All Things Travel: Logan Airport's Record Growth
BOSTON (CBS) - For Boston's Logan Airport, it's non-stop record growth.
Figures released this week showed year-to-year growth for the 24th consecutive month.
In June, Logan recorded a total passenger count of 2,694,633, an all-time record over figures set in 2007.
That year 2,588,310 used the airport as the peak summer travel season began.
Year-to-date passenger numbers rose 7.7 percent to 13,862,961. If this trend continues, Logan will set a new record this year.
A very encouraging sign is the growth of international travel to Europe, up over 12 percent so far this year.
London continues to be the number one overseas destination.
Two factors are fueling the growth. One is the continuing growth of low-cost carriers and their one-day sales.
The other factor is the ease of getting to the airport, with the Ted Williams Tunnel from the south and the depressed central Artery from the north.
American Airlines has cut back its leisure operations at Logan Airport to concentrate on its hubs in Chicago, Dallas and Miami and on serving business travelers.
That source of business travel has rebounded strongly in the past two years.
Low-cost carriers JetBlue and Southwest are showing continued growth, accounting for much of the 106,000 passenger increase last month.
Southwest is merging its Boston operations with Air Tran Airways and that effort will be completed late this fall. This will put Southwest on course for further growth in New England.
Second quarter airline profits released this week for the U.S. carriers were reduced by higher fuel prices. American Airlines had a $286 million loss for the period with fuel prices up more than 30 percent for the quarter.
You can catch Bob Weiss' "All Things Travel" reports on WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
