Sunday, June 8, 2008

AIrport News

Sky Harbor Airport is one of the most popular and hated places in the Valley. Residents will tell you that the crowds, endless construction projects and poor signage make trips to the airport are in the same class as trips to the dentist.

The Phoenix Business Journal reported on June 5, 2008 that the crowds at least may be declining. In fact, passenger traffic was off by 1 percent in April compared to 2007 and was expected to continue to decline during the summer months.

At the same time, passenger traffic at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport continues to grow. More than 27,800 passengers passed through the Williams terminal in February 2008 representing a load count of 85 percent. Those numbers were expected to increase to a 90 percent load count or almost 40,000 passengers in March, according to the minutes from the April 21, 2008 Williams Gateway Airport Authority meeting, the most recent meeting for which minutes are available.

There are always fewer visitors to the Valley during the summer months. After all, who wants to experience temperatures reaching 110 degrees or higher? It doesn't matter that it's a dry heat, it's still HOT. This year, however, it also appears that more residents are staying put. Are you one of them?