For the second straight month, more than 10,000 passengers departed from Huntington Tri-State Airport, representing the highest monthly boardings in at least 20 years, according to reports released Thursday during the monthly meeting of the Tri-State Airport Authority.
More than 10,900 travelers departed from the airport in July 2009 -- a 31 percent increase compared to the same month in 2008, according to the airport. Year-to-date boardings (62,160) are up 21 percent compared to the first seven months of 2008 (51,227).
Allegiant Air, which provides nonstop, low-fare service to Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Petersburg/Clearwater, and Myrtle Beach, carried 62 percent of the airport's passengers in July, and posted a 39 percent increase over July 2008.
Airport staff said the numbers were further boosted by Delta Air Lines, posting a 68 percent increase in boardings over the same month last year. Delta added a third flight to Cincinnati in July, which contributed significantly to the strong increase. Charlotte service on US Airways remained relatively constant. (Reported by the Herald-Dispatch, 8/23/09)
