The parking lot expansion is finally complete at Golden Triangle Regional Airport, and if the latest passenger traffic data is any indication, those 50 extra parking spaces will be quickly put to use.
Passenger traffic in January and February increased by 11 percent, surpassing every January and February tally over the past decade, GTRA Executive Director Mike Hainsey said Friday afternoon during the airport authority’s monthly meeting.
Hainsey attributes the increase in passengers to better fares as a result of negotiations with Delta Air Lines to bring GTRA fares in line with those of Birmingham International Airport and other competitors.
Hainsey said once travelers factor in the time, expense and cost of flying out of Birmingham or Memphis, they often find GTRA is a better choice. Last year, GTRA served 75,000 passengers, and a significant amount of the airport’s flight traffic is international, he said.
Board members also received an update on GTRA’s five-year construction plan. Hainsey said the parking lot improvements were completed this week and will have a final inspection next week. The $400,000 project, funded by GTRA and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, included new parking spaces, more parking lot lighting and improving traffic flow by relocating the entrance and exit.
In other news, hangar renovations will begin in April to allow pilots from Columbus Air Force Base to study and train at the airport while a runway at the airbase is closed for renovation.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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