Press Releases
Baton Rouge Metro Airport Passenger Traffic Increases for Second Straight Year
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR) experienced a second consecutive annual passenger traffic increase for 2018.
The Airport saw a 3.77% increase in total passenger traffic for 2018. This follows a 3.73% increase in 2017.
Full-year, total passenger volume for 2018 was 804,622. American led all carriers with a passenger count of 298,431, followed by Delta at 296,982 and United at 208,305. New entrant ViaAir carried 904 passengers.
“I would like to sincerely thank our customers for the support they gave us in 2018,” said Mike Edwards, Director of Aviation at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. “With the continued support of Baton Rouge area travelers, I have no doubt we will build on this success in 2019.”
Edwards noted that community support for existing air service is critical, since high load factors are the most effective metric for convincing airlines to invest in new service. “We would like to see our load factor grow from 76% to 80% or higher in 2019,” said Edwards. “High load factors help make the argument that more service is warranted at BTR.”
ABOUT BTR
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR) is served by the major network airlines – American, Delta and United – with hub flights to Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte that provide access to destinations worldwide. Regional air carrier ViaAir offers nonstop service to Austin and Orlando.
BTR is the second largest airport in Louisiana based on passenger volume, and contributes $1.1 billion and 4,500 jobs to the Baton Rouge economy. The airport operates as an Enterprise Fund, generating its own revenues for airport operations without using local tax revenue. Learn more at flybtr.com.