WARWICK – Passenger traffic at T.F. Green Airport (PVD) last month continued to lag year-ago levels and also fell compared with May, the R.I. Airport Corporation said today. Meanwhile, freight and mail traffic at the airport rose in June, though not to year-ago levels.
The June decline was unusual but not unprecedented. Although it defied T.F. Green’s usual seasonal pattern – in which passenger traffic gradually rises from January through August – a similar dip was seen in June 2006.
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As it had in May, however, the airport still exceeded its 2007 monthly average of 418,278 total passengers and 209,155 passengers boarded. (READ MORE) Its January-through-June passenger total of 2.35 million lagged the year-ago total by 2.83 percent, however, while the 1.18 million passengers enplaned in the first six months of the year fell 3.2 percent short of the year-ago figure.
The total number of passengers passing through T.F. Green during the month fell 8.0 percent to 420,324 compared with the June 2007 total of 443,630, accelerating from year-over-year declines of 3.3 percent in May and 0.4 percent in April. Compared with May 2008’s 429,003 passengers, traffic fell 2.0 percent after rising 4.0 percent in May and 4.8 percent in April.
The total number of passengers boarding planes at the airport during June fell 8.6 percent compared with a year ago, to 207,077 from the June 2007 total of 226,512. Month-over-month, the number of passengers enplaned at T.F. Green declined 2.0 percent – from 211,244 in May – after rising 2.7 percent in May and 5.2 percent in April.
Among passenger carriers, Southwest Airlines remained No. 1 at T.F. Green last month with 215,666 passengers and a 51.3-percent market share. US Airways remained No. 2 with 85,747 passengers, or 20.4 percent, followed by United Airlines with 32,090 passengers, or 7.6 percent.
Northwest Airlines – No. 4 for the second month in a row – had 30,527 passengers, or 7.3 percent of the airport’s June total. Continental was next with 22,977 passengers, or 5.5 percent, passing Delta Airlines, which had 21,649, or 5.2 percent. Next were the soon-to-depart American Eagle with 6,250, or 1.5 percent; Air Canada with 1,234, or 0.3 percent; and charter planes with 1,294 passengers, or 0.3 percent of the airport’s June total.
“Until [the airlines] can get their arms around the jet fuel prices, there’s going to be additional pain,” Kevin A. Dillon, RIAC’s president and CEO, told Providence Business News after American Eagle announced plans to end flights from T.F. Green and Southwest said it would add flights at the airport. “And the fact that we’re a medium-sized airport with a sizable amount of service today – sure, we’re subject to cuts.” (READ MORE)
Total cargo shipments through T.F. Green last month amounted to 2.56 million pounds, a 26.8-percent decline compared with the June 2007 total of 3.49 million pounds. Freight shipments amounted to 2.91 million pounds last month, a 29.7-percent decline from the June 2007 total of 2.91 million pounds. Mail shipments through the airport fell to 507,083 pounds in June, an 11.9-percent decline from the year-ago total of 575,769 pounds.
Year-to-date cargo shipments fell 26.8 percent to 15.73 million pounds from 21.48 million pounds in the first six months of 2007. Freight led the decline, with first-half shipments falling 31.0 percent to 12.35 million pounds from the year-ago 17.91 million pounds. Mail shipments dipped 5.59 percent to 3.38 million pounds, from 3.58 million pounds in the first half of 2007.
Compared with May 2008, however, total cargo traffic through the airport in June showed a 1.0-percent increase, which followed monthly gains of 2.4 percent in May and 0.5 percent in April. Freight shipments rose 3.4 percent in June after rising 3.3 percent the in May and 3.2 percent in April. Meanwhile, mail shipments through the airport fell 0.7 percent after falling 1.0 percent in May and rising 3.7 percent in April.
Year-to-date cargo shipments fell 26.8 percent to 15.73 million pounds, from 21.48 million in the first six months of 2007. Freight led the decline, with first-half shipments falling 31.0 percent to 12.35 million pounds from the year-ago 17.91 million pounds. Mail shipments dipped 5.4 percent to 3.38 million pounds from 3.58 million pounds in the first half of 2007.
The R.I. Airport Corporation is a quasi-public organization, based at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, that oversees Green and the state’s five general aviation airports. Additional information is available from RIAC at www.pvdairport.com.
