Passenger counts at Roanoke Regional Airport are steadily increasing, led by a potentially important economic indicator: business travelers. News/Talk 960’s Evan Jones has the story.
The trend started last year, when total passengers at the airport rose almost six per cent. And for this past January, it grew even more: up almost 11 per cent from the year before, even with fewer flights than January of 2010. Airport officials say all indicators point to this increased passenger count to continue, things like the number of people parking cars in the airport lots.
The growing numbers using Roanoke Regional Airport do not mean that airlines will necessarily add more service. Delta is expected to add capacity to Detroit and Atlanta for the busier summer travel months, but that already happens most years. Airport officials say, however, that if demand continues to increase, airlines will become more likely to increase service to meet it.
