Count Spokane’s Airport Among Fastest-Growing Spokane International Is 65th-Largest In Nation Based On Passenger Traffic

Spokane attracts more airline passengers than Jacksonville, Fla.; Buffalo, N.Y.; or Birmingham, Ala.

Those cities are among about 20 nationwide that have a lot more people than Spokane but fewer passengers in their airports, according to 1995 statistics compiled by an aviation industry trade journal.

Aviation Daily says Spokane International Airport grew faster than any other large airport in the country during 1995. Almost 1.5 million people boarded airplanes here last year. That represents a 102 percent increase over 1990.

Spokane was one of several Northwest cities that showed rapid passenger growth over that period, reflecting economic growth and competition brought to the region by discount carriers.

“What I think this tells us,” said John G. Morrison, chief executive officer of Spokane airports, “is the Inland Northwest is growing in leaps and bounds. The airport is just mirroring the economy.”

Among airports that served more than 1 million departing passengers last year, none grew faster than Spokane International. Only five airports of any size increased at a greater rate: Traverse City, Mich.; Springfield, Mo.; Wenatchee; Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; and White Plains, N.Y.

But Wenatchee had a total of only 49,136 departing passengers. At White Plains - the largest of the five - 338,509 passengers got on airplanes.

Morrison said the challenge for Spokane airport officials is to try to keep up with growth being driven by economic developers who are “doing the right things, bringing in new business and expanding existing businesses.”

Aviation Daily’s statistics were compiled by Avitas, a Virginia-based economic analysis firm. The Avitas data shows Spokane’s airport growth was followed by Boise and Colorado Springs with 93.6 percent and 90.2 percent growth rates, respectively. Of the 50 fastest-growing U.S. airports in 1995, 14 were in the Northwest.

Spokane International is now the 65th-largest airport in the United States, based on passenger traffic. By comparison, Spokane was about the 90th-largest metropolitan area in the country in July 1994, according to U.S. Department of Commerce figures.

Airport officials have struggled to keep up with the phenomenal growth, most of which occurred over the past three years after Morris and then Southwest airlines entered the market. Construction projects are a familiar site at Spokane International, as facilities and services are stretched to meet the demand.

Airport concessions, including restaurants and gift shops, have benefited from the increasing numbers of passengers coming through the doors.

“It’s safe to say that our growth has kept pace (with the airport’s growth), said John Thomas, general manager for CA One Services, owner of all airport stores and restaurants.

Both to modernize and to keep up with the flow of people, Thomas said, the airport’s main restaurant was renovated.

The Spokane Falls Cafe, a traditional table-service restaurant, now is more of a self-service restaurant called Northern Trail Bar and Grill. A snack bar on the C concourse was replaced with Americo’s Pizzeria.

And the passenger growth shows no sign of slowing.

Airport officials released statistics for the first quarter of the year Wednesday.

The number of passengers boarding planes increased 25 percent for the quarter over the first three months of 1995.

During the first quarter, Southwest Airlines replaced Horizon Air as the dominant shareholder in the Spokane market.

Horizon, which has had a longtime grip on the top market share spot in Spokane, served 25.3 percent of the airport’s passengers. Southwest, helped by heavy use of discount-fare promotions, climbed to 31 percent market share. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines each had about 13.5 percent of the market.

Morrison said he expects Horizon to return to the top of the market over the course of the year.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo Graphic: Flying in good company

The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Michael Murphey Staff writer Staff writer Alison Boggs contributed to this report.