GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A local airport is reporting a record traffic increase in 2018, which they say is due to a number of factors.
Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay saw a lot of passengers in 2018.
Specifically, 652,357 of them.
That’s over a 12-percent increase from 2017, the biggest jump in passenger traffic year-over-year in the past 30 years.
Airport Director Marty Piette gives one reason why more people are flying locally.
“Time is money,” says Piette. “Convenience certainly is one of the things that we talk about a lot, as far as why you should choose to fly local.”
And Piette says the conveniences at Austin Straubel, compared to larger airports in Milwaukee or Chicago, extend to many different areas.
He believes that inexpensive parking, fast lines, and familiarity all work together to create an enjoyable flying experience.
“Look at more than just the cost of your ticket, look at everything else,” he says.
Piette adds that concerns over ticket prices may be a bit of a misnomer, because he says fares are becoming increasingly more competitive compared to larger airports in the Midwest.
“We’ve worked closely with our airlines to try to get the fares to be as competitive as they possibly can with other airports,” he says.
Another reason why more travelers are passing through Austin Straubel is that simply more people can afford to fly right now.
“Overall just the economy, in general, is doing well,” explains Piette. “So I think we’re seeing more discretionary income from our residents in the region.”
County officials agree that this upward trend is indicative of a prospering community.
“This continues to show the strength in Northeast Wisconsin’s economy,” says Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “Thriving economies are born out of great infrastructure, with the public showing support for high-quality community assets like Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport.”
And the money flows two-ways as more air traffic locally means good things for area businesses, hotels, shops, and attractions.
“There are people staying in hotels and going out to restaurants and going to events,” says Piette.
He adds that an uptick in traffic should result in more options for local travelers.
“As we see more passengers using the service that we have that gives us the ammunition that we need to present to the airlines to add additional service,” says Piette.
An expansion in air service options could mean more routes, larger aircrafts, or even new routes.
