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Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport traffic drops for first time in 18 months

Staff file photo / Vehicles fill the front of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Passenger traffic dropped last month for the first time in a year and a half, but officials predict growth as the year continues.
Staff file photo / Vehicles fill the front of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Passenger traffic dropped last month for the first time in a year and a half, but officials predict growth as the year continues. Staff file photo / Vehicles fill the front of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Passenger traffic dropped last month for the first time in a year and a half, but officials predict growth as the year continues.

By Mike Pare 3 min read

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.