Update.......Little Rock National Airport.

[Walls99]

23 hours ago, TRB said:

They need to add DEN as well but they are just starting MEM/DEN in October. 

 

They extended the schedule till the first of March. No changes  for LIT but MEM gets bumped up to 3x daily to DAL for the week and the weekends see 2x and 3x to DAL. It varies weekend to weekend.  While I like seeing more frequencies to DAL for the sake of better  connections. I would have loved to have seen LAS or PHX added where those really open up West Coast connecting options.  

I’m assuming LAS and PHX additions are in reference to MEM since LIT already has service to both places on Southwest?

[TRB]

On 6/30/2018 at 8:39 PM, Walls99 said:

I’m assuming LAS and PHX additions are in reference to MEM since LIT already has service to both places on Southwest?

LIT/PHX disappears after first week of Jan 19

[Architect]

LIT/PHX disappears after first week of Jan 19

As of when? I understand SWA just released their newest schedules, and there are no changes in service planned for LIT (in fact, I didn’t think they publicized or projected service that far out...which would be more than six months).


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[vbfl85]

5 hours ago, TRB said:

LIT/PHX disappears after first week of Jan 19

According to southwest.com, there is still one daily nonstop flight to PHX.  I searched as far out as mid August.

[Architect]

57 minutes ago, vbfl85 said:

According to southwest.com, there is still one daily nonstop flight to PHX.  I searched as far out as mid August.

And as an aside, SWA notes that the LIT-PHX service is "seasonal" so any gap in service is probably retailed to that, not a cancellation outright.

[TRB]

4 hours ago, vbfl85 said:

According to southwest.com, there is still one daily nonstop flight to PHX.  I searched as far out as mid August.

Like I said, after Jan 1st.  Around Jan 6th it drops off, I wouldn't hold my breath on it coming back.

[Architect]

Like I said, after Jan 1st.  Around Jan 6th it drops off, I wouldn't hold my breath on it coming back.

Anyone know what the load factors are on the LIT-PHX flight? I see people post that periodically (on other forums)...always wondered where they got their source data.


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[Walls99]

Total passengers at LIT reached 1,015,438 year-to-date as of June. This is a 2.4% increase over numbers from 2017. June 2018 was the first month since July 2014 to have over 200,000 total passengers in one month (204,651 to be exact in June 2018). These numbers are a good sign for LIT as boardings continue to increase over the lower numbers from more recent years. 

[Architect]

Clinton National Airport reported today that boardings for July 2018 were up 8.65% from July 2017, and boardings year-to-date at 1,223,317 are up 3.41% above 2017.  Great momentum.

[Arkanzin]

On 6/27/2018 at 4:47 PM, Walls99 said:

 

I don't know why it wouldn't let me post without quoting someone.  Oh well!

Frontier Airlines will now start offering non-stop flights from LIT  to Orlando starting November 16.  The flights will be two times per week on Mondays and Fridays.

LIT to MCO starting November 16!

Edited September 12, 2018 by Arkanzin

[Architect]

3 hours ago, Arkanzin said:

I don't know why it wouldn't let me post without quoting someone.  Oh well!

Frontier Airlines will now start offering non-stop flights from LIT  to Orlando starting November 16.  The flights will be two times per week on Mondays and Fridays.

LIT to MCO starting November 16!

This is great news!  More destinations are always welcomed, and of course, will result in increased traffic/boardings overall.

p.s.  I remember when Delta had direct LIT-MCO flights in the mid-2000's (before the financial crisis)...in fact, Delta had also announced direct LIT-MSY (New Orleans), but it never happened because Katrina hit before the service started.

[ndark]

I didn't know that about the proposed direct service to MSY way back.  Maybe when the new airport opens there early next year (I think) someone will pick it up. I am down there often and hate having to connect.  

I wonder how full the Glo flights were before it went under. 

[Architect]

I didn't know that about the proposed direct service to MSY way back.  Maybe when the new airport opens there early next year (I think) someone will pick it up. I am down there often and hate having to connect.  
I wonder how full the Glo flights were before it went under. 

I could see them adding MSY...it was anticipated as a corporate route for Entergy.


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[Architect]

Traffic jumped 10.5 percent last month compared with August 2017.  It's the biggest percentage increase so far in 2018.  There were 188,153 passengers this August compared with 170,192 in the same month in last year.  The previous largest monthly percentage increase the month before, when passenger traffic increased 8.65 percent.

The latest increase has pushed traffic 4.31 percent higher in the first eight months of 2018 compared to the same period last year, for a total of 1,411,470 passengers (compared to 1,353,137 in the first eight months of 2017).

[Arkanzin]

I have flown from Little Rock to St. Louis, Little Rock to Denver, Denver to Little Rock, and Phoenix to Little Rock within the last month.  Every flight was full.  Good to see high flight occupancy numbers.  This has to help with getting new flights to new cities.  

[arky]

On 9/18/2018 at 8:03 AM, Architect said:

Traffic jumped 10.5 percent last month compared with August 2017.  It's the biggest percentage increase so far in 2018.  There were 188,153 passengers this August compared with 170,192 in the same month in last year.  The previous largest monthly percentage increase the month before, when passenger traffic increased 8.65 percent.

The latest increase has pushed traffic 4.31 percent higher in the first eight months of 2018 compared to the same period last year, for a total of 1,411,470 passengers (compared to 1,353,137 in the first eight months of 2017).

