PASSENGER STATISTICS at the airport hit a new high for June.
While lower than this past May, June’s total came to 11,795 passengers, up from 10,404 in June 2011 at the Northwest Regional Airport.
That tops the last high number for June in 2007 of 10,824.
The total number of passengers that came through the airport this year was 64,548, already higher than the January to June 2011 total of 54,529.
“Our fiscal year is April through March. We are already up 18 per cent for this year over last year,” said Carman Hendry, airport manager.
He attributed that to “just the pickup in the industry in the region with Kitimat’s activities and the Northwest Transmission Line.”
Usually, June and July are down compared to the other months so this year is definitely an anomaly, said Hendry.
He said the total passenger numbers for 2012 are expected to hit 125,000.
There are no more plans for expansion of facilities but the airport may repair the long-term parking lot pavement, which is a bit worn, said Hendry.
Meanwhile, the airport that serves Prince Rupert and area also reported an increase, albeit a more moderate one. To the end of June, 28,746 passengers made their way through the airport there, compared to 27,988 passengers in the first six months of 2011.
