or taking a shuttle to Phoenix as opposed to flying directly out of PRC. We also wanted to determine the amount of community interest there would be if better service to better destinations were provided.”

Sobotta particularly credits one Fall 2017 student team for their airline outreach assistance on behalf of Airport staff. “It was through these efforts, that the students helped Airport staff establish a stronger foundation with SkyWest Airlines— the carrier ultimately selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide air service at Prescott Airport.” 

“I think this is really unique to my situation because I had the opportunity to work on this project as a student, and as a professional I had the opportunity to see that project go through and become reality,” said Cassidy.

“Clearly the opportunity for students to engage in actual industry consulting is a win-win, having helped to shape business student careers as well as the future of air service for our community,” added Sobotta. 

The new SkyWest/United Express service from Prescott is scheduled to commence on August 29. 

To learn more about Embry-Riddle’s new School of Business, visit: https://prescott.erau.edu/college-arts-sciences/business/

For ticket information or reservations to or from Prescott, visit: www.united.com

For more information on the Prescott Airport, visit: http://www.prcairport.com/