08-25-2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Economy Continues to Impact Activity At Port Columbus, Rickenbacker Airports

COLUMBUS – Year-to-date and monthly airport statistics continue to show a decline in activity at Port Columbus International Airport and Rickenbacker International Airport.

“The decrease in activity at Port Columbus and Rickenbacker is mainly attributable to national and international economic conditions,” explained David Whitaker, Vice President of Business Development & Communications. “Like airports across the nation, we look forward to a return to growth as economic conditions improve.”

For the month of July, Port Columbus had a 4.7 percent drop in passengers compared to the previous year. A total of 584,125 passengers traveled through Port Columbus in July as compared to 612,919 in July 2008. Year-to-date 3,613,055 passengers have used Port Columbus, down 15.4 percent from 2008.

Port Columbus provides 156 daily departures to 33 airports. The 10 air carriers at Port Columbus include 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.

Rickenbacker International Airport 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. Over 10.8 million pounds of cargo moved through Rickenbacker in July, which equates to a 40 percent drop compared to July 2008. Year-to-date cargo numbers reflect the movement of 86.8 million pounds, which is down 28 percent from the previous year. In addition to the airport’s cargo service, the Rickenbacker Charter Terminal offers twice weekly passenger service on Direct Air to Myrtle Beach.

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

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