Friday, November 22, 2013

Fewer flights at Four Corner's Regional Airport (KFMN) not death of Farmington, New Mexico, area economy

FARMINGTON — Four Corners Regional Airport may lose commercial flights as airline companies shift to higher-capacity planes and larger cities, officials say.

But those changes aren't expected to have a major effect on the Farmiington area's economy because it doesn't have a heavy reliance on commercial flights.

"We wish that was not the case, but, right now, it is not one of the linchpins of our economy here," said Ray Hagerman, CEO of Four Corners Economic Development, an organization dedicated to stimulating the area's economy.

The city of Farmington is updating its Airport Master Plan to brace for this and other national trends anticipated over the next 20 years. Among other things, the document guides the city's spending; identifies aviation trends; and outlines additional needed infrastructure and what the federal government's future investments may be, said Assistant City Manager Bob Campbell.

Nationally, regional airlines are switching from turboprop and piston airplanes to 50- and 90-seat jets, according to the plan. The airplanes are flying longer routes as a result. And that change has drawn traffic from airports with "thin activity" to regional hubs, according to the plan.

In the next decade, all regional jets will have at least 100 seats, according to the Boyd Group, an consulting company that specializes in the airline market.

Farmington's airport serves 118 piston airplanes, according to the plan.

Throughout the country, companies are also retiring the 50-seat regional jets that flew in and out of the smaller airports like Farmington's, according to the plan. Those jets carry fewer passengers, their fuel-per-passenger cost has risen and aging equipment requires expensive maintenance, according to the plan.

Farmington's decline in regional airplane traffic is nothing new. In fiscal year 2000, the airport flew more than 53,000 regional passengers, according to the plan. In fiscal year 2009, 11,260 regional passengers flew from the airport, according to the plan.

Hagerman said the city will just have to make do.

The Albuquerque International Sunport, Durango-La Plata County Airport and Farmington's airport all serve existing needs, he said. Passengers weigh the benefits of each airport when deciding where to fly from, he said.

"It's just going to be more challenging for the customer to travel in the future," Campbell said.


Story:   http://www.daily-times.com