Norfolk airport sees slower rebound from recession

NORFOLK

Local air travel following the recession has not rebounded as quickly as in other areas.

Passenger traffic at Norfolk International Airport was down more than 4 percent in 2011, compared with a 1.5 percent increase nationally from January to October. National year-end figures are not yet available.

About 3.2 million passengers used the airport last year. In 2010, it was 3.3 million.

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport was off 0.3 percent with just over 1 million passengers. Richmond International Airport's performance nearly mirrored Norfolk's, with a nearly 4 percent drop to 3.2 million travelers.

"Our area is slow to enter a recession and equally slow to recover," said Wayne Shank, executive director of the Norfolk Airport Authority. "Some of our downturn in traffic is because the military curtailed travel - it's not just the business and the discretionary traveler."

December was one of only two months that saw a small growth in passengers at Norfolk. The other was May.

Delta, which merged with Northwest, carried the most passengers with just over 28 percent of the market. Southwest, which was the leader before the Delta merger, commanded about 26.5 percent, followed by US Airways at 22 percent.

"The nice thing about our airport is we don't have a dominant carrier; we've got three very strong carriers here," Shank said. "If one fails or decides to draw down air service, you're not going to suffer."

Newport News faces that this year. After merging with Southwest, AirTran Airways, which carries nearly half of all passengers at the airport, is pulling out in March.

"There will be some significant changes in the air service picture for this year that will encompass service for both airports," Shank said.

Norfolk has been leaking passengers to Newport News enticed by AirTran's cheap fares to New York, Boston and Atlanta.

Southwest announced Friday that it will convert the AirTran service in Richmond to the Southwest brand.

Looking ahead, Shank said that despite the downturn and the corresponding decline in airport revenue, the airport budget is in the black. The airport is user-supported by lease payments from airlines and concessionaires, parking fees and ticketing fees.

In 2012, Shank expects the airport to expand the passenger screening area on Concourse B and begin a main lobby renovation: "We'll be doing it pay-as-you-go."

Debbie Messina, 757-446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com