"Passenger traffic at Wilmington, N.C., airport up 40 percent"

Friday, July 9, 2004

Passenger traffic at Wilmington, N.C., airport up 40 percent
The Wilmington (NC) Star-News


Passenger numbers continue to soar at the Wilmington International
Airport even as the two airlines that serve the airport continue to run
into financial turbulence.

For the third straight month the airport saw a 40 percent jump in
passenger numbers over the same period last year.

Over 27,360 passengers flew out of the Port City in June, the highest
one-month total ever at the facility. The previous monthly record was
27,303 in July 2001, which was prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks that
sent the travel market into a severe tailspin. Through the first six
months of 2004, the airport is running nearly 35 percent ahead of 2003
passenger levels.

Airport Director Jon Rosborough said the recent growth spurt now has
passengers complaining about the difficulty of getting a ticket rather
than the airport's high ticket prices.

"The bottom line is we're over capacity, primarily because our airfares
are now extremely competitive," he said.

Vicki Sewell, manager of AAA Carolinas/Travel at Hanover Center, said
she's advising her Port City travelers to book early if they want to use
their hometown airport.

"People are flying and they're flying out of Wilmington this summer, and
that's because the fares are comparable to what we generally see out of
Raleigh," she said.

For example, Ms. Sewell said she recently booked a roundtrip ticket from
Wilmington to Cancun, Mexico, for $388.

"It would've been twice that last year," she said. Mr. Rosborough also
credited the increase in jet flights and nonstop destinations -- along
with an improving economy -- for the recent passenger spike.

Joe Terrell, head of the federal Transportation Security Administration
for Southeastern North Carolina, said the boost in traveler numbers is
obvious at the terminal's security checkpoint.

Although the lines don't compare to those at larger airports, he said
passengers might want to think about making sure they don't arrive too
late for their flight.

"You could be cutting it close at your own peril because the bottom line
is security procedures have to be implemented," Mr. Terrell said.
Wilmington only has one security lane, which can get crowded during the
morning and late afternoon peak flying periods. Another problem
passengers are facing is parking, which is the airport's biggest revenue
producer.

"Because it's only $3 more per day to park in the short-term lot, we're
finding there's no more room at the inn," Mr. Rosborough said. That's
forcing more folks from the 180-space short-term lot into the long-term
lot.

But even in that 695-space lot, Mr. Rosborough said spots are becoming
rare.

He added that the airport might have to move up its parking expansion
plans if the airport's rapid growth continues.

Mr. Rosborough said the airport also is hoping to translate the booming
passenger numbers into better service and eventually more nonstop
flights. "We think our strong passenger numbers are our best marketing
tool," he said.

Already US Airways plans to add a third nonstop New York-LaGuardia
flight in August, an eighth flight to Charlotte, and a month later
replace two big jet flights to the Queen City with bigger Boeing 737s.
The net result will be 40 additional seats a day on the two daily
flights to Charlotte.

But the airport is losing its weekday airlink to Washington, D.C.,
although flights will continue on the weekends and be upgraded from
turboprops to regional jets.

Mr. Rosborough said Atlantic Southeast Airlines, which also flies as the
Delta Connection, also is looking at adding more flights and possibly
bigger regional jets on its service to Atlanta. But looming over the
airport's booming business is the poor financial health of both US
Airways and Delta.

US Airways, which has about two thirds of the passenger market in
Wilmington, is seeking a third round of wage cuts from its employees and
hasn't ruled out re-entering bankruptcy for the second time since Sept.
11, 2001.

Delta is also hemorrhaging money and has raised the specter of entering
bankruptcy if it can't squeeze concessions out of its employees,
particularly its pilots.

But airport officials have said that even if one or both of Wilmington's
existing carriers stops flying or reduces service, they're confident
other airlines would move quickly to fill the void in the local business
traveler-dominated market.


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************