Bob Hope Airport passenger figures, revenues continue to slide in winter

The number of passengers traveling through Bob Hope Airport continued to slide even as the holidays approached in October and November, dropping by 5.3% and 3.2%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2011.

Still, the latest statistics, released in a report to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday, were better than September’s tally when the airfield reported a 10% passenger decline.

“Our No. 1 goal is [to] reverse that decline to the extent that we can, but the reversal is going to be long, slow and painful for us,” said Dan Feger, the airport’s executive director.

Bob Hope Airport handled 689,150 passengers in October and November, down from 719,907 passengers during the same period in 2011, according to the report.

From January through November 2012, roughly 3.7 million passengers traveled through the airport, a decrease from around 3.9 million during the same period in 2011.

Revenues generated by parking fees, a significant revenue source for the airport, also continued to fall, dropping by around 7% in October and 5% in November compared to the same period in 2011.

The declining passenger numbers and parking revenues are lagging behind what was budgeted, which will likely impact revenue projections for next fiscal year, Feger said.

Higher parking fees in several of the airport’s parking lots that went into effect Tuesday will hopefully help reverse the revenue decline, he added.

But a recent survey by the airport found that 57% of passengers interviewed were dropped off at the airport rather than using a parking lot.

The survey of 751 airport customers also indicated that 86% of passengers who parked used an airport parking lot. Feger added that due to thesluggish economy, more passengers were relying on rides from friends and family rather than paying for parking.

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