Airport reports more traffic

Summer is proving to be a sunny time at the airport.

Foot traffic through Orlando International Airport increased for a consecutive three months this summer with more than 3.2 million travelers making their way through the terminals in July, marking the first steady increase this year.

Domestic traffic increased 4.2 percent from July of last year as did international traffic, up 16.7 percent, making an overall year-to-date increase of 1.8 percent.

Ron Lewis, deputy executive director of operations at OIA, said, “I think we’ve done fairly well. We’re starting to see some modest trends upward. We’re confident they’ll continue.”

Traffic rose 1.9 percent in May and 2.1 percent in June with the largest increase in July at 5.3 percent, which Lewis said is typical since July is historically their peak month during the summer travel season. Overall, travel jumps during the summer because children are on summer break from school making more families more able to travel.

The demand for hotel rooms could be a clear indication of any peaks in travel. Daryl Cronk, director of research at the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau, said a Smith Travel Research study shows that the demand for hotel rooms is up compared to last year’s numbers.

He said June’s occupancy rate was 4.3 percent higher this year than it was in June of last year. But visitor information outside of hotel occupancy numbers is harder to collect and comes in much later in the year.

What’s new?

Higher traffic numbers at the airport have led to 11 airlines increasing their number of flights into Orlando to 75 per week in order to meet demands. Lewis said no airlines have left because of rough economic times.

“The first half of 2010 has given us reason to be somewhat optimistic about the local economy and the future for travel here in Central Florida,” said Cesar Calvet, chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority at OIA. “Contributing to that optimism is the continued double-digit growth in international traffic that we’ve seen so far this year.”

AirTran Airlines, OIA’s No. 1 carrier in total destinations served, recently introduced a hurricane hardened state-of-the-art $6.9 million Systems Operation Control Center in July, said Christopher White, AirTran Airways spokesman.

“The new center enables AirTran to control and monitor all of their over 700 nationwide flight operations from Orlando,” he said. Hurricane Charley severely damaged the old center in 2004.

White said the new center can withstand 150 mph winds.

In addition to AirTran’s new control center, AirTran has announced a new pilot base to come to OIA, which would bring about 100 pilots to the area and the possibility of millions of dollars in economic activity to Central Florida starting this October, White said.

He said pilots flying 717 and 737 aircrafts specifically would be permanently based in Orlando, impacting Orlando’s economy through home sales and other costs associated with settling their families into the area.

Additionally, 150 AirTran flight attendants will permanently call Orlando home, White said in what is yet another Orlando expansion project.

White said of all the projects, “We love it. Best thing ever. Orlando is our hometown and we are very pleased that we are able to expand. These major expansions establish deeper roots in the community and are a sign of our commitment to Central Florida.”

New construction projects in the works, said OIA Spokesperson Carolyn Fennell, are the rehabilitation of taxiway B, E and J, estimated to cost $14 million; a $25 million baggage handling system renovation and $25 million improvements to the remote baggage screening facility.

Retail update

As for retail, there are about 40 shops located in the airport including restaurants and Lewis said they’re all holding their own, but that some are doing better than others.

Angela Howard, assistant general manager of Westfield at OIA, a management company operating 36 shops inside the airport — 26 in the main terminal and 10 retail carts on the airside — said they’ve seen modest increases in sales despite the recession.

“We’re lucky being in Orlando because of the leisure time and family vacation opportunities Orlando offers,” she said. “It brings us good traffic numbers. Other locations aren’t the home of Disney and all those places.”

The Westfield group manages OIA retail including Crocs Footwear, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Guess Accessories, Lids, Oakley Eyeglasses and Lush.

In May, Westfield opened a Skecher’s Footwear, which has never before opened in an airport.

“We believe in pre-awareness,” Howard said. “We want to let shoppers know there’s shopping in the airport, so they might leave 15 minutes early from their home or hotel to shop before they go wherever it is they’re going.”