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Passenger visitors elevated by 18% on the Chicago Rockford International Airport in 2022 in comparison with the earlier 12 months and is approaching pre-pandemic ranges, airport officers mentioned.
Roughly 242,000 folks flew into or out of RFD final 12 months, in line with Chicago Rockford Worldwide Airport deputy director of operations Zack Oakley.
“The area undoubtedly has a powerful need to journey and the locations we now have out of Rockford are performing very properly,” Oakley mentioned. “Just about something going out of Rockford will not be having an issue getting folks to wish to fly.”
In keeping with Oakley, 2022 passenger visitors figures at RFD have been about 3% under pre-pandemic figures from 2019, which included well-liked Apple Trip flights to Cancun, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
Apple discontinued these flights through the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 and the service has not returned.
The airport is presently served by Allegiant Air, which gives nonstop flights to Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Orlando, Clearwater, Punta Gorda and Sarasota, Florida.
RFD is pursuing extra locations within the new 12 months based mostly on passenger suggestions, Oakley mentioned.
Potentialities embody Denver, Dallas and Nashville in addition to Austin, Texas and Asheville, North Carolina.
“They’re cities that we’ve both beforehand had service to, corresponding to Denver, or locations that, from a market standpoint, we take a look at leakage from prospects from Rockford into the Chicago market which have a superb draw,” he mentioned. “Each time we submit one thing on Fb, it looks as if Nashville is at all times placed on the record of strategies. It’s a rising vacation spot with the low value carriers.”
In keeping with Oakley, airport officers are in discussions with Allegiant Air in addition to different business airways about extra locations out of RFD.
“It has been confirmed that we now have a really robust marketplace for folks desirous to journey to locations apart from the locations we now have to supply,” he mentioned. “Something that has been put out there is normally properly supported by the area people, so it’s a nice story to promote after we’re speaking with the airways. That’s one of many massive causes we wish to attempt to add extra.”
Extra:5 reasons why Rockford is one of the fastest growing cargo airports in the country
The airport’s cargo operations grew by 1% in 2022 in comparison with the earlier 12 months, Oakley mentioned.
In keeping with FAA knowledge, RFD dealt with 3.433 billion kilos of landed weight final 12 months, which is a rise of about 31 million kilos over 2021 figures.
RFD is the 14th largest cargo airport within the U.S. for landed weight.
The native airport is dwelling to the second largest UPS hub in North America, a serious base for Amazon Air and serves greater than 15 worldwide airways and freight forwarders.
Ken DeCoster covers enterprise information and options. Contact him at 815-987-1391, kdecoster@rrstar.com or @DeCosterKen.
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