Tyler Airport Sees Increase In Travelers (Houston, Dallas: rental car, sales, rental)

[Metro Matt]

By CASEY MURPHY
Business Editor

Although Tyler Pounds Regional Airport has seen a decline in enplanements over the last few years because of the downed economy, it has sustained better than many regional airports in Texas and is now seeing signs of a rebound in activity, city officials said.


"While Tyler did feel the effects of the recession and noticed a decrease in activity at the airport, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport fared well compared to other regional airports across the state," Airport Manager Davis Dickson said in a prepared statement.

"In 2010, Tyler Pounds saw an increase in activity and monthly numbers for January 2011 are the highest they have been in the past three years."

Tyler Pounds currently serves about 150,000 travelers per year, he said.

Between 2008 and 2009, Tyler saw a 3 percent decrease in activity. But the airport is beginning to see signs of improvement with a .40 percent increase in activities between 2009 and 2010 and an increase of nearly 1 percent between January 2009 and January 2011.

Tyler Pounds also saw an increase of .99 percent in the number of rental cars leased and an increase of .95 percent fuel flowage between 2009 and 2010, Dickson reported.

The regional airport has American Eagle Airlines serving DFW Airport and Continental Connection Airlines serving George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, with more than six flights per day.

Nationwide, many airports have reported reductions in enplanements and airport activities. And although Tyler has seen a decrease of 3 percent in activity between 2008 and 2009, it fared better than some Texas regional airports, Dickson said. Abilene Regional Airport saw a 7.4 decrease; Dallas Love Field had an 8.6 percent decrease; and College Station's Easterwood Field experienced a 9.5 percent decrease, he reported.

Tyler Pounds was named 2007 Airport of the Year for the State of Texas by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The award recognizes outstanding contributions made by airports toward aviation in the state, Dickson said.

Tyler's new terminal was completed in 2002 for $17.6 million, with 40 percent of the funds coming from the FAA and the balance paid for with half cent sales tax.

Tyler Airport Sees Increase In Travelers

[Lucidus]

That's interesting and good for Tyler. Since Dallas Love Field and DFW are only about a 2 hour drive from Tyler, I am surprised really that the airport there has any commercial service.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Lucidus

That's interesting and good for Tyler. Since Dallas Love Field and DFW are only about a 2 hour drive from Tyler, I am surprised really that the airport there has any commercial service.

Not everyone wants to drive 2 hours to Dallas or 3 hours to Houston to board a flight headed elsewhere.

If my calculations are correct that means we see 411 passengers a day fly through our local airport which ain't too shabby being a small developing town & metro Tyler's size.

My great aunt lives in San Antonio & has boarded Continental several times to fly up here to Tyler with a short stop in Houston along the way. There is usually no plane change either so you just sit there at the gate for 20-30 minutes while other passengers board. My gf has flown over here from Dallas a couple of times as well via American Eagle.

Why drive all the way to an international airport for 2-3 hours when you can be there in 30-45 minutes? You save time, gas, & a rental car or long term parking fees which all adds up to be more than the plane ticket itself.

[ETex2]

I guess if I lived in Tyler and had regular business in Houston on the company's dime, I'd use it. Or if I was into general aviation. Otherwise, with the additional costs, time to go through security, change planes at DFW or Houston, then head elsewhere, I wouldn't think it would be worth the hassle.

Don't get me wrong, I love Tyler. But isn't the only commercial service from Tyler only into DFW and Houston?

[Lucidus]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Why drive all the way to an international airport for 2-3 hours when you can be there in 30-45 minutes? You save time, gas, & a rental car or long term parking fees which all adds up to be more than the plane ticket itself.

Depending on when your flight arrives and when your connecting flight departs and when you buy your tickets and what not, it may be cheaper and/or faster to just make the 2 hour drive.

I checked on expedia and every flight listed from Tyler to DFW or Love would take longer than just driving it. The flights to Houston only take about an hour though, so you could save an hour of travel time by flying to Houston instead of driving to DFW, and maybe another hour since security in Tyler is probably much faster to get through than DFW. Of course, that still depends on when your connecting flight departs.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Lucidus

Depending on when your flight arrives and when your connecting flight departs and when you buy your tickets and what not, it may be cheaper and/or faster to just make the 2 hour drive.

