48 replies to this topic

[VeeFan]

1.19 million Bishop fliers land airport record year
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, February 21, 2005
By Ron Fonger
rfonger@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6317

FLINT - Bishop Airport had a record 25 percent increase in fliers last year, and every airline gained business, according to a new report by the Airport Authority.

In all, almost 1.2 million people passed in and out of Bishop, which broke its annual passenger record two months before the end of 2004. More than 1 million people boarded or departed on flights for the first time in a single year.

The new statistics show gains continued in November and December, with even troubled ATA Airlines increasing its overall business here.

Bishop grew much faster than the only two airports larger than it in the state. Detroit's Metro Airport saw a 1.8 percent drop, while traffic improved 8.7 percent in Grand Rapids, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Passengers on scheduled flights at MBS Airport in Saginaw dropped slightly (1.3 percent) last year to 424,778. Saginaw's decrease mirrored the passenger decrease among all state airports.

ATA is scheduled to end its Flint flights in March, and the loss of Chicago service is one reason officials predict traffic will remain strong this year but level off, with a predicted increase in passengers of just 5 percent.

"I think we definitely are going to back off" the very rapid growth, said Pat Corfman, a Bishop spokeswoman.

Airport Director James L. Rice has told the Transportation Security Administration that he expects growth to be closer to the national average, which was a 5.9 percent increase last year.

That could change, however, if another carrier decides to set up shop here, particularly an airline that would re-establish service to Chicago.

Returns for ATA in Flint were better than any other market, Corfman said, but it struggled elsewhere, ending up in bankruptcy reorganization.

For the year, ATA carried almost 60,000 passengers from Flint in 2004, more than 16 percent better than it did here in 2003.

Northwest Airlines continued to account for most flights in Flint, and its nonstop flights to Florida helped boost its passengers from 179,230 in 2003 to 257,368 - an increase of more than 43 percent.

Laura Muguerza, owner of Carson Wagonlit Travel, said even without ATA, there is still the potential for more "crazy growth" at Bishop.

"I feel it's going to level off a little, (but) people will go out of Flint any (time) it's possible," said Muguerza. "They won't even ask about (fares from) Detroit."

Bishop officials are overseeing expansions that will allow the airport to serve 2 million passengers a year eventually. They have promoted Flint as the second-fastest growing airport in the nation.

Last year marked the third straight year of more than 20 percent annual growth in passengers at Bishop.

***

If AirTran would only hurry up with getting flights to DC...

[dnast]

I read that earlier. I hope the airport keeps up this pace. I saw another article earlier saying that the Flint Amtrak station's ridership went up by over 50% since they changed the route a year or two ago.

The bad part is that Flint's ridership is about 60% of what Lansing has and is about even with Kalamazoo, which has a much lower population. I think a few ads and a positive story in the Flint Journal would do wonders for ridership numbers.

[VeeFan]

I read that article too about Amtrak, and I didn't even realize that Amtrak still stopped in Flint. There was that big deal a few years back about Amtrak ending stops at a lot of cities, and I thought Flint was one of then. But apparently not! lol

[Allan]

It seems to me like they were going to stop service, but ended up continuing it for some reason.

[VeeFan]

This was a few weeks ago, but work is beginning very soon to expand the baggage carousels and the car rental booths.

[dnast]

I haven't been in Bishop in a few years. I probably won't recognize the place next time I go.

[QC704]

That direct chicago route is a tough one to lose. Is AirTran in talks to fly nonstop to BWI from Flint?

[VeeFan]

I'm not sure, but there are talks of adding nonstop flights to DC by the end of the year.

If Flint could just get direct flights to NYC, Bishop would really take off!

[QC704]

I dont think AirTran has a hub in DC to fly planes to though. I think their hubs on the east coast is Atlanta, BWI and Orlando. Someone can correct me if I am wrong. BWI is close enough though as you can easily access DC via train.

[VeeFan]

I looked it up and AirTran has stops in both Dulles and Reagan.

[QC704]

VeeFan, on Mar 31 2005, 02:58 PM, said:

I looked it up and AirTran has stops in both Dulles and Reagan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They do have stops there yes but dulles and national arent AirTran hubs. More than likely it's a nonstop to BWI which is good enough.

[VeeFan]

Bishop is trying to get a federal grant to add nonstop flights to either DC or New York by the end of the year, but the workers are asking for the public to write letters to the Department of Transportation on Bishop's behalf.

If you're interesting in participating, http://www.bishopairport.org/grant.htm

And for more information, http://www.bishopairport.org

[QC704]

I would like a non-stop chicago flight on a regional jet personally.

[dnast]

It doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to get direct flights to Chicago in the near future since it proved profitable while it lasted.

I'd like to see direct flights to New York, myself. I think last time I flew there (about 5 years ago) I had to go through Atlanta. Of course there are more hubs now, but that was annoying.

[dnast]

Expansion of the baggage claim area started today. It seems like the airport is under constant construction.

[VeeFan]

That's a good thing. I'd much rather have it constantly expanding than barely treading water.

[MrCoffee]

Bishop Airport... Man, I was there last December (Christmas of 2004), and drove into the parking lot to get turned around, and headed back the proper direction on Bristol Road. Bishop used to be oh, something like that little air strip where prop jobs would come and go. A small tower, a place for the planes to park, an air strip, and gobs of little Cessnas and Pipers. My grandfather would take me there once in a while, when I was 3 or 4 years of age, and let me view them things taking off, landing, and taxing and so forth.

Anyway, back to my most recent experience. I wanted to check the area out, since it was a while since I had seen it. Bishop didn't seem that big when I made that right turn after comming off of I-69. But as I kept driving that maze, it just grew and grew... I ended up on a one way street that essentially pushed me along like some flood current down an arroyo after a thunderstorm, through a tunnel, and clear to the other side of the complex. It finally it dumped me off into a parking lot some place. After giving it a few minutes to figure that thing out, I "rode the current" again back to Bristol so I could get turned around and headed to the Meijer's on Center Road.

No, Bishop doesn't look that big from the road. But looks are deceiving!

MrCoffee

[dnast]

Haha. I've only driven on the long term lot and through the pick-up/drop-off area. I think work just started on another economy lot (700 spaces, I think). Hopefully one day they'll get a parking garage.

[VeeFan]

Is that other economy lot the one that's going to be on the other side of Bristol?

[dnast]

I believe so. I think it's where the motel they purchased was located. I really need to plan a trip from there just to be in the airport for a little while.

Oh yeah, they recently landed direct flights to Las Vegas, too. Maybe I can make a visit to get my funds to expidite the revitalization of Flint...