Rockford airport pursuing 4 new travel destinations to boost passenger numbers

Passenger traffic increased by 18% at the Chicago Rockford International Airport in 2022 compared to the previous year and is approaching pre-pandemic levels, airport officials said.

Approximately 242,000 people flew into or out of RFD last year, according to Chicago Rockford International Airport deputy director of operations Zack Oakley.

“The region definitely has a strong desire to travel and the destinations we have out of Rockford are performing very well,” Oakley said. “Pretty much anything going out of Rockford is not having a problem getting people to want to fly."

According to Oakley, 2022 passenger traffic figures at RFD were about 3% below pre-pandemic figures from 2019, which included popular Apple Vacation flights to Cancun, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

Apple discontinued those flights during the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 and the service has not returned.

The airport is currently served by Allegiant Air, which offers nonstop flights to Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Orlando, Clearwater, Punta Gorda and Sarasota, Florida.

RFD is pursuing additional destinations in the new year based on passenger feedback, Oakley said.

Possibilities include Denver, Dallas and Nashville as well as Austin, Texas and Asheville, North Carolina.

“They’re cities that we’ve either previously had service to, such as Denver, or destinations that, from a market standpoint, we look at leakage from customers from Rockford into the Chicago market that have a good draw,” he said. “Every time we post something on Facebook, it seems like Nashville is always put on the list of suggestions. It’s a growing destination with the low cost carriers.”

According to Oakley, airport officials are in discussions with Allegiant Air as well as other commercial airlines about additional destinations out of RFD.

“It has been proven that we have a very strong market for people wanting to travel to places other than the destinations we have to offer,” he said. “Anything that has been put in the market is usually well supported by the local community, so it is a great story to sell when we’re talking with the airlines. That’s one of the big reasons we want to try to add more.”

More:5 reasons why Rockford is one of the fastest growing cargo airports in the country

The airport’s cargo operations grew by 1% in 2022 compared to the previous year, Oakley said.

According to FAA data, RFD handled 3.433 billion pounds of landed weight last year, which is an increase of about 31 million pounds over 2021 figures.

RFD is the 14th largest cargo airport in the U.S. for landed weight.

The local airport is home to the second largest UPS hub in North America, a major base for Amazon Air and serves more than 15 international airlines and freight forwarders.

Ken DeCoster covers business news and features. Contact him at 815-987-1391, kdecoster@rrstar.com or @DeCosterKen. 

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford airport looking at 4 new travel destinations by 2024