DAYTONA BEACH — For the second month in a row, and only the second time ever, Daytona Beach International Airport in September was once again the busiest airport in Florida. But that doesn't mean airline passenger traffic has bounced back to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
The Volusia County-run airport had a total of 20,187 aircraft takeoffs and landings last month, up from 17,777 in August, according to Federal Aviation Administration statistics. Airline flights only accounted for one fifth of September's total.
"It was all the general aviation traffic: Embry-Riddle (Aeronautical University) and the private flight schools," said Karen Feaster, airport director, of being the state's busiest for the second straight month. "Normally, Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale are above us, but with commercial air travel down and the international restrictions on flights, that's why we're No. 1 again."
Embry-Riddle, whose Daytona Beach campus is on the east side of the airport, recently added two single-engine aircraft, a Cessna and a Diamond, to increase its fleet here to 74 planes, said Ginger Pinholster, a spokeswoman for the university.
Takeoffs and landings by Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, the only two airlines currently providing daily service at the airport, only added up to 429 of the total number of flight operations here in September. Air carrier flights at Daytona airport in September of last year totaled 462.
Commercial air travel plummeted in April nationally as well as locally because of the coronavirus pandemic and is not expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2024, according to industry forecasts, said Feaster.
September, however, did mark the fifth consecutive month that airline passenger traffic at Daytona airport improved.
After plunging to an all-time low of 4,338 in April, down from 38,105 the previous month, Daytona airport has seen its monthly commercial airline passenger count gradually improve to 10,927 in May, 11,247 in June, 18,919 in July, 22,952 in August and now 25,539 in September.
Despite the improving numbers, airline passenger traffic at Daytona airport is still significantly down from year-ago levels. September's numbers were down 47.3% from the 48,763 air travelers who passed through the airport's gates the same month last year.
"Nationally, passenger traffic for September was down 74.4 % (year over year) so we are bucking the trend somewhat," Feaster said.
Daytona airport officials are hoping to see a further boost in passenger traffic when American Airlines begins daily nonstop service to two new destinations on Dec. 17: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.
"Tickets on those flights are available now," said Feaster, who added that American Airlines has committed to providing daily service to those two new destinations through April 5 as a seasonal trial run to gauge demand from consumers and business travelers.
"We really want to get the word out to encourage locals to book flights," said Feaster. "We're hoping to show American that there's demand for those routes so hopefully they can continue service beyond April 5."
American currently offers daily flights to and from its hub airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. Delta offers daily service to its hub airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
"I'm excited about both markets," said Evelyn Fine, president of Mid-Florida Marketing & Research in Daytona Beach, of the new daily nonstop service to Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth. Fine does market research on the Daytona area tourism industry on behalf of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County.
"Both destinations have some potential for us," she said. "We've done focus groups in both markets (to gauge the interest of residents in those cities in traveling to Daytona Beach). Philadelphia, we already have a long history (in terms of people there coming here to vacation). When we looked at Dallas a few years ago, they seemed interested in us as well but the problem was there is no direct way to drive here from there so I think air is going to be a good asset for us."
Daytona airport is also on track to complete its "Taxiway November" improvement project this coming month as well as its $14 million main terminal makeover project in either December or January.
The airport is set to soon begin a $4.5 million project to improve its short-term and long-term parking lots and rental car lots as well as Catalina Drive, the main road that wraps around the main terminal and other airport facilities.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona airport ranks busiest in Florida 2nd month in a row
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