"Chattanooga Airport Traffic Up 16.49% In April"

Monday, May 17, 2004

Chattanooga Airport Traffic Up 16.49% In April 
Plan Taking Shape To Get Low-Fare Provider
The Chattanoogan (TN)


Passenger enplanements (boardings) at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
were up for the third consecutive month.

Officials said they increased 16.49% in the month of April compared to
the same month a year ago.

Passenger enplanements reached 20,101 and deplanements reached 19,505
for the month. 

It was the largest single month of growth since December of 1997.

Also, airport interim Executive Director Mike Landguth said a plan is
being put into place to seek to lure a low-fare carrier to Chattanooga.

He said airport officials are gathering data on favorite destinations
out of Chattanooga by business travels. He said, "That's the first
question the airlines ask."

He also said the city needs to determine which low-fare carrier is best
suited for Chattanooga and flies the needed routes.

Mr. Landguth said the airport is looking into making more trips to study
other airport operations - like a recent one to Pensacola, Fla.

He said Pensacola used strong backing from the business community to
lure Air Tran to its airport. He said getting Air Tran costs the
community almost $3 million in incentive funding, but he said business
leaders there were tired of not having low fares available.

He said that after Air Tran came in, other carriers lowered their rates,
and Delta started a new service to Dallas.

He said one factor in Chattanooga's favor is that it is a destination
city itself - with 4 million visitors a year.

April enplanements included 7,407 ASA, 3,990 US Airways Express, 2,428
Northwest, 2,420 Comair, 1,695 American Eagle, 1,120 Chauttauqua, and
1,041 Atlantic Coast.

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport offers 25 daily departures on American
Eagle; Delta Connection Carriers: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Atlantic
Coast Airlines, and Comair; Northwest Airlink; and US Airways Express
with nonstop service to New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, Memphis,
Charlotte, Atlanta, and beginning July 11, Washington DC.





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