This may come as a surprise, but cutbacks at other hubs and growth in local passenger traffic have meant the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport is the US’s fastest growing, according to The Charlotte Observer.
US Airways has continued to operate a major hub there. Renewed growth by the airline –- along with lower fares –- have also played a major role in Charlotte’s growth.
In the past, Charlotte has been one of the nation’s most expensive airports. But with US reducing fares, it has spawned growth.
The lower fares also attracted more local passengers to fly from Charlotte rather than driving to Greensboro or Greenville-Spartanburg, noted the newspaper.
In addition, US Airways President Scott Kirby tells the paper that cuts by Delta in Atlanta may have increased fares as supply shrank at that hub –- possibly pushing more fliers to take cheaper connecting flights on US Airways through Charlotte.
The growth at Charlotte also was fairly sudden.
“As recently as a year ago, passenger traffic was stagnant as US Airways, Charlotte’s dominant carrier, had reduced flights after its merger with America West,” said the paper.
“US Airways and other airlines are growing rapidly, and the airport handled 9,300 additional passengers a day on average in the past six months.” The airport has seen its passenger numbers swell by 13% for a six-month period ending in February, a rate that topped other fast-growing airports, such as New York JFK (11.2%).
“Booming is an understatement,” said aviation director Jerry Orr, who tells the Observer that this is the fastest he’s seen passenger traffic grow during his three decades at the airport.
Report by David Wilkening
