Springfield airport adds destinations; traveler numbers climb

Friday brought a double dose of good news from Springfield-Branson National Airport.

Delta Air Lines announced that it is restoring service to Detroit and Minneapolis on June 10. The airline had cut those services in 2009 in the wake of its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines.

According to the airport's e-newsletter sent Friday, the Minneapolis service likely will be seasonal, while the plans are to make the Detroit service year-round. Delta is also on the verge of adding several Western routes out of Detroit, including Honolulu, Sacramento and Phoenix, giving Springfield travelers more connection options to the West.

"Our airport lost service to those cities during the depths of the recession," the e-newsletter said. "The fact that they're returning is a testament to the tremendous growth our airport has seen over the past year."

That growth, at least in passenger numbers, continued in February. The airline accommodated 47,167 passengers in February, up 3 percent compared to February 2009. For the year, the airport has enplaned and deplaned 100,575 passengers, up 5 percent compared to the first two months of last year.

Those numbers continue the trend from 2009, when the airport posted the only growth among regional and national airports in the Midwest. (See graph below) Passenger numbers in 2009 were up 4 percent in Springfield, while numbers dropped in Kansas City, St. Louis, Tulsa, Northwest Arkansas and Chicago.


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