LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Passenger numbers at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport were down 6 percent in July, marking the second straight month of declining passenger traffic at the New Hampshire airport.
The decrease mirrors a national trend in an industry beset by soaring jet fuel costs and a soft economy, said Brian O'Neill, deputy airport director.
The picture gets no brighter for the rest of the year. O'Neill said he expects airlines will continue to cut the number of available seats for flights into the fall.
That decrease is a familiar pattern nationwide and for the same reason. The airline strategy is to drive up demand for flights and increase airfares to turn a profit, O'Neill said.
In July the number of available seats at Manchester decreased by 9 percent compared to July 2007.
Total passengers in July at Manchester was 343,755, compared to 365,712 a year ago. In June passenger traffic at Manchester decreased 6.4 percent compared to June 2007.
On a brighter note, the airport's passenger numbers are up 1.8 percent for the first seven months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007, O'Neill said.
In addition, Manchester is holding its own compared to airports of similar size, including TF Green International Airport in Providence, R.I., where passenger numbers have dropped 4 percent year to date, O'Neill said
Through July, 2,237,663 passengers boarded or got off planes at Manchester versus 2,197,825 passengers in the same period last year, according to Tom Malafronte, an assistant airport director.
Airlines will continue to reduce seat capacity though the end of the year. By November, the cumulative effect of this reduction is expected to result in a reduction in the number of flights at the airport, Malafronte said.
