Business Journal: Airlines Trim Local Service
The airline industry is facing turbulent times — and the Sacramento International Airport is no exception.
Permalink
(Sacramento, CA)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Fast-rising fuel costs are causing more airlines to cancel money-losing routes, including some at Sacramento International Airport. Bankrupt Aloha Airlines has shut down. ExpressJet will end its regional service under it owns name. And even Southwest Airlines – which accounts for about half of the passenger load in Sacramento – has trimmed service. The airport had almost 190 commercial flights in July 2007, but that will drop to about 150 by this fall. It’s a dramatic change after the airport handled a record 10.7 million passengers in 2007. The number of passengers has declined 2.4 percent for the first five months of this year, especially as ticket prices soar. Regardless of the drop in passenger numbers, a $1.3 billion expansion, which includes a new terminal, will start this fall.