DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- Going with a third carrier in JetBlue a year ago has been the difference maker in generating a 20-year high in passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport and Volusia County officials are ecstatic.
Passenger traffic for calendar year 2016 was 707,651, the most since 781,501 way back in 1997, according to figures released by the airport.
Here are some other strong figures:
• For the 12 months ending Dec. 31, total passenger traffic increased 12.78 percent with 707,657 passengers traveling through the facility last year compared to 699,912 in 2015. This month marks the
14th consecutive month of year-over-year passenger traffic increases.
• Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 15.9 percent for December in comparison with December last year. During the month, 56,349 passengers flew in or out of the county-operated airport, compared to 48,604 passengers last December.
Nobody is happier about this than Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen, who put together the blueprint for the addirion of the third carrier in JetBlue. Some of the county's most infuential business leaders bought into it and the County Council approved a start-up with public monies and it leterally took off.
“The success of the airport’s passenger traffic growth is directly attributed to the community support during our efforts to recruitJetBlue over the last five years,” Dineen said. “Our focus on relationships and economic development efforts really paid off in 2016. Credit goes to the Volusia County Council for their continued support of our airport, specifically in approving the Air Service Incentive Program, and to our business partners and the local community for using and supporting our hometown airport.”
Nobody is happier about this than Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen, who put together the blueprint for the addition of the third carrier in JetBlue with direct service from New York City. Some of the county's most infuential business leaders bought into it and the County Council approved a start-up with public monies and it leterally took off.
“The success of the airport’s passenger traffic growth is directly attributed to the community support during our efforts to recruitJetBlue over the last five years,” Dineen said. “Our focus on relationships and economic development efforts really paid off in 2016. Credit goes to the Volusia County Council for their continued support of our airport, specifically in approving the Air Service Incentive Program, and to our business partners and the local community for using and supporting our hometown airport.”
Airport Director Rick Karl agreed, saying a lot of progress has been made,adding he and others are encouraged for 2017, but stressed it is "going to be very important the community continues to support the JetBlue service. For any additional service, we must continue to demonstrate a demand for the existing service to and from Daytona Beach International Airport.”