Augusta Regional numbers soar (Atlanta: live, price, vs)

[lolo2]

The numbers at Augusta Regional Airport climb and its new terminal shines. But is one directly related to the other?

Metro Spirit: Politics - Up and away (http://www.metrospirit.com/index.php?cat=11011007070439984&ShowArticle_ID=110 20508084419880 - broken link)

http://www.metrospirit.com/Image/20.02/LG%20NEWS%20P1270819.jpg (broken link)

AUGUSTA, GA - In the six months since the grand opening of Augusta Regional Airport’s new terminal, the number of enplanements has gone up, along with customer expectations.

“So far this year, through June, our enplanements are up 9.1 percent over 2007 numbers,” says Diane Johnston, director of marketing for the airport. “So we’re very happy with the way things are going.”

Now the numbers look even better. Total operations are up 12 percent. Total passengers are up 10.5 percent. Seats available are up 7.7 percent.
But are the numbers directly attributable to the new terminal? “It’s hard to be able to determine,” Johnston admits.

http://www.metrospirit.com/Image/20.02/LG%20NEWS%20P1270850.jpg (broken link)

In late 2007, By the end of the year, enplanements had increased by 13.5 percent over 2006.

[nortonguy]

An a exciting article about the airport. The airport really does have alot of potential. I saw 2 or 3 cranes around the airport last time i went. So it looks like they're starting to build up the area around it.

[DisgustaTruth]

It may have to do with this. Air fares are up all over the place. So why then would that make enplanements increase at Augusta Regional? Very simple.. there is not as much of a price difference from flying out of Augusta vs Atlanta or Columbia as their used to be when the airlines were in price wars. With only two airlines servicing Augusta... the city never received the bargain fares precipated by the discount carriers that did not have a presence in Augusta. But those bargains are gone.. and so if people are going to have to pay a similar fare to fly out of Atlanta, plus drive the 150 miles to get their with $4 a gallon gas.. well then it just makes more economic sense to fly out of Augusta. The new terminal probably does help, but is most likely not the main reason for the upswing in enplanements. This doesn't mean that there is all of a sudden is a new interest in people coming to Augusta (these figures are enplanements: ppl boarding flights leaving Augusta).. but what it does mean is that the airport is beginning to stop some of the hemmorhaging of people to other airports.

[nortonguy]

Either way its a positive for airport. Nobody's harldy driving to atlanta to shop or to lennox when augusta mall has some of the same stores. And nobody using atlanta's airport. Augusta probably will be the first city in georgia. That doesn't need to travel to atlanta for nothing.

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Either way its a positive for airport. Nobody's harldy driving to atlanta to shop or to lennox when augusta mall has some of the same stores. And nobody using atlanta's airport. Augusta probably will be the first city in georgia. That doesn't need to travel to atlanta for nothing.

Lived there for 25 years...nothing ever changes...try Athens...shopping and dining, shopping and dining...city council...apathetic...give up...

There, now Disgusta doesn't need to post. I covered his material already.

[lolo2]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant

Lived there for 25 years...nothing ever changes...try Athens...shopping and dining, shopping and dining...city council...apathetic...give up...

There, now Disgusta doesn't need to post. I covered his material already.

lol too funny

[Augustabuckeye]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Either way its a positive for airport. Nobody's harldy driving to atlanta to shop or to lennox when augusta mall has some of the same stores. And nobody using atlanta's airport. Augusta probably will be the first city in georgia. That doesn't need to travel to atlanta for nothing.

Nobody is using Atlanta's airport???

The Busiest airport in the world???

Makes perfect sense...

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by Augustabuckeye

Nobody is using Atlanta's airport???

The Busiest airport in the world???

Makes perfect sense...

I was talking about less people from augusta using the airport than in previous years before. Of course people are still using hartsfield.

[DisgustaTruth]

Of course less ppl may be driving to Atlanta from Augusta to use the airport, but they still have to change planes in Hartsfield (if they fly Delta that is)...in Charlotte if they fly US Scareways... as there are no direct fights from Augusta to cities other than those two. It's a shame that Augusta couldn't keep Continental in town.. they offered direct flights to New York and HOuston.. but after a year of service Continental concluded that Augusta was simply not a profitable enough market..
25 years ago, there were twice as many flights in out of Augusta... on large jets... not the puddle jumpers that US airways and Delta put you on... although it appears USair may start flying 50 seater regional jets in and out of Augusta rather than the turbo props they have been using. I flew one of those turbo props into Augusta.. and let me just say the plane looked like it was from the 60s and the ride was ..well harrowing.

[CaptainAwesome]

I read somewhere that Northwest was going to merge with one of the other two carriers. If that happens, then there would be flights to Detroit and Cincinatti, I think. i haven't heard anything else about it in a long time.