The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. File photo.The number of passengers boarding flights in Chattanooga rose for the third consecutive year during 2012, and officials said Monday they’re planning one of the biggest upgrades to the passenger terminal since it was built more than 20 years ago.
The work on the passenger terminal, which could start this year, is seen as “a major enhancement,” said Terry Hart, the airport’s chief executive.
Hart told Airport Authority members that passenger boardings rose 1.03 percent to 307,162 passengers in 2012 over the prior year. It was the sixth highest level since the airport starting keeping figures in 1971.
Hart cited an expanding Chattanooga area economy as driving the increase.
The 2012 boardings hike was slightly better than the nationwide average. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, boardings were up 0.8 percent across the country for the 12 months ending in October 2012, the latest figure available.