After 18 straight months of increases in passenger boardings, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in March reported a drop due to weather-related canceled flights and fewer available seats.
But airport officials don't expect the downturn to last. The airport is projecting that operating revenue in the budget year that starts in July will grow 3 percent over this year as traffic continues to pick up.
Airport boardings
Below are Chattanooga airport boardings in the first quarter by airline and percent change over the prior year:› Delta Air Lines: 51,953, down less than 1 percent› American Eagle: 37,942, down 3.2 percent› United Airlines: 11,038, up 6.3 percent› Allegiant Air: 7,870, up 4.2 percent› Charters: 452, up 26.2 percent› Total: 109,255, up less than 1 percentSource: Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport
Boardings in March fell 2.3 percent to 39,843 over the same period a year ago, figures show. For the first quarter, however, boardings are up about one-half of 1 percent.
Terry Hart, the airport's chief executive, said the number of canceled flights in the quarter rose nearly 20 percent due to bad weather. Also, total seat capacity on flights dropped about 2.2 percent in the quarter as airlines tinkered with schedules, he said.
"It was just an adjustment of what the airlines were scheduling," the airport chief said.
Hart told the Airport Authority in a meeting this week that he expects a rebound this spring. Based on early predictions, seat capacity is expected to start rising in May.
"June, July and August are about a 2 percent increase," he said.
Lovell Field boarded more people than ever in 2017. The airport hit a new record of 484,517 boardings last year, up 15.6 percent from the previous year. It's the fourth consecutive year of record boardings in Chattanooga.
Delta Air Lines boardings soared nearly 8 percent higher last year than in 2016. The Atlanta-based airline captured 231,151 passengers of the total, or 47.7 percent, according to Lovell Field.
In the first quarter of this year, Delta's Express Jet boardings are down less than half of 1 percent, figures show.
April Cameron, the airport's vice president of finance, said operating revenue in the 2019 budget year that begins July 1 is projected to rise to $22.8 million.
Growth of 3 percent over the current year forecast is expected to come due to higher passenger traffic, she said. Delta will start daily nonstop flights between Chattanooga and New York City in July. Delta will fly to New York City's LaGuardia Airport using a 76-seat regional jet.
Cameron said airport landing, parking and rental car fees will remain stable in the new budget year.
In terms of expenses, the airport is budgeting $15.8 million, also up 3 percent, related to added costs to support higher traffic, she said. The budget includes a 2 percent average raise for airport employees, Cameron said.
The net operating balance is projected at $7 million, she said. Some of that money will be invested back into the airport, Cameron said. Also, some funds will go into debt service and to reserves, she said.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.