10/15/07

By ELLEN ROBINSON

The Brunswick News

Flying out of the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport is more convenient for Robert Altman than having to drive all the way to Jacksonville just to catch a flight to Atlanta for a weekend event.

So on Friday, he decided to try it. It was the first flight he made from the county airport.

"Usually I would fly out of Jacksonville," Altman said. "It would take an extra hour to drive down there."

People like Altman are becoming the norm in Brunswick, and a reason why passenger loads are creeping up – way up – at home.

For September alone, the number of passengers boarding commercial flights at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport increased 21 percent from the month before.

That's not by accident, airport officials agree. It's a result of more competitive pricing on flights.

Altman is one of several new passengers the airport has been able to draw to its gates in recent weeks because of lowered air fares.

Negotiations with Delta Airlines led to the fare reductions, said Steve Brian, executive director of the Glynn County Airport Commission. It's making the county airport more attractive to flyers, who are choosing to fly from home rather than drive to larger airports in Savannah and Jacksonville.

That's good for passengers, who save time and money, and for the community, which is feeling a positive economic impact.

Marie Dodd, chair of the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport Commission and a frequent flyer who uses the airport monthly, enjoys being able to take off from her hometown. She likes the time it saves and the way it feels on her pocketbook.

"You save yourself two hours in round-trip drive time," she said, about the time it takes to get to either Jacksonville or Savannah by car.

There's also the savings in gas and in parking fees, which are $12 a day in Jacksonville.

There's also the stress factor to consider. Getting through security, which can be a hassle at larger airports, is easier in smaller airports – all the more reason why locals are finding it easier to book flights from Brunswick, Dodd said.

Brian said a competitive rate serves as an additive for the economy because it draws more tourists.

Sixty percent of the passenger load to the airport is tourism traffic, he estimates.

"Because our rates are within $100 of the rates in Jacksonville, it is easier for tourists to spend more time here in our area versus renting a car and driving here," Brian said. "The more competitive rates also makes more people look at Brunswick as a destination."

As long as Delta keeps the pricing down, Brian expects passenger loads to continue to increase.

"We should be increasing every year along with the growth," Brian said.

The Brunswick Golden Isles Airport accommodates an average of 200 passengers per day on four Delta Connection flights to Atlanta.

The highest number of passengers per year in recent years was 50,000, with the fewest annual number at 18,000.

Brian said the number of passengers is directly connected to the fare prices.