MEMPHIS - The number of airline passengers moving through Memphis International Airport continues to decrease.
The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority said near the end of March that February figures show a 33 percent decline from activity the year previous. The Memphis Daily News reports the airport recorded 357,722 passengers in February 2013 compared with 533,474 in February 2012.
“Our mission right now is to continue our relentless effort to bring affordable and frequent service to the airport,” said Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Commission Chairman Jack Sammons.
In November, Delta Air Lines scaled back its operations at the airport because of decreased demand. The Atlanta-based company said it would stop offering nonstop service to three cities and pare the number of flights to 11 others.
Sammons said Delta’s reduction of services at Memphis International has left opportunities for other airlines to expand.
The amount of cargo increased, with 1.5 million pounds in February compared with 1.4 million pounds in February of last year.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 04/01/2013