Allegiant Air steadies April airport numbers

Springfield-Branson National Airport officials are touting the fact that April passenger numbers were flat - and for good reason.

The airport logged 61,413 total passengers in April, virtually unchanged from April 2008, ending a string of 14 consecutive months with declining year-over-year passenger numbers.

Public Information and Marketing Director Kent Boyd said posting flat numbers is not typically something to get excited about. But during a recession, officials will gladly take them because Boyd's not convinced the travel dip is past.

Among its Midwest airport peers, Springfield-Branson National Airport fared well in April. Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport posted a 12.8 percent year-over-year drop in April; Kansas City International Airport passenger numbers were down 11.8 percent; Tulsa International Airport dipped 13.3 percent; and Fort Smith Regional Airport logged a 10.8 percent slide. Nationally, enplanements are down 11 percent, and airline capacity is off 7 percent.

Even in Springfield, three of the five commercial airlines serving the airport recorded a decline in passengers. American Airlines, operating in Springfield as American Eagle/American Connection, saw numbers hold basically steady for the month, though they are down by double digits for the year.

Only Allegiant Air has posted significant gains - 40 percent for the month. Boyd said Allegiant has been the shining star at the airport for the last several months. Allegiant's numbers thus far this year are up 37 percent in Springfield.

"I give them the credit for keeping our passenger numbers as high as they've been," Boyd said, noting that all four mainline carriers serving Springfield - American, Delta, Northwest and United - were down by at least 11 percent year-to-date through April. "That's a direct reflection of those airlines cutting capacity. It also still reflects what people perceived as outrageous prices several months ago, when people were booking to fly now, and it's an indication of the recession."

Tyri Squyres, Allegiant Air's director of corporate communications, said the company's focus on leisure travel has allowed it to maintain success even in a tough market.

"We've been profitable the last 25 quarters, which is unusual in the airline industry right now, and we're running load factors in excess of 90 percent systemwide," Squyres said. "In order to meet that number, we need to have a lot of success throughout, and Springfield is a big part of that."

The business model for Allegiant, which in May closed out a buy-one-get-one free summer flying special to Las Vegas, relies less on airfare than on extra fees and revenues through partnerships with resorts and hotels.[[In-content Ad]]