FLINT, MI -- The number of available seats on flights departing Flint Bishop Airport is rising 11.6 percent from July to August as airlines boost capacity following a crash in demand tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bishop officials said in a news release Tuesday, July 7, that flights scheduled for next month amount to 18,113 departing seats, up from 16,226 departing seats this month.

United Airlines has the largest increase in seat availability, doubling capacity between Flint and Chicago O’Hare. American Airlines is increasing capacity by 14.9 percent between Bishop and its hub in Charlotte, North Carolina, and by 11.4 percent to Chicago. And Allegiant Air has returned its seasonal flight to Sarasota, Florida, adding to its capacity from Flint in July.

The scheduling increases come on the heels of a rise in departing passenger traffic in May to 6,301 passengers compared to just 1,667 departing fliers in April.

“The wonderful partnership that we have with our airlines continues to bolster this airport and our community,” Airport Director, Nino Sapone said in a statement issued by the Bishop Airport Authority. “Of course, without the support of our region’s travelers, our airlines would not be able to continue to add seats back into our market. Our heartfelt thanks go out to them all, as well as to our fantastic team members throughout the entire airport. Everyone has come together to continue to keep Flint Bishop a great traveling experience.”

Like other airports across the county, Bishop saw the number of flights, passenger traffic and load factor drop sharply after the COVID-19 emergency was recognized in mid-March and officials took steps to limit losses by eliminating the hiring of seasonal temporary employees, eliminating non-emergency overtime and closing its economy parking lot.

Airport officials said last month that COVID-19 losses have eaten into cash on hand, dropping from $1.9 million in April to $1.2 million in May.

Through May, passenger traffic at Bishop is down 29.2 percent compared to the first five months of 2019.

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