Professional Air Service Development and Related Strategic Advisory Services

The County of San Luis Obispo is seeking a proactive and strategic consulting partner to provide professional air service development and related strategic advisory services for the county airport. The agency is trying to solve the challenge of retaining, expanding, and enhancing commercial air service opportunities to align with the airport's operational goals, regional economic objectives, and long-term strategic vision. This partner will function as an extension of airport staff, offering responsive executive-level strategic advisory services, airline engagement support, and rapid-turnaround analyses. The scope of work covers market analysis, air service strategy, airline engagement, business development, strategic planning, and stakeholder coordination. The selected partner must research, analyze, and evaluate current and emerging air service opportunities relevant to the central coast region to identify potential increases in capacity, frequencies, destinations, and carriers. Additionally, the project requires conducting historical passenger traffic, fare, and load factor analyses, evaluating customized catchment areas, and identifying corporate and institutional travel demand to strengthen airline business case development. The agency also requires the development of a prioritized air service target strategy that identifies near-term, medium-term, and long-term opportunities by carrier and market. The partner must facilitate airline headquarters meetings, conference participation, route development discussions, and strategic airline engagement efforts on behalf of the airport. Finally, the scope includes providing presentation materials, briefing documents, talking points, and strategic communication support for airport leadership, elected officials, community stakeholders, and the public. Eligibility is restricted to onshore organizations based in the United States of America. The agency requires the performance of the work to be conducted offsite. Bidders must submit their responses digitally via email or online, and the agency is currently looking for proposals to establish the budget. All questions regarding this opportunity must be submitted no later than July 17, 2026.