Airport sees continued passenger growth

ALBANY >> Albany International Airport is continuing to see a sharp increase in passenger traffic this year, with the number of people flying into or out of the airport up by more than 10 percent so far this year.

Airport officials said more than 680,000 passengers used the facility in the first half of 2016, a 10.4 percent increase over the same time period a year ago. That runs slightly ahead of the airport’s projection after the first quarter of a 9.8 percent increase for the year. In June alone, officials said they saw an 11.2 percent increase over June 2015.

“The combination of additional seating capacity, new service by JetBlue and American, as well as a robust economy, have all led to a surge in business and leisure travel,” said the Rev. Kenneth Doyle, chairman of the Albany County Airport Authority, in a news release.

The increase in passenger traffic has been met by an increase in available parking, airport officials pointed out.

Two new long-term parking lots are being added while the Economy E-Lot on the east side of the airport has been expanded, bringing the total number of available parking spaces to more than 6,000.

The airport is already planning $50 million in additional improvements to address growing demand, led by construction of a 1,000car parking garage with a passenger bridge connecting it to the main terminal.