The passenger count at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport has increased for seven straight months after four sluggish years.
Airport officials say the surge has strengthened the case for more flights and larger aircraft, a longstanding goal of keen interest to the business community.
Total outbound and inbound passengers reached 50,885 last month, a gain of more than 2,200 travelers over March 2016. The improved results, which date back to September, prompted airlines to begin to expand service, officials said.
“Everything is going in the right direction,” said Brad Boettcher, the airport executive in charge of air service expansion efforts. “In April we have 14 more flights a week than we did in April 2016. May will have eight more flights. June will have 13 more flights a week. July will be up 10 flights a week and August will be up nine flights a week.”
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The business community has complained that Roanoke’s airport offers too few flights at prices that are too high. North Carolina’s airports, such as Greensboro, 100 miles away, and Charlotte, 200 miles away, have attracted both business and leisure flyers from the Roanoke airport’s primary service area, a source of angst for Roanoke airport officials.
Airport officials have responded to criticism by explaining that airports don’t set schedules or fares, airlines do, and that they are demand-responsive. When communities use their locally available passenger services, airlines tend to offer more.
Tim Bradshaw, the airport’s executive director, has presented that case to economic development and community groups. The airport began an advertising campaign, which included TV testimonials from business executives, in September.
Last week, Bradshaw said he believes those efforts at building brand loyalty have brought results. “The community support we have received has begun to change the conversation with the airlines from ‘We think the community would support it’ to ‘We know the community would support it,’ ” a prepared statement said.
Traffic through the airport is also brisker because the economy is stronger, Bradshaw said in an interview. There’s evidence that specific economic announcements generate activity, such as when auto parts maker Eldor Corp., which is building a factory in Botetourt County, sent personnel to Italy for training, he said.
In spite of the gains, the airport hasn’t returned to pre-recesssion traffic levels, Bradshaw said. Getting there will be easier with a wider menu of flight options. One major unmet goal would be landing a fifth airline offering service to a new, nonstop destination.
Airlines often won’t enter a market with declining passenger counts such as Roanoke’s posted on an annual basis during 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Boettcher said budget carrier Southwest Airlines, which told him last year it wasn’t interested in expanding in Roanoke, was contacted again recently to relay the improved passenger results.
“They are now taking a look at us,” he said. “It’s a better story.”
Sought-after destinations include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport. They’re the top two destinations for Roanoke airport users that can’t be reached with a nonstop flight. Making a connection in another city is the only way to reach either now.
Four airlines fly from Roanoke to eight cities about 22 times daily and run a like number of inbound flights. The total number of seats is down substantially from before the recession due to airlines slashing service, which occurred at most airports.
One reason flight schedules are expanding again is because some airlines “recently concluded that the cuts were overdone,” said analyst Seth Kaplan, managing partner of industry newsletter Airline Weekly.
Domestic airlines returned to steady profitability about three years ago, buoyed by low fuel prices. Major airports regained lost passenger traffic several years ago as well. Smaller airports such as Roanoke are “catching up,” Kaplan said.