At the monthly meeting of the Capital Region Airport Commission, Richmond International Airport (RIC) reported a new October passenger record as 382,002 travelers transited the facility during the month, an increase of nearly 40,000 passengers over the October count of 342,055 in 2017. October 2018 represents the 13th consecutive month with record passenger traffic at the facility.
Passenger Traffic
In October, RIC had an 11.7 percent passenger traffic increase versus the same period a year ago. Delta claimed a 32.3 percent passenger share, followed by American (31.1 percent), and United (14.9 percent).
Four incumbent airlines, United (+22.7 percent), Delta (+7.9 percent), Southwest (+4.6 percent), and American (+4.0 percent) reported passenger growth versus a year ago. Allegiant, offering twice-weekly service to three destinations, reported a passenger increase of more than 50 percent. New entrant Spirit claimed a 3.8 passenger share for the month.
For the calendar year through October, RIC passenger traffic has increased 10.5 percent.
Cargo
Total cargo, measured as a sum of freight and mail, increased 5.8 percent in October versus the year-ago period. For the calendar year to date, total cargo has increased five percent.
Operations
Likewise, total operations increased 10.7 percent, with air carrier (+14.5 percent) and general aviation (+18.7 percent) operations reporting increases over last year. For the calendar year, aircraft operations are up 5.6 percent.