 

Pretty incredible numbers, really.  Bodes well not just for LIT but the region as a whole. 

It'd be huge to get back a NYC direct as well as something to SF or LA. With continued growth like this I'd think we'd be seeing more directs sooner rather than later. 

Edited September 24, 2018 by arky

[jnholmes]

I was looking at Tulsa passenger counts compared to Little Rock. Although the Tulsa Metro is considerably larger, the passenger enplanement counts are relatively close.

In July 2018, LIT had 25,000 fewer enplaned passengers than TUL; however, TUL has 21 nonstop flights and LIT has 14 nonstop flights. More than likely, if LIT could secure a west coast nonstop (LAX or SLC) and an east coast nonstop (LGA/EWR/JFK), our passenger enplanement numbers would grow. I did find it interesting that Tulsa doesn't have an NYC nonstop, and LAX is only available through Allegiant two times a week.

 

Links:

https://www.tulsaairports.com/flight-info/non-stop-destinations/

https://www.tulsaairports.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Aviation-Activity-Report-JULY-2018.pdf

https://www.clintonairport.com/airlines-flights/nonstop-flights-from-lit/

https://www.clintonairport.com/site/assets/files/1070/activity_report_workbook_for_07-2018_july.pdf

[Architect]

I was looking at Tulsa passenger counts compared to Little Rock. Although the Tulsa Metro is considerably larger, the passenger enplanement counts are relatively close.
In July 2018, LIT had 25,000 fewer enplaned passengers than TUL; however, TUL has 21 nonstop flights and LIT has 14 nonstop flights. More than likely, if LIT could secure a west coast nonstop (LAX or SLC) and an east coast nonstop (LGA/EWR/JFK), our passenger enplanement numbers would grow. I did find it interesting that Tulsa doesn't have an NYC nonstop, and LAX is only available through Allegiant two times a week.
 
Links:
https://www.tulsaairports.com/flight-info/non-stop-destinations/
https://www.tulsaairports.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Aviation-Activity-Report-JULY-2018.pdf
https://www.clintonairport.com/airlines-flights/nonstop-flights-from-lit/
https://www.clintonairport.com/site/assets/files/1070/activity_report_workbook_for_07-2018_july.pdf

I’m not following your math; they look equivalent to me. Little Rock MSA is close to 750,000 and Tulsa is close to 1,000,000, or 33% larger. When I look at July 2018, total passengers for LIT is 207,000 and TUL is about 290,000, or about 30% more...so, pretty close.

Either way, I think both airports tend to punch above their weight (especially TUL with OKC so close). To your point about how many more destinations TUL has, that’s simply a product of the market being ±30% larger, right?


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[jnholmes]

2 hours ago, Architect said:

I’m not following your math; they look equivalent to me. Little Rock MSA is close to 750,000 and Tulsa is close to 1,000,000, or 33% larger. When I look at July 2018, total passengers for LIT is 207,000 and TUL is about 290,000, or about 30% more...so, pretty close.

Either way, I think both airports tend to punch above their weight (especially TUL with OKC so close). To your point about how many more destinations TUL has, that’s simply a product of the market being ±30% larger, right?


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I was looking at the enplanements ONLY. In July 2018, TUL had only 20% more passengers getting on planes than LIT.

My point is if LIT had a couple of strategic nonstops to west/east coast destinations, our market would grow even more—outperforming a larger market like Tulsa.

[ndark]

The Chili's is open and the signage is up across from it and work appears to be underway on the Chick-fil-A and Burger King. It was packed when I was there Monday. 

I have been flying more than usual lately and the airport is generally full and almost all of the flights into and out of LR are at or near capacity. I would love it if we could get a NYC direct back. 

[Architect]

By the way, I thought this had been shared on this forum, but I can't find it.  Frontier is adding direct service between Little Rock and Orlando...great sign in their confidence of the market to expand destinations.

[Architect]

For the month of October, traffic at LIT totaled 182,360, up 7.14% over October 2017 (the most since 2012).  Year to date traffic totaled 1.78M, a 5.02% increase over YTD 2017.  That's a very nice percentage increase.

[Walls99]

Total passengers at Clinton National Airport reached 2,140,981 for the 2018 calendar year. This is a 5.5% increase from 2017. This is a good sign for LIT moving forward and will hopefully lead to more new routes out of Little Rock.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jan/18/news-in-brief-20190118/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morning-1-18-19&utm_content=morning-1-18-19+CID_7692d4ed49efa2d3481a099fbeb14d93&utm_source=Email Marketing Platform&utm_term=Fliers top 21 million at Little Rock airport in 18 

[Architect]

On 1/19/2019 at 1:22 PM, Walls99 said:

Total passengers at Clinton National Airport reached 2,140,981 for the 2018 calendar year. This is a 5.5% increase from 2017. This is a good sign for LIT moving forward and will hopefully lead to more new routes out of Little Rock.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jan/18/news-in-brief-20190118/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morning-1-18-19&utm_content=morning-1-18-19+CID_7692d4ed49efa2d3481a099fbeb14d93&utm_source=Email Marketing Platform&utm_term=Fliers top 21 million at Little Rock airport in 18 

That's a REALLY nice bump in growth, which should give confidence to airlines, potential LIT passengers, and bodes well for the potential for added routes.  I'd like to see a metro NYC route added...

[LR501]

Anyone know if Southwest ended up dropping LIT-PHX after year-end as was mentioned a little while back?