Courtesy photo / Here is an aerial view of Daytona Beach International Airport, which features a new runway completed in November.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport was up 11 percent in October and November, showing an upward trend as the year winds down, officials said.
"Daytona Beach International Airport is winding up 2011 with a nice gain in passenger traffic and the completion of a major rehabilitation of its main runway," Airport Director Richard Karl said.
During October, 44,404 incoming and outgoing passengers traveled through Daytona Beach International Airport. This compares with the 40,092 passengers recorded in October last year, an increase of 11 percent. The airport recorded 41,620 incoming and outgoing passengers in November. This compares with 37,402 passengers last year, also an increase of 11 percent.
For the year ending November 30, 547,102 travelers flew in and out of the county-operated airport, 11 percent higher than the prior year when the airport accommodated 491,339 total passengers.
“We are very pleased with the ongoing increases in air travel at Daytona Beach International Airport,” Karl said. “We are going to finish well ahead of last year and I am optimistic this will continue in 2012 as we continue our efforts to seek additional air service.”
The traffic increases in October and November follow a trend that began in November 2009. Since that time airline passenger traffic has increased in 24 of the last 25 months. During 2011, Delta Air Lines and U.S Airways upgraded to larger aircraft offering more seats and competitive fares. The year-long rehabilitation of the main runway was completed and fully operational Nov. 20.
This $20-million project provided hundreds of local jobs over the past year. The project included total rehabilitation of the primary runway including a new instrument landing system.
“The completion of our runway rehabilitation project on time and on budget was a tribute to outstanding teamwork displayed by everyone involved with this critical Airport infrastructure project,” Karl said.
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