Passenger numbers at Medford Airport so far this year are only about 3.5% behind the record set in 2019
Medford Airport in the first six months of 2022 has received 482,806 fliers, compared to 499,931 at the same time in 2019. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune]
By mid-2022, the number of passengers at Medford Airport is approaching the record set in 2019.
Through June 30, 482,806 passengers had arrived or departed from Jackson County Airport. This compares to 499,931 at the same time in 2019.
Airport Director Jerry Brienza said it’s not easy to pinpoint the reasons for the strong numbers locally. Nationally, air traffic is about 82 percent of 2019 numbers, he said. A pilot shortage has resulted in the elimination of routes at many US airports.
“With the outbreak of the pandemic, people are ready to leave,” Brienza said. Medford’s relative isolation compared to other markets gives travelers fewer viable options besides air travel, helping the numbers, he said.
“We lost flights to Portland, but we gained two new airlines that didn’t exist,” said Alan Bender, professor emeritus at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who lives in Ashland. “Allegiant has added some destinations. United is building bigger planes. The background is the seats. We haven’t lost a seat.”
Demand is strong despite ticket price increases of 25% for domestic travel.
“Basically it’s supply and demand. People have been imprisoned in their homes … and they want to go places,” Bender said. “People want to travel regardless of the prices.”
This year’s monthly passenger count was 1,000 to 2,000 flyers behind 2019’s figures for April, May and June. In March, they surpassed 2019 with 93,395 flyers compared to 91,721. In January, there were 13,249 fewer flyers than in 2019, when there were 71,264 passengers.
January’s numbers may have been a reaction to the presence of the delta variant of COVID-19 and airlines being somewhat reduced, while March may have been a reaction, with spring break perhaps adding travelers, Brienza said.
Brienza said he thinks the airport is unlikely to set a new record this year. Airlines abandoned some July fights due to pilot shortages and their long-haul schedules show no additions. In 2019, the airport received 1,087,873 passengers.
Seattle has replaced the Los Angeles area as the most popular destination for people flying from the Rogue Valley. The airport offers service to three LA airports. Many of Seattle’s passengers may use it to get to other destinations, as it is a hub for Alaska and Delta airlines.
Brienza said he finds the lowest rates for cities in the eastern half of the country are available in Seattle.
“Alaska is focused on Seattle more than Portland. Alaska needs to be competitive with Delta,” Bender said.
The July airport schedule shows nine flights a day to Seattle. There are two daily flights to Los Angeles, but smaller airlines offer service one or two days per week.
Although Southwest Airlines now offers service from Eugene, Bender said it doesn’t seem to attract Rogue Valley residents to drive there to catch flights. Passengers have fewer flight options to Redding, Calif., North Bend and Klamath Falls, which may bring some passengers here, Bender said.
Currently, seven airlines fly into 13 different airports in Medford. That will decrease in mid-September when Allegiant drops its seasonal flights to San Diego. The July timetable shows 22 daily departures and 23 daily arrivals. There are additional flights from less frequent airlines.
June 2022 passenger numbers for United were almost the same as 2019, with 34,531 this year.
Alaska dropped from 33,254 in June 2019 to 28,481 in June 2022.
Allegiant showed an increase from 9,854 to 12,200 last month, while Delta decreased from 19,774 to 17,773.
American Eagle fell to 6,791 from 7,149 in June 2019.
Neither Avelo nor Aha existed in 2019. This June, Avelo recorded 3,014 flight arrivals and departures in Burbank. Aha had 421 with service to and from Reno.
United is using Boeing 737s on flights out of Denver to accommodate larger passenger loads instead of using smaller regional jets, Brienza said.
By the end of the year, Alaska should have replaced all Bombardier Q400 turboprops with Embraer-175s that have 25 more seats.
Before the pandemic, the airport was working to secure a destination further east than Denver.
“Every airline we talked to said that with the pilot shortage, it’s going to be at least a year or two without any new destination service,” Brienza said. Airport officials speak regularly with airlines and recently met with Alaska officials at its headquarters in Seattle.
Expansion plans at the general aviation facility have been delayed because the Federal Aviation Administration has not made funds available, Brienza said. The airport is proceeding with the sealcoating of runway surfaces and the replacement of halogen field lights with LEDs this year.
Contact Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at tboomwriter@gmail.com.
