"More use regional U.S. airports"

Sunday, February 27, 2005

More use regional airports
Additional flights, low-fare carriers boost business at Flint, Lansing
fields.
By Joel J. Smith
The Detroit (MI) News


Flint Bishop International and Capital City Regional Airport in Lansing were
among the 10 fastest growing airports in the United States last year, a new
report shows. 

Officials attribute the passenger growth to a combination of additional
flights and low-fare carriers making it more affordable to fly out of the
regional airports. 

The Flint airport was ranked fifth on the list with a passenger growth rate
of 24.4 percent in 2004. Lansing's airport was eighth with a growth of 18.7
percent. The list was prepared by the Boyd Group, an airline consulting
company in Evergreen, Colo. 

Passengers love the convenience of avoiding busy Detroit Metropolitan
Airport and flying out of an airport closer to home. 

"We try to support our local airport," said Renee Patterson, who lives in
Delta Township, about a 10-minute drive from Capital City Airport. "We try
to get our flights out of Lansing but there are times when we have to drive
to Metro Airport. We'd like to see Lansing get flights to more destinations
and then we could use them even more." 

Officials at Bishop Airport in Flint said they've watched a steady increase
of passenger travel at their facility. 

"The No. 1 thing for us is convenience," said Matt Coates, assistant
marketing manager for Flint Bishop. "We're a lot easier to get into and out
of than Detroit Metro Airport. And we are a lot closer to Oakland County,
making us an attractive alternative for the business and leisure travelers."


For the first time in its history, Flint passed the 1 million-passenger mark
in 2004, ending the year with 1.1 million passengers. Airport officials
expect that number to jump to 1.28 million in 2005 with about a third of
them coming from Oakland County. 

Flint's airport has seven airlines -- Northwest, AirTran, ATA, Delta
Connection, Midwest Connection, Continental Connection and Funjet Vacations.


While not as big, Lansing's Capital Airport also has made big strives in
passenger growth in the past two years. In 2004, the airport handled 650,915
passengers, up 26 percent from 2002. 

Part of its 2004 success was the startup there of Independence Air, which
began seven daily flights between Lansing and Washington, D.C., in August.
As a result, Northwest also began offering non-stop flights to Washington. 

In early January, the financially strapped Independence stopped the
Lansing-to-Washington flights as part of a restructuring move. 

"We've built this airport with a combination of advertising, organizing the
business community and airline incentives," said Robert F. Selig, executive
director of the Lansing Capital Regional Airport Authority. "We want to meet
our community needs." 

There are five airlines that use Lansing's airport: Northwest, Delta,
Midwest Express, United and the Las Vegas charter service, Allegiant Air. 

Selig said that until he can persuade the airlines to fly to heavily used
business and leisure destinations, the airport will continue to lose
potential passengers to other Michigan airports. Currently 35 percent of
Lansing-area travelers drive to Detroit Metro, 7 percent to Grand Rapids and
5 percent to Flint, Selig said. 

Fastest growing airports 

Here are the rankings and rates of passenger growth for U.S. airports in
2004.

1. Newburgh, N.Y.; 33.2 percent

2. Washington D.C.-Dulles; 30 percent

3. Erie, Pa.; 26.2 percent

4. Columbia, S.C.; 24.7 percent

5. Flint, Mich.; 24.4 percent

6. New York-Kennedy; 20.7 percent

7. Syracuse, N.Y.; 18.9 percent

8. Lansing, Mich.; 18.7 percent

9. Greenville/Spartanburg, N.C.; 16.7 percent

10. Philadelphia, Pa.; 16.5 percent

10. Akron/Canton, Ohio; 16.5 percent

Source: The Boyd Group 

Attached Photo:

Flint's Bishop Airport passed the 1 million-passenger mark in 2004.
Officials expect that number to jump to 1.28 million in 2005.

b027-bishop-0205y.jpg