ROANOKE, Va— The Roanoke Regional Airport is busier these days.
Air traffic is up nearly 5% this year. That's 18,000 more passengers flying to and from Roanoke compared to 2010.
Many passengers say they choose Roanoke because it's local.
"My in-laws live here so we like to visit them," says Liz Krasnow who resides in Colorado, "It was definitely more convenient to fly in here."
Several passengers say their final decision often comes down to price. Sometimes Roanoke is affordable and sometimes people choose to drive to Greensboro, NC to save money.
"It's cheaper and I can ride the big jets up there," says Mark Gray, " Probably save you a couple of hundred dollars."
But other passengers say flying local pays off.
"Greensboro may be just a little bit cheaper but by the time I drive down there I have to leave my car someone can't drop me off and so it works out to be about the same," says Melanie Moore.
For leisure, the most popular flight is from Roanoke to Orlando, Florida. Business passengers are more often traveling from Roanoke to Chicago, Illinois.
A recent study done on airports across the state of Virginia found that Roanoke's airport contributes $216 million to the economy every year. Lynchburg's airport adds $109 million.
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