Record May traffic for DIA
By Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 8, 2008 at 3:23 p.m.
Updated July 8, 2008 at 3:23 p.m.
Travelers continued to flock to the skies in May despite rising airfares, helping Denver International Airport set record traffic numbers for the month.
The airport handled 4.45 million passengers in May, a 3.5 percent spike from the same period in 2007, according to a monthly traffic report released today. It ranked as the busiest May in DIA's history and the 17th consecutive month in which passenger traffic set a record when compared to the same period a year earlier.
The streak could end later this year, though, as consumers cut back on flying amid fare increases and increasing financial strains.
"May's number supports our belief that traffic numbers at DIA will continue to be strong through the busy summer travel season," Kim Day, DIA's aviation manager, said in a press release. "But we are expecting passenger loads to drop off somewhat in the final months of the year because of the airlines' announced plans to reduce capacity as a cost-cutting measure."
DIA's two largest tenants - United Airlines and Frontier Airlines - are shedding planes, laying off workers and elminating flights to counter rising fuel costs. The dip in supply will allow them to hike prices, which should put a damper on demand.
The airport said today that it's passenger traffic is up 4 percent through May. The number of takeoffs and landings rose 3.3 percent during the month compared to a year earlier, partially the result of new service from Southwest Airlines.
walshc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2744
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