I checked on expedia and every flight listed from Tyler to DFW or Love would take longer than just driving it. The flights to Houston only take about an hour though, so you could save an hour of travel time by flying to Houston instead of driving to DFW, and maybe another hour since security in Tyler is probably much faster to get through than DFW. Of course, that still depends on when your connecting flight departs.

With gas at $3.49 a gallon?

Yeah maybe if it was half that at $1.75 a gallon or at the most $2.00 I can see where it would be cheaper to drive than to fly. Plus the headache of dealing with D/FW traffic & just parking itself when you could be relaxing on a plane listening to your I-Pod for the quick 30 minute flight versus the 2+ hour stressful drive.

Coming back to Tyler from Denton yesterday at 2pm I hit heavy traffic on 635 near the Galleria. That itself added 15 minutes just sitting in non peak hour traffic.

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

With gas at $3.49 a gallon?

Yeah maybe if it was half that at $1.75 a gallon or at the most $2.00 I can see where it would be cheaper to drive than to fly. Plus the headache of dealing with D/FW traffic & just parking itself when you could be relaxing on a plane listening to your I-Pod for the quick 30 minute flight versus the 2+ hour stressful drive.

Coming back to Tyler from Denton yesterday at 2pm I hit heavy traffic on 635 near the Galleria. That itself added 15 minutes just sitting in non peak hour traffic.

Even at today's gas prices, it would take about $15.00-20.00 worth of gas to drive from downtown Tyler to downtown Dallas in the average car that gets decent mileage. Are you saying an airline ticket would be cheaper??

And a 30 minute flight involves an extra hour of boarding, going through security, etc.. Then, you still have to get transportation to where you are actually going unless your business is at the airport = more time and more money. All of this is every bit as stressful as driving to me. Sorry, but your argument doesn't hold water AT ALL.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by ETex2

Even at today's gas prices, it would take about $15.00-20.00 worth of gas to drive from downtown Tyler to downtown Dallas in the average car that gets decent mileage. Are you saying an airline ticket would be cheaper??

And a 30 minute flight involves an extra hour of boarding, going through security, etc.. Then, you still have to get transportation to where you are actually going unless your business is at the airport = more time and more money. All of this is every bit as stressful as driving to me. Sorry, but your argument doesn't hold water AT ALL.

I've seen the boarding process at Tyler's airport several times & from checking your bag in to getting past the security gate to boarding the plane takes less than 30 minutes tops.

1 hour flying versus 2 hours driving from Tyler to Dallas ain't too bad. Once you arrive at the cluster**** that is D/FW it may be a different story however...

Going to Houston (Bush Intercontinental) is the better bargain for sure...from Tyler anyways.

It has certainly come in handy for my great aunt flying up from San Antonio with one stop in Houston on Continental the whole way.

Anyways, the fact Tyler's airport was named Texas Airport of the year in 2007 by the FAA speaks volumes & should be a feather Tylerites are proud of having under their wings. Not many airports in Texas or the Southwest Region as designated by the FAA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico) can claim that.

Midland got it last year.
http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/12/faa-...-for-2010.html

"The Southwest region also selected Ellington Field in Houston for its Regional Airport Safety Award, the Texas DOT's Aviation Divison for its Environmental Achievement Award, and New Orleans Lakefront Airport for Excellence in Construction Safety. Special recognition went to East Texas Regional Airport for being the first in the region to "physically and fiscally" complete and close a Recovery Act project."

[ETex2]

Like most small airports, Tyler's airport is geared more towards general aviation than commercial airlines. That's great if you are a private pilot. Good for them - they're doing things right. Lots of money in this part of Texas, and there are lots of private and corporate aircraft based there.

But no way is it practical for the masses to fly commercial airline service into DFW from Tyler. A lot more expensive and time consuming. I guess maybe if you don't own a car or just hate driving....

[Mark Senior]

Yep, few fly, most I know or have known, drive.