Passenger numbers at Hollywood Burbank Airport stay positive

Hollywood Burbank Airport continues to see its passenger numbers increase this year, reporting a roughly 17.5% jump in July compared to the same month last year, officials said.

The airfield had 400,225 passengers travel through its terminals this past July, which was 59,812 more than in July 2016.

The hike was attributed to the additional number of seats airlines are offering at Hollywood Burbank, said Nerissa Sugars, manager of air service development for the airfield, during a meeting of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday.

Hollywood Burbank’s July figures were nearly a repeat of the previous month, when the airport reported 408,477 passengers in June — the most passengers the airfield has reported so far this year.

From January to July this year, passenger numbers at Hollywood Burbank Airport have increased by about 13.6% compared to the same time period last year, Sugars said.

Southwest Airlines, the largest airline operating at Hollywood Burbank, reported 291,653 passengers in July, which was 39,555 more passengers than in 2016. United Airlines also had a strong showing in July, with 31,987 passengers, a jump of 9,702 from the year before.

Alaska Airlines also showed signs of improvement, reporting 45,830 passengers for the month, up 7,376 more passengers compared to July 2016. Delta Air Lines also did well in July, with 10,858 passengers, which was 2,705 more than in 2016.

JetBlue Airways had a relatively flat month, reporting 8,478 passengers in July, 685 more passengers than last year. American Airlines, which has been struggling since May, reported 11,419 passengers for the month, down by 211 compared to the year before.

Though passenger numbers have been climbing throughout this year, airport officials have yet to determine why parking revenue has remained relatively flat.

Mary Tromp, the airport’s parking manager, said Hollywood Burbank generated $1,495,182 in parking revenue in July, which was roughly $54,000 less than in 2016.

Lots A, C, E and G and the airport’s valet service combined made $1,205,439 for the month, which was up by about $27,000 from the year before. The parking structure collected $289,743 in July, which does not account for the ride-sharing drivers who picked up passengers at that location.

Ride-sharing drivers who picked up passengers originally had to do so in the first level of the parking structure, but it caused traffic congestion. So, on July 18, new rules went into effect to alleviate traffic back-ups and make pick-ups and drop-offs more streamlined.

Passengers now have to be picked up by their ride-sharing driver at the concrete island closest to Terminal B. They may be dropped off at the curbside.

The airport does make up some of its losses with the revenue it gets from ride-sharing companies. Tromp said $177,300 was generated from transportation-network companies in July, of which $92,643 came from drop-offs and $84,657 were from pick-ups.

Transportation-network companies are charged $3 each time their drivers cross an established geofence to make a pick-up or drop-off.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio