Passenger numbers rise 11% for Contour Airlines
Officials expected flat year due to increasing costs of traveling
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MARTINSBURG -- Contour Airlines' overall passenger numbers at the Altoona-Blair County Airport are up 11% over last year at this time, manager Tracy Plessinger said.
During Wednesday's airport authority board meeting, Plessinger said Contour carried 2,226 passengers in and out of the airport in August, which he said puts enplanements down 8% from July's record level but up 28% from August 2025.
Plessinger said Contour representatives were expecting a flat year or a decrease in passenger numbers because of the cost of travel increasing. But they're happy the airport's numbers are continuing to rise, he said.
"They're really happy that we got an increase," Plessinger said. "The numbers are all looking good and trending the right way."
Contour also carried 409 passengers -- 205 outbound and 204 inbound -- on the Myrtle Beach route in August, with 85% of the available seats sold, Plessinger said.
Contour's overall completion rating was 100%, meaning all of the airline's scheduled flights were successfully operated without any cancellations, Plessinger said, noting the airport is still on track to reach 11,000 enplanements in 2026.
By reaching more than 10,000 annual enplanements, the airport would keep its primary entitlement of $1.3 million in Federal Aviation Administration funding for future projects, a significant jump from the previous baseline of $150,000.
Last year, the airport reached this milestone for the first time since 2002 and is on track to exceed last year's enplanements, according to Plessinger.
Avis/Budget had a great month in August, with 230 rentals completed, Plessinger said, noting August was the rental vehicle operation's second-highest sales month, only behind July of this year.
Although Avis/Budget's sales were down 12% from July's record level, sales were up 10% year over year, Plessinger said.
In his written report to the board, Avis/Budget manager Nick Bechtel noted the airport location is experiencing an increase in reservations during Penn State football home game weekends. Plessinger claimed a lot of those people are flying into the Altoona-Blair County Airport and staying at hotels in Altoona rather than State College because the rates are cheaper.
"Overall, we are very happy with our location and excited to see our growth with the continued partnership with Aero," Bechtel wrote in his report.
Plessinger said the Avis/Budget operation is going "really, really well" overall and generates a lot of revenue for the airport.
According to Plessinger, Aero -- the airport's current licensee -- is shutting down two or three locations in the Pittