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RIC Passenger Count Soared in July; AirTran Helps Airport Boost Its Traveler Load By 22 Percent Compared With a Year Earlier

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

Ridership reached a record high at Rich4mond International Airport in July as dis4count carrier AirTran Airways grabbed an 8 percent market share in its first full month of service.

The airport's total number of passenger ar4rivals and departures - - 272,899 -- was 22 percent higher than in July of last year, offi4cials said yesterday.

"Our growth is much, much greater than we are seeing nationwide," said airport spokesman Troy Bell, who cited an Air Transport Association report that said U.S. domestic traffic was up 2.5 percent in July.

Judy Graham-Weaver, an AirTran spokes4woman, said that while she could not com4ment on passenger figures released by the air4port, "we have been very pleased with how the Richmond market performed and how our bookings have gone."

AirTran, which began flying out of Rich-mond on June 23, had more than 22,000 passenger arriv4als and departures in July. According to figures pre4sented to the Capital Region Airport Commission yester4day, AirTran's 8.2 percent share of the market bested Continental Airlines' share (6.7 percent) and nearly matched Northwest Airlines' share (8.5 percent).

Delta Air Lines,, which took the top local market share from longtime leader U.S. Air4ways in February, maintained its top spot in July (29.5 percent), followed by U.S. Airways (22.2 percent), American Airlines (14 per4cent) and United Airlines (10.7 percent). Delta, American and Northwest all reported double-digit growth in July.

"AirTran has definitely contributed" to the airport's record numbers, said James B. Do4nati Jr., the commission's chairman and a member of the Henrico County Board of Su4pervisors. "They are attracting more of the casual travelers."

"They have materially improved airfare for the Richmond traveling public," added Com4missioner Beverley W. "Booty" Armstrong.

Airport officials said ticket prices dropped after AirTran began service here, but fares have stabilized recently, Bell said.

July was the fifth record traffic month for the airport in 2005. Passenger traffic in Janu4ary, February, March and June all surpassed passenger records set in 2001.

Any ideas? Staff writer John Reid Blackwell can be reached at (804) 775-8123 or jblackwelltimesdispatch.com

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

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