Passenger traffic up at top Fla. Airports in 2011

April 04--TAMPA -- Florida's five busiest airports gained passenger traffic in 2011, with Tampa International retaining its rank as fourth-busiest in Florida and 29th busiest in the U.S.

Tampa reported 8.2 million departing domestic and international passengers on scheduled airlines, a 0.4 percent gain over 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Tuesday. Nationally, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers airports ranked 12th, 13th, 21st and 49th, respectively.

U.S. airlines carried 730 million passengers in 2011, up 1.3 percent from 2010. It was the highest total since 2008. The airlines' strategy to cut fuel and operational costs by reducing flights resulted in an all-time high load factor -- percentage of seats sold -- of 82.9 percent, up 0.7 percent from 2010.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintained its No. 1 ranking with 44.2 million departing passengers last year, a 2.9 percent gain over 2010.

In Florida, the sixth- and seventh-busiest airports, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville, lost 3.2 percent and 2 percent ridership, respectively, last year. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport reported 407,000 departing passengers on scheduled flights, a 12.8 percent gain.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport near Panama City, where former Tampa International assistant director John Wheat is executive director, reported a 64.7 percent gain in departing passengers to 418,000.

Copyright 2012 - Tampa Tribune, Fla.