If we keep feeding the animals they'll stay and breed:
Boise competes with airports around the country for service to new destinations. Airlines constantly analyze where they're putting airplanes to determine the most profitable bases for them.
That's why the city offers incentives for new service, whether it's from an airline that already has a presence in Boise or a new airline. But so far, Boise has avoided more extreme – and potentially costly – incentives, such as offering to guarantee a certain amount of income on a new flight.
Instead, its incentives are credits against fees that airlines pay to operate their flights at the airport.
Bill Connors, president and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, said Boise's approach is about right.
"It can't hurt," he said Monday. "Airlines make business decisions that involve way more factors than just this, but cost of doing business in the airport is one of those big decision-makers."
A.