02-24-2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Port Columbus, Rickenbacker Continue To Be Negatively Impacted by Economy

COLUMBUS – Slowing national and international economies continue to impact Port Columbus International Airport and Rickenbacker International Airport, both of which reported a decline in activity for the first month of 2009.

Statistics released at today’s meeting of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority Board of Directors show that in January Port Columbus had a 27.1 percent drop in passengers compared to the previous year. A total of 429,225 passengers traveled through Port Columbus in January as compared to 588,525 in January 2008.

“This significant monthly decrease is primarily attributable to Skybus Airlines, which handled nearly 115,000 passengers in January, 2008 and ceased operations effective April 4, 2008,” explained David Whitaker, Vice President of Business Development & Communications. “By removing Skybus passengers from the monthly statistics, Port Columbus passenger traffic would be down less than 10% year over year.”

Port Columbus provides 152 daily departures to 32 airports in addition to a weekly Cancun flight. The 11 air carriers at Port Columbus include Apple Vacations, Air Canada Jazz, AirTran, American, Continental, Delta, Midwest Connect, Northwest, Southwest, United, US Airways and the regional affiliates associated with many of these major airlines.

At Rickenbacker International Airport nearly 12.8 million pounds of cargo moved through the airport in January, which equates to a 24 percent drop compared to January 2008. Rickenbacker is a multi-modal cargo airport that features an impressive network of freight forwarders and cargo airlines such as FedEx, UPS, Evergreen International, Kalitta and Atlas as well as a U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone.

For additional information, visit www.ColumbusAirports.com or contact Angie Tabor, Manager of Communications, at (614) 239-4081.

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