ROCKFORD — Passenger visitors spiked by greater than 35% on the Chicago Rockford Worldwide Airport in the course of the first six months of 2022 in comparison with the identical interval a yr in the past.
Airport officers stated 64,578 individuals flew out of RFD from Jan. 1 by June 30 in comparison with 47,743 enplanements in the course of the first half of 2021.
“The planes are going out very full,” Chicago Rockford Worldwide Airport deputy director of operations and planning Zack Oakley stated. “We’re seeing a median load issue between 94 and 95% for just about all of our locations this season.”
Passenger visitors at RFD was up by almost 47% in the course of the first half of 2022 in comparison with figures from the primary half of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first unfold within the US
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Figures from the primary half of this yr have been down 6.4% in comparison with the primary six months of 2019 and three.2% under figures from the primary half of 2018.
Passenger visitors numbers for the primary few months of 2018, 2019 and 2020 included Apple Trip flights out of RFD to Cancun, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
Apple discontinued these flights in the course of the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, and the flights have not returned.
“It is not that the market is not there, it is extra to do with plane availability at an affordable worth,” Oakley stated. “It does not seem like we will get Apple again this season, however hopefully that market turns again round for subsequent winter.”
The airport is at present served by Allegiant Air, which presents flights to 5 nonstop locations, together with Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Orlando, Fort Myers/Punta Gorda and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida.
Flights from RFD to Sarasota, Florida, will resume within the fall, Oakley stated.
Ken DeCoster covers enterprise information and options. Contact him at 815-987-1391, kdecoster@rrstar.com or @DeCosterKen.
This text initially appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford airport air journey up by greater than 35 p.c in 2022