Air travel via T.F. Green down sharply January to June
1:17 PM Mon, Jul 20, 2009 | Permalink
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In the first half of 2009, a total of 2,178,664 passengers used Green, according to figures from the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the state agency that runs Green and several smaller Rhode Island state airports. That counts each person leaving and each person arriving, so someone taking a round trip will be counted twice. The 2009 tally is 13 percent lower than in 2003, which represented the bottom of the post-Sept. 11 dip at 2,492,993 passenger. The 2009 mark is also 22 percent lower than 2005, when the airport had recovered from Sept. 11. The 2,776,590 passengers who used the airport in the first six months of that year is the peak for that period at Green. The number of travelers using Green in the first six months of 2009 was down 7 percent from the same period in 2008. For the month of June, the number of passengers dropped 8 percent, from 420,324 in 2008 to 384,924 in 2009. 
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Well, it is so expensive to fly to Providence. Check flights and you will see that it costs much less to fly to Boston. Money is good in my pocket. I would prefer to fly to Providence but if it's going to cost an extra $100 I'll pocket the difference and fly to Boston
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Flying to Boston is less expensive, much less expensive. Money is good in my pocket. With the difference I could take a bus from Logan to RI and still come out ahead. I would prefer to fly to Providence but it just costs too much money. That's why the numbers are down. People are finding out they can save BIG BUCKS flying in and out of Boston instead of flying in and out of Providence.
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This should come as no surprise and is not a Rhode Island phenomena. It is the same all across the country. As a result airlines are cutting capacity and still are reporting dropping load factors. This is the time that Green needs to get that runway extension built to be more competitive once things turn around. The great train station project will do little to help this.
The only hope for that "white elephant" would be the relocation of the Amtrak station from Providence to this new facility and incorporate the existing MBTA runs down to Warwick. The proposed schedule is a joke. I like Green for the flights available to where I travel, but on the other side, my friends hate it due to the high car rental rates due to all the tacked on fees. Still cheaper than Orlando, but.....
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Ding Ding Ding...this is why we don't need a longer runway and a train station that has no trains.
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I love flying into Green airport when I visit my family but the flights are so expensive compared to Boston. Every now and then, I get lucky with a good rate but not enough.
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Maybe they should hire a new guy to run the airport. This guy can't seem to get it done
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This not a Rhode Island problem. Air Travel is down at all US airports and carriers continue to shrink the schedules. All the more reason, we need to get that runway extended to be ready when the economy recovers. Otherwise, Green will be left in the dust by Bradley, Logan and Manchester. Green is a good airpot and could be a great airport with a little tweeking.
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Airplane travel is so 21st century. Why spend money on extending the runway. Let's build a horse stable instead. We all know that passenger numbers are not going to increase once the economy turns around. A horse for every man, woman, and child!
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Ding! You are now free to extend the runway!
Contrary to JTR's thoughts above, this means it is the PERFECT TIME to expand. There will be fewer flights disrupted, and the airport will be *perfectly* poised when the turnaround occurs.
If we start the expansion when passenger traffic is peaking, we will have missed the boat entirely, considering all those passengers that could have had a nonstop transcontinental flight or even a direct flight to western Europe...
Rhode Island - Land of Missed Opportunity.
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These numbers are impacting RIAC's new budget. It called for a $5 million reduction in spending, largely through staffing cost reductions. But, that won't be enough. Soon, Southwest Airlines will be pulling a couple of flights away from Green and directing them to Logan.
RIAC has until June 30, 2010 to straighten out this mess. That is when the new leases with the airlines go into effect. You can rest assured that the airlines will be renting less space next year.
If that is not enough, RIAC has to watch the Intermodal too. The claim is that this facility is independent of RIAC's airport operations. But, if the MBTA does not show up, the financing for the intermodal will probably "go underwater" because RIAC needs the commuter parking revenues to make ends meet. A failure at the Intermodal will make it very difficult for RIAC to raise capital for runway expansions.
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Some readers think that now is the time to extend the runway. Perhaps they think we should expand the state house too to make room for more lobbyists and contractors. Who on earth is going to put up the money for this extension? The FAA requires that the airlines cough up the dough. I can assure you, Southwest would rather go to Logan than help pay for a longer runway at Green.
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