Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced that year-end passenger boardings at the Greater Rochester International Airport (GRIA) totaled 1,287,552 passengers for 2009.  A more representative boarding estimate doubles that figure when passengers who deplaned in Rochester are also taken into account, revealing that over 2.5 million travelers utilized the facility for air travel in 2009.   

 

“Over the past year, our Airport has continued its efforts to improve an already state-of the-art facility, while expanding upon its record of outstanding service to our community,” said Brooks. “By adding 780 covered spaces to the parking ramp garage and enhancing a broad range of passenger services in 2009, the Greater Rochester International Airport has ensured that it will continue to be Monroe County’s ‘Gateway to the World’ for 2010 and many years beyond.”

 

The annual figures also reflect that the Greater Rochester International Airport (GRIA) fared better than many other airports did in 2009, showing a significantly smaller decrease in passenger travel when compared to all airports across the nation.

 

“The fact that the Greater Rochester International Airport was able to hold the line on affordable air travel, ensure continued access to key markets, and maintain such a high level of service at a time when the airline industry is facing unprecedented challenges clearly speaks to the Airport’s valued role in our community, in addition to the resilience of our local economy,” concluded Brooks.

 

Airport officials are optimistic that air travel will continue to recover in 2010 over the facility’s 2008 figures. The Airport was off to a good start for the first month of 2010, with January enplanements registering at 93,181, or approximately 1.0 % more than January 2009 enplanements, which were recorded at 92,457.

 

Following the merger of Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines, combined enplanement numbers give Delta Airlines the largest enplanement share of airlines operating at GRIA, with 23.3% of the total passenger share. Following are AirTran Airways with 18.86%, US Airways with 18.7% and JetBlue with 13.5%.