Minot Daily News; Airport director: Numbers can be deceiving Posted on 7/9/2010
The load factor for flights in and out of Minot International Airport has decreased. However, as Andrew Solsvig, airport director, told the city's Airport Committee Tuesday afternoon, numbers can sometimes be deceiving.
"We had the most passengers we've ever seen for the month of May, ever," Solsvig said while reporting to the committee during its regularly scheduled meeting at Minot's City Hall. "And I hope it's a very good indication of what's to come."
Solsvig said that with nine daily flights at present, airline reports indicate that total flights are running about 50 percent full, down from around 65 percent previously.
"We want to get up into the 70 percent load factors," Solsvig said, "but we won't know for another couple of weeks."
Parking and car rental revenues are "fantastic," he said.
"Keep in mind, too, that month-to-month capacity increased from April to May, I believe, 3,000 seats," Solsvig said. "That's a lot of seats. I know our load factor got to 64 percent, but again, keep in mind our total number of passengers was higher than we've ever had. It's expected because of the large amount of capacity we've added."
The committee also approved final payment for around $85,000 for a rubber removal and painting project on Runway 13/31.
Also on Tuesday, the city Finance and Improvements Committee voted to reallocate sales tax capital infrastructure funding of about $2.4 million for Phase III of the Eastside Water Distribution Project.
By DAVE CALDWELL Staff Writer dcaldwell@minotdailynews.com
