Thursday, June 14, 2012VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio – More than 6,300 passengers used Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport last month, and the airport could record its busiest year since 1998 if the rate of growth continues.
A total 6,330 people traveled in and out of the airport on Allegiant Air and charter flights, up 4% or 246 passengers over May 2011. Allegiant customers accounted for nearly half of that activity -- 1,203 on nine flights serving St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.; 1,039 passengers on eight flights serving Sanford, Fla.; and 674 passengers on five flights of the Myrtle Beach, S.C., service that resumed May 17.
Total passenger count year-to-date reached 29,318, up 685 over the same period last year. If the pace of growth continues as projected, the airport will have its busiest year since 1998, observed Dan Dickten, director of aviation.
The upward trend in in passenger use strengthens the airport’s efforts to secure additional charter service, new Allegiant routes and daily passenger service to one or more major connecting airports in the United States, he added.
“Commercial aviation is incredibly competitive and regional airports like ours battle constantly to maintain existing service and secure new routes. Our rising passenger counts help us make the case that we are an extremely attractive and viable market that can support the expanded service we’re striving to bring to the area,” Dickten said.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.