MARTINSBURG — The Altoona-Blair County Airport’s passenger numbers have increased steadily this summer and very few flights are being canceled.

But without more passengers, the airport remains at risk of losing its Essential Air Service subsidy that helps sustain daily passenger flights to the Pittsburgh and Baltimore-Washington International airports.

There’s no risk of being excluded from the EAS program in the 2019-20 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, Southern Airways Chief Commercial Operator Mark Cestari recently told the Altoona-Blair County Airport Authority.

But the risk returns for the 2020-21 federal fiscal year, especially if the airport’s subsidy remains higher than $200 per passenger, a level monitored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which manages the EAS program.

For July, the airport’s subsidy was calculated at $277 per passenger, based on 713 passengers for the month or about 27 people per day who flew into or out of the airport. That was a 34 percent improvement over June’s 554 people.

But July’s numbers almost mirror last year’s numbers, and they’re a drop from July 2017, when the airport counted 842 passengers and averaged 32 flyers a day.

Cestari, who has been at the forefront of multiple efforts to attract passengers to the airports where Southern provides flights, told the authority he is not sure why Blair County passenger numbers aren’t climbing higher.

Other airports involved in company promotional efforts have seen better responses, Cestari said, referencing the DuBois, Hagerstown, Md., and Morgantown, W.Va., airports.

While Cestari pledged to keep looking into reasons, he also warned airport leaders about a pending change that may have a negative impact.

“The Florida flights coming to State College, I think that’s a real threat for Altoona,” Cestari told the airport authority.

In October, the University Park Airport near State College will introduce twice-a-week flights, via Allegiant Air, to Orlando Sanford International Airport and the Tampa/St. Petersburg area via the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.

Allegiant is offering introductory fares for the flights south, on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting Oct. 9. The cost, based on Allegiant’s online booking system, showed one-way tickets from State College selling for about $50 and round-trip tickets at $110 as of Thursday. With taxes, carrier charges and government fees, offset by a $20 promotional discount, the cost for a roundtrip flight departing Oct. 16 and returning Oct. 19 was $160.

“We don’t want their low fares to steal our passengers,” Cestari said.

The cost of Southern’s tickets for flights from the Martinsburg facility to the Pittsburgh and BWI airports are typically $39 depending on when they’re booked. Southern also is advertising a special that can be accessed on its iFlySouthern .com booking system, where a pair of round-trip tickets can be purchased at $99 and remain valid for use through Sept. 30.

Where are you flying?

Southern Airways provides the airport authority with monthly reports about the destinations of its departing flyers.

In July, 248 passengers boarded flights to Pittsburgh, and 91 percent of those flyers were making a connecting flight. Of the

116 passengers boarding flights to the BWI airport, about 64 percent were making a connecting flight.

Altoona-Blair County Airport Manager Tracy Plessinger attributes the difference in passenger numbers to the airport’s flight schedule. To Pittsburgh, the airport offers three departing flights on weekdays and two departing flights on Saturdays and Sundays. To BWI, the airport offers one departing flight seven days a week leaving at 9:15 a.m. on weekdays.

An earlier morning flight to the BWI airport would be helpful, Plessinger said, because business travelers would be able to make early morning meetings. And a second daily flight to and from that airport would help too, he said, because that means a flyer could restrict travel to one day.

But that’s not a current option, Plessinger said, based on Southern’s current flight schedule, equipment and personnel.

As far as where Altoona-Blair County passengers fly beyond Pittsburgh and BWI, July reports showed Denver as the most popular final designation, a status that changes monthly. Others final destinations included Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Boston, Los Angeles and Houston.

Push for passengers

Starting in July, it was almost impossible to sign onto Facebook and not see an advertisement for the Pitt Connector program, urging use of regional airports including the Altoona-Blair County Airport, for flights to Pittsburgh and beyond.

Those advertisements were arranged through the Pittsburgh airport, which covered 30 percent of the cost. Grant funds from PennDOT covered the rest of the cost of the social media campaign.

The John Murtha Johnstown Cambria County Airport saw ridership jump after spending money on a social media campaign, Altoona-Blair County Airport Authority member Gary Orner said during the authority’s June meeting.

Social media is also an effective way of reminding people about flights available at the local airport, authority member Mike Ritchey said.

“I can’t tell you how many people I talk to about flying out of this airport and people say ‘Oh I forgot that you can do that,’ Ritchey said.

Plessinger advised the airport authority this month that he has been in contact with a local social media marketing consultant who could add to the ongoing Pitt Connector advertising program that is expected to continue through spring.

Plessinger also keeps his eyes open for efforts at other airports that are generating passengers.

Plessinger reported the University of Pittsburgh has started running a shuttle between the airport and the Pitt/Bradford campus, giving those collegians, teachers and staff a more efficient way of getting to their main campus.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 946-7456.