Water isn’t the only Chattanooga resource in which North Georgians are interested.
More are using Chattanooga’s air service as they find added flights as well as more competitive fares, according to officials.
“Airlines, like all businesses, respond to market forces. The increased competition at the Chattanooga airport is putting pressure on fares, and creating great travel opportunities for local business and leisure passengers,” said Mike Landguth, chief executive of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority.
Airport officials said they are actively seeking the Georgia travelers.
Christina Siebold, the airport’s vice president of marketing, said its advertising hits that segment and it’s eyeing future efforts.
“We’re looking at promotional campaigns,” she said.
In 2007, airport boardings rose 20.6 percent, powered by low-fare flights to Florida on Allegiant Air and increases in business as other airlines.
Also, late last year, discount carrier Skybus began flying between Chattanooga and Columbus, Ohio.
Staff File Photo-- Planes park near the Lovell Field terminal, to which more Georgians are coming for their flights out of the region.
Ms. Siebold said that anecdotal evidence suggests many of Skybus’ travelers are coming from Georgia. She said she spoke to someone from Henry County, south of Atlanta, who purchased tickets to fly from Chattanooga on Skybus.
“They were passing Atlanta’s airport to get here,” Ms. Siebold said.
Mary Rhoden of Tennessee Valley Travel in Chattanooga said her business, too, is seeing more North Georgians.
“I am seeing more leisure-oriented travelers,” she said.
Also, some airlines are offering comparatively low fares to Europe from Chattanooga, Ms. Rhoden said. The fares are usually from mid-January to mid-March, she said.
“All the airlines out of Atlanta are competing with each other. Very few airlines come out Chattanooga and the ones out of Chattanooga have the edge,” Ms. Rhoden said. “They have access to this market. To the traveler, that’s a fantastic asset.”
AIRPORT TRAFFIC
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport says passenger boardings rose 20.6 percent in 2007 over the prior year:
* 2007 — 307,500
* 2006 — 254,959
