Passenger traffic is up double digits at area airports

Heather Graves

Staff

February 9, 2023

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – More people equals bigger planes.

That’s the case for both the Appleton International Airport (ATW) and Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB), each of which is starting off 2023 on a high note.

Director Abe Weber said ATW is already seeing 13% in seat growth just in the first quarter – which he said looks like only the beginning.

“Our legacy carriers – American, Delta and United – are adding more seats through the first quarter of 2023, compared to 2022,” he said. “It’s quite a strong growth in seats we’re going to see this first quarter. I think it’s even going to be above that in the second quarter.”

A half-hour north in Green Bay, Director Marty Piette said GRB is back to about 90-95% of its pre-pandemic levels.

“Planes leaving GRB are averaging 90% full – which is a substantial percentage,” he said. “It’s good to see people return to travel.”

Piette said passenger traffic at GRB rose 14.2% in 2022 over the previous year – and is on track for a strong 2023.
“We’re seeing strong demand on all the routes,” he said.

Seeing similar demand at both Northeast Wisconsin airports has airlines increasing flight frequency and plane sizes.

“Increased capacity, including more seating options, is great news for travelers,” Piette said. 

Starting this month at GRB, he said legacy carrier Delta will use a larger, multi-class aircraft for one of its GRB flights to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

Depending on the aircraft version used, which Piette said will vary, capacity ranges from 126-162 seats.

“Atlanta is a major hub for Delta,” he said. “You can literally get anywhere in the world from there.”

Piette said in March, Delta will add a third daily flight to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport – another one of its hubs.
He said the plane used will be upgraded to a CRJ 900, which seats 76 passengers.

“Detroit is a quick and easy connection for those flying to the east coast,” he said. “Flightsto Detroit have consistently been full, so it’s good to see another flight added.”

Starting this month at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport, Delta will use a larger, multi-class aircraft for one of its flights to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Submitted Photo

At ATW, Weber said Allegiant Airlines is adding another flight using an Airbus 320 that seats up to 186 passengers – the largest plane to service Appleton. 

“Allegiant is still adding flights, and we hope maybe a few more destinations (will be added) in the coming months, if not this year,” he said.

Piette said Frontier – GRB’s low-cost airline – will resume nonstop service from GRB to Denver International Airport – making that service available for 11 months (February through December) of the year.

“So, it’s basically a year-round flight,” he said. “And again, it’s all being driven by the demand on all of those routes.”

Weber said larger planes are accompanied by “a better passenger experience.”

“The larger aircraft add another amenity people don’t think about in the sense it provides a better experience,” he said. “A lot of times those larger aircraft have a dual-class cabin. Depending on the airline, they offer first class, economy-plus or comfort-plus, whatever they call their above-coach preference. They have Wi-Fi. They have power outlets at every seat. It’s a better experience our customers are going to see as aircraft get larger here in Appleton. So, we’re excited about that elevation experience as well.”

Return to business travel
Though a majority of travel across the U.S. is leisure travel, Piette and Weber said business travel at their respective airports is also starting to pick back up.

“We are hearing from local companies that they are taking to the skies again,” Piette said. “They want to meet with customers and prospects in person, and they are looking to attend conventions and trade shows.”

Weber said ATW expects business travel to consistently increase throughout the year.

“If we’re not all the way back (to pre-pandemic amounts of business travelers), we’re close,” he said. “Consumers and business travelers are realizing it’s faster and easier to fly out of Appleton, no matter their destination.”

Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport Director Marty Piette said the airport saw a passenger traffic increase of more than 14% in 2022. He said he expects continued growth in 2023. Submitted Photo

Weber said it’s a great feeling that what ATW does helps support businesses in the Fox Valley area and beyond.

“We work diligently, and I’d say we’re aggressive in our ability to go out and talk to our airlines,” he said. “We tell them our community business story, why our businesses need air service, where they’re going and help make the connections as efficiently as possible through the hubs they serve so our businesses can get their people and their goods to market in the most efficient manner possible.”

Piette said large parts of Europe and Asia are opening back up, which provides more areas for people to travel to.

“That return to business travel, especially with Asia opening back up, has helped drive that increase in demand (for larger planes and increased frequency),” he said.

Like any airport, Piette said GRB is an economic driver for the Greater Green Bay community.

“We realistically have one-stop access to the world out of GRB, and that’s an important economic driver,” he said. “One of the first things when you talk to a business they are looking at when deciding whether to expand their operations or even to relocate to a new city is its access to transportation that includes road, rail, but also most importantly, air transportation. We have that access right here in our backyard.”

Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach said the increase in air travel is good news for the entire region.

“Even if you are not a traveler, the economic impact of travel is substantial,” he said. “It’s not only the front door to our community but one of our economic engines, with local businesses ranging from hotels to gas stations to restaurants and tourist attractions benefiting from travelers.”

Outagamie County Executive Thomas Nelson said expanding ATW’s capabilities to service more flights will create faster and easier air travel for regional residents.

“(It will also help ATW) better respond to the growing demand for travel out of Appleton,” he said.  

Infrastructure upgrades
Both GRB and ATW have announced and even begun infrastructure projects – some Piette and Weber said were fueled by the increased traffic their respective airports have been experiencing.

Piette said GRB’s passenger-noticeable renovations are at about the halfway point of completion.

“We revamped what I call ‘repainting the front door,’” he said. “So, we reinvent the front of the building by repainting and reconstructing the terminal canopy, added additional lighting visibility, more safety features, more cameras and reconstructed the curb lanes and sidewalks.”

In 2023, Piette said they will repave the short-term and long-term parking lot, adding LED lighting and adding more aesthetic features, such as more green areas and grassy areas.

“Then we also have quite a bit of work on the airfield side a lot of people won’t see, but it will help improve accessibility to the airfield,” he said. “(Updates include) reconstructing a portion of one of our runways and reconstructing several portions of our taxiways as well.”

ATW is also undergoing major infrastructure improvements to the grounds and facilities – including the construction of an additional general aviation hangar for the airport’s fixed-based operations at the Appleton Flight Center.

“That hangar will accommodate additional corporate and business aircraft, either overnight or tenants here at the airport,” he said. “We are seeing more private aircraft. We are seeing more based aircraft here in Appleton. So, we had to build that hangar to accommodate them.”

One of Appleton International Airport’s infrastructure improvements includes the construction of an additional general aviation hangar for the airport’s fixed-based operations at the Appleton Flight Center – which will accommodate additional corporate and business aircraft. Submitted Photo

Weber said the planned infrastructure improvements – which also include an expansion of the concrete ramp used for planes landing and taxiing, an expansion of a service road used for refueling airplanes and the addition of two boarding gates and a jet bridge – will help ATW better handle the growth in passenger traffic both at the commercial airport and the private airfield.

“Expanding our ramp means we can accommodate our increased air traffic, plus larger planes in and out of Appleton,” he said. “Larger planes mean we can handle more passengers to more destinations.”

Weber said the increased number of flights, the higher frequency of flights and larger planes also help support an increase in employment.

Piette said he expects the trends GRB saw in 2022 to continue into 2023.

“I think we’ll see that number maybe level off a little bit, but I certainly think we’ll continue to see an increase for 2023,” he said. “If our flights continue to remain full and if people continue to support our airport, the airlines have no option but to respond and continue adding capacity. And added capacity means more passengers.”