More Allegiant flights boost RFD numbers

By Thomas V. Bona

BusinessRockford.com

PAST COVERAGE
Aug. 5: Airport officials close on cargo deal
July 26: Cargo drop reshapes airport’s bottom line
June 28: Airport cargo in May lowest since 9/11
May 22: RFD cargo registers worst April in more than 5 years
March 2: Survey rates Rockford ‘excellent’ for cargo airlines
Nov. 17, 2008: RFD hires industry veteran with knack for recruitment
Nov. 10, 2008: RFD hires first cargo development director
Aug. 20, 2008: Cargo, passenger service targeted with road, rail improvements
Aug. 5, 2008: New airport building breaks ground
May 8, 2008: Cargo freight at Rockford airport increases 10 percent

ON THE WEB
Chicago Rockford International Airport

ROCKFORD — Thanks to increased flights by Allegiant Air, passenger traffic at Chicago Rockford International Airport was up for the second straight month.

In July, 18,392 passengers flew in and out of the airport, an almost 40 percent hike from the previous July.

Allegiant Air had nearly 7,000 more passengers after increasing its available seats here by 60 percent year-over-year.

Last year, Allegiant slashed service in response to skyrocketing jet fuel prices. Even with the big increase in seats, Allegiant’s planes were on average more than 90 percent full in July.

“We’re blessed,” airport Executive Director Bob O’Brien said. “We’ve got good destinations, a great product in the form of Allegiant and low fares.”

Allegiant, which made consistent profits during last year’s fuel price spike and the following recession, regularly changes its schedule to focus on the most profitable routes. Because its Rockford routes are among its longest, they were some of the first to be cut amid high fuel prices.

The increases should continue into the fall, according to Allegiant’s schedule. The airline will have several additional flights a week in August and September before returning to near last year’s schedule in October and beyond.

Airport officials are looking for other ways to bring back consistent growth.

Direct Air resumes service to Punta Gorda, Fla., in October with twice-weekly service, expanding to four times a week for the winter. Apple Vacations brings back twice-weekly winter service to Cancun, Mexico, in December.

O’Brien has talked to AeroMexico, the airline operating the Cancun route for Apple, about adding other service. He’s also talking to another U.S. city about working together to start service to a destination in between there and Rockford.

July’s increase in passenger totals included about 1,500 of Oprah Winfrey’s employees and family members returning from a European vacation, but the airport still would have seen strong growth without them.

However, the airport still lags behind the 19,656 passengers from July 2007, indicating that it’s still being hurt by the recession.

The most popular routes in July were Allegiant’s service to Orlando-Sanford, Fla., and Las Vegas, which combined to account for more than half of all passengers.

Rockford saw 12 consecutive months of year-over-year declines in passenger numbers before snapping the streak in June.

Contact staff writer Thomas V. Bona at 815-987-1343 or tbona@rrstar.com.

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