Laura Sturza
AIRPORT DISTRICT -- The airline industry is steadily turning toward
recovery following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to figures
released Monday by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport.
Burbank airline passengers numbered 341,514 in January, a 5.7%
decrease from January 2001, a report released at the Airport Authority
meeting showed. It was the smallest monthly decrease since Sept. 11,
Airport Authority spokesman Victor Gill said.
"It pretty much says that travel, even though it's not back all the
way, is on an upward trend," Gill said.
Figures were at a 13% decline in December from the year before, so
January's increase continues the airport's rebound from September's 35.3%
passenger drop.
American Airlines is a dominant contributor to the airport's comeback.
Its business at the airport is up 141% because of an additional flight,
increasing service to Dallas-Fort Worth from two flights per day to
three, Gill said.
Southwest Airlines is down 3.6% and Alaska Airlines is down 3.4%, with
both airlines flying the same number of departures they offered before
Sept. 11. United Airlines and America West are down 28% and 22%,
respectively, but both airlines are offering a significantly reduced
number of seats, officials said.
Although the airport does forecast its anticipated revenue, it does
not have a means of making precise month-to-month projections of number
of travelers, Gill said.
"We pretty much have to wait and see what the market does," Gill said.
"We did forecast that the market would come back slowly, but hopefully,
surely, over time."
Two factors that might account for the increased traffic are the
airlines' efforts to lure passengers with lower fares and discounted Las
Vegas vacation packages, officials said. The airport offers 16 daily
flights to Las Vegas.
"While we're heartened by the increased numbers, we're not sure we're
out of the woods yet," Gill said.
FLYING HIGHER
Total Revenue Passengers at the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport:
-35.3% September 2000 to 2001
-14.5% October 2000 to 2001
-13.4% November 2000 to 2001
-13.2% December 2000 to 2001
-5.7% January 2001 to 2002
