Airport Passenger Numbers Skyrocket
June 11, 2009
The number of people using the Springfield-Branson National Airport leaped 17 percent in May, compared to the same month last year. The increase comes after 15 consecutive months of numbers that were negative or flat.
“The May numbers are a surprise,” says Gary Cyr, director of aviation. “It was the tenth busiest month in the airport’s history. To manage that, in the middle of a recession, is a tribute to the strength of the Springfield-Branson air market and the local economy.”
In May of last year 69,368 people used the airport. The May 2009 number: 81,496. Passenger numbers were up despite the fact that the airlines have cut the number of flights in Springfield by eight percent. Springfield’s growth bucks the current national trend, with many airports reporting negative May numbers.
“There are several factors at work here,” says Cyr. “I think the number one reason is low fares. For the past several months the airlines have been trying to fill the planes by cutting prices. I’ve talked to numerous people who are flying from Springfield to Europe for less that $500 roundtrip. Others have found roundtrip fare to New York City for less than $250…and roundtrip to Seattle for $210. This is definitely a good time to fly.”
Other factors that play into the increase likely include the opening of the airport’s new terminal on May 6, along with the airport advertising campaign that led up to the terminal’s grand opening. “In April and early May the Springfield media market was saturated with airport advertising and airport media coverage. I suspect a lot of people decided to check us out and they discovered that they could afford to fly from Springfield,” says Cyr.
The economic strength of the Springfield metro area also plays a role. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the Springfield metro unemployment rate dropped 1.4 percent in April, to stand at 7 percent. That compares to a national unemployment rate of 8.6 percent. In short, the Springfield area economy is better off than many regional economies—customers are still spending.
“All these factors played a roll in our May growth,” says Cyr. “The question now is will our numbers continue to trend up? It might because this up-tick began in March—that’s when we went from double digit negative numbers to down just one percent. Then in April our numbers were flat. Now we’re up 17 percent. That’s three months of upward movement—let’s hope it continues.”
By The Numbers
Historical Ranking |
Month Year |
Total Passengers |
|
|
|
#1 |
June 05 |
88,024 |
#2 |
June 07 |
85,354 |
#3 |
July 05 |
84,271 |
#4 |
July 07 |
84,165 |
#5 |
Oct 05 |
83,539 |
#6 |
May 07 |
82,979 |
#7 |
June 06 |
82,305 |
#8 |
May 05 |
82,109 |
#9 |
Oct 07 |
81,619 |
#10 |
May 09 |
81,496 |
Month/Year |
Total Passengers |
Percent Change Compared to Same Month Year Before |
|
|
|
Jan 08 |
58,474 |
+7% |
Feb 08 |
53,735 |
-1% |
Mar 08 |
67,179 |
-1% |
Apr 08 |
61,451 |
-13% |
May 08 |
69,368 |
-16% |
June 08 |
77, 999 |
-9% |
July 08 |
74,698 |
-11% |
Aug 08 |
64,992 |
-15% |
Sept 08 |
57,575 |
-24% |
Oct 08 |
66,381 |
-19% |
Nov 08 |
61,919 |
-21% |
Dec 08 |
66,224 |
-5 % |
|
|
|
Jan 09 |
50,375 |
-14% |
Feb 09 |
45,797 |
-15% |
Mar 09 |
66,295 |
-1% |
Apr 09 |
61,413 |
0% |
May 09 |
81,496 |
+17% |
Month Year |
Number of Commercial Flights |
Percent Change Compared to Same Month Year Before |
|
|
|
Jan 08 |
965 |
+16% |
Feb 08 |
832 |
0% |
Mar 08 |
943 |
6% |
Apr 08 |
890 |
3% |
May 08 |
928 |
-4% |
June 08 |
965 |
-1% |
July 08 |
1,003 |
1% |
Aug 08 |
972 |
-8% |
Sept 08 |
901 |
-1% |
Oct 08 |
949 |
-2% |
Nov 08 |
870 |
-3% |
Dec 08 |
865 |
-3% |
Jan 09 |
834 |
-14% |
Feb 09 |
795 |
-9% |
Mar 09 |
926 |
-7% |
Apr 09 |
815 |
-7% |
May 09 |
829 |
-8% |
|
|
