November Airport Passenger Traffic Up

Passenger traffic increased at Spokane International Airport during November, reversing a slight declining trend over previous months.

Almost 234,000 passengers got on or off airplanes at Spokane International, up almost 3 percent from November 1996.

Prior to last year, passenger traffic at the airport had been on an explosive double-digit expansion rate each year for almost four years. But that huge growth tapered off slightly during 1997.

For the first 11 months of the year, total passenger traffic was off almost 7 percent from the first 11 months of 1996.

But growth in recent years has been so great, that even the 7 percent decline offers impressive comparisons. For instance, 1997’s total of passengers through November exceed the Airport’s total passengers for all of 1995.

The airport continued to set records for cargo handled during the month. Almost 4,500 tons of freight and mail came through the airport during November, up nearly 16 percent from November 1996.

For the first 11 months of the year, total cargo handled at Spokane International is up 12.5 percent over the same period in 1996.

Airport officials say Spokane International will break the one million pound mark in cargo handling for the first time in its history when the December numbers are added.

, DataTimes