ROCKFORD — As travel begins to pick back up with COVID-19 vaccinations continuing to climb, the Chicago-Rockford International Airport has seen a comeback from 2020 numbers in terms of passenger flights as cargo freight operations continue to buoy job growth and industrial growth.
After a year which saw reduced flights due to COVID-19 restrictions, RFD is seeing passenger travel increase again. Overall, passenger traffic ended the year down 32%, with the final quarter of 2020 being down 18%, showing a modest and slow comeback.
“We are starting to see more passengers through the airport and we saw that this spring during Easter and spring break,” said Operations Director Zack Oakley. “We’re not exceeding 2019 numbers, which is what we are using as a benchmark, but we are starting to see a steady return to travel.
The drop in travel was felt for airlines and airports of all sizes globally, with U.S. passenger airlines seeing a contraction of 50% of traffic in 2020.
Passengers will still be required to wear masks and practice physical distancing while in line or at various stages of boarding, but Oakley said safety continues to be a top priority for staff and the public.
“The airlines have done great with everything and everyone has adjusted,” Oakley said. “Without our dedicated staff, we would not have been able to pull through the last 14 months as well as we have. I can’t say enough about all the employees here at the entire airport campus.
Oakley stressed the airport was preparing for “pent up travel demand” as vaccinations continue and people look to take much-needed vacations.
Average domestic airfare prices in the three months ending in September of 2020 fell to the lowest inflation-adjusted price since the government began tracking prices in 1995, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The average ticket price was $245, down 30% over the same period in 2019 and down 7% over the second quarter, when average prices were $262 a ticket, Reuters reporting showed, citing the federal report.
The report shows that U.S. passenger airlines brought in 65.1% of total operating revenue of $38.6 billion from passenger fares during the first nine months of last year, down from nearly 90% in the early 90s.
Job growth at the airport is also booming, having spiked from 4,000 employees airpot campus-wide in 2011 to over 8,000 employees this year. The expanded job growth is anchored by commitments by UPS and Amazon that’s pushed cargo traffic growth by 15% in 2020, with 2021 seeing even greater growth of 27%.
Amazon expanded in 2016 and UPS expanded in 2017, which helped spur job growth and bring in additional businesses to the industrial side of the airport’s operations.
“This is about how do we create the biggest impact for the region and how to be a steadfast point of economic development for the Rockford area,” Oakley said.
RFD is home to the second largest UPS hub in North America, which continues to increase its daily cargo flights. The airport also serves other leaders in the air cargo industry, including ABX Air, ATI, Senator International, DB Schenker, National Airlines, and Atlas Air. With the airport’s recent cargo expansions, Rockford is quickly becoming a Midwest hub for e-commerce and international freight. “We’re proud to be a catalyst for access and ease of transporting goods for our region,” said Mike Dunn, Executive Director, RFD. “The ongoing infrastructure improvements and new development on our property will help us to continue to realize enhanced job growth and business opportunities as well.”
