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Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Fuel costs not yet an
issue for Lafayette Regional Airport But airport among those that may see cuts By Jeff Moore The Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser A
fuel truck fills up a plane as passengers board Tuesday at Lafayette Regional
Airport in Lafayette. Lafayette was
listed among cities in danger of losing airline service in a report issued
Tuesday by a business consumer group. But local airport officials say they are
not seeing the effects of high fuel costs yet. In fact, passenger and cargo traffic at the airport have
increased to record numbers in the first quarter of 2008. "Lafayette is fortunate in that more people are
flying," said Mike Burroughs, deputy aviation director for the Lafayette
Regional Airport. "The airlines will look at that and say, 'We need to
keep that service.'" The study Tuesday by the Business Travel Coalition, a
national advisory group, lists 150 large and regional airports that will see
flights reduced or eliminated. The Lafayette Regional Airport and all other regional airports
in the state made the list. The coalition study was based on several criteria, such
as the airport's proximity to other airports and dependence on leisure travel,
said BTC chairman Kevin Mitchell. Cities served by both Northwest and Delta, which have
agreed to merge, were more likely to lose service, according to the report. The study predicts that major airlines could collapse as
early as this year due to rising fuel costs. Fuel expenses are expected to total $61.2 billion this
year, compared to $41.2 billion in 2007, according to the Air Transport
Association. The higher fuel bill is the principal driver of the projected loss
of $7 billion to $13 billion this year, said ATA spokeswoman Victoria Day. Several smaller airlines, like Aloha, ATA, Champion, Eos
and Skybus recently stopped operating. Air service has been eliminated in 60
communities who had flights in 2007, and 40 more are expected to lose service
later this year, Day said. Burroughs said none of the airlines serving the airport,
Northwest, Delta, American Eagle and Continental, have expressed interest in
cutting back services or pulling out of Lafayette. "With the increase in load factors and the increased
cargo we're having, I don't see that affecting us," Burroughs said. Burroughs said airlines consider several factors when
deciding whether they would continue or discontinue service to an destination,
one of which is occupancy rates. "As long as people keep flying, it helps to maintain
the level of service here at the airport," Burroughs said. |
