Passenger Numbers Up Again At Airport

IFlyCasper.com

The number of passengers using the airport reached a decade high in August, its manager said.

The Casper/Natrona County International Airport reports 8,788 people boarded planes last month, a 5.4 percent increase compared to about 8,340 in August 2013, Glenn Januska said.

"We're happy to see another strong passenger month," Januska said. "This is the highest passenger (count for) August since 2005."

Between then and now, the economy dived into recession in 2008-2009 and has been crawling back since. Business slowed, and people had less disposable income for leisure  travel, he said.

Januska credited several trends for this year's increase to the airport drawing more people from central Wyoming, the growing population and the much improved business climate.

The prospects for more passengers look good, too, with more flights, Januska said. United Airlines' current five flights to Denver, the additional third Delta flight to Salt Lake City in October, and the return of the Allegiant service to Las Vegas in early October.

"I think all of that stuff is driving the passengers," he said. "It looks like we're going to have continuing good months as we go through the rest of 2014."