Monday, October 17, 2011

Wyoming commercial air traffic rises slightly

October 17, 2011 --
Commercial air traffic in Wyoming during the first eight months of 2011 increased slightly, 1.3 percent, from 2010 during the same period. Cheyenne Regional Airport showed the biggest gains in total passengers (enplaning and deplaning) at 31,414 for the first eight months, 71.1 percent over last year.

Officials attributed the dramatic rise to American Eagle’s daily flight between Cheyenne and Dallas-Fort Worth. Passenger use of the regional jet service appears to be increasing. The airline started out with two round-trip flights, but cut service back to one daily trip. The service is heavily subsidized by local interests in Cheyenne.

Overall, Wyoming’s 10 commercial airports saw 726,111 passengers through August, according to figures provided by Amber Schlabs at the State Aeronautics Division office in Cheyenne.

Jackson Hole Airport experienced nearly a 3 percent decline compared to last year. The airport still saw 424,447 passengers boarding and arriving. Airlines using Jackson take advantage of subsidies offered by the community. The Sheridan County Airport dropped 7.7 percent with 17,980 passengers. Sheridan competes with Billings for airline passengers, as do some other Wyoming airports

The Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport experienced a generous gain of 25.3 percent, with 35,939 passengers in and out. The airport enjoys service to Denver and Salt Lake City, plus a flight from Gillette to Rock Springs to Salt Lake City.

The Gillette-Campbell County Airport showed a healthy 15.7 percent increase over last year with a 41,203 passenger total. The Casper-Natrona County Airport experienced a slight decrease of 1.5 percent through August, with a total to date of 106,576 passengers.

Worland Municipal Airport saw a 12.1 percent increase over last year with 4,011 passengers boarding and deplaning during the first eight months of this year. Worland is one of two Wyoming commercial airports where airlines receive Essential Air Service subsidies per passenger. Laramie, the state’s only other EAS airport, experienced a 3.3 percent increase in passengers in 2011.

Passenger fares play a large role in determining usage of Wyoming commercial airports. According to numbers released by the Aeronautics Division, there were significant increases in walk-up fares in August of this year compared to August of 2010. For instance, Cody walk-up fares increased 38 percent. Fares last year were $744 compared to 2011 fares of $1,024.

Casper fares climbed by 19 percent; Cheyenne 16 percent; Laramie 25 percent, and Rock Springs and Sheridan, both 18 percent. Jackson’s walk-up fare increased 27 percent. Leisure fares at some airports saw increases, but not as severely as the walk-up fares. In one case, the Rock Springs leisure fare dropped 10 percent from $409 to $368. The largest leisure increase was at Jackson, with a 28 percent increase from $525 to $624.

Capacity changes — seats available — also impact airport usage. Casper lost seats when Delta pulled regional jet service in favor of SkyWest’s small propjets to Salt Lake City. Rock Springs added seats to Denver and saw an increase in daily usage.

http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com

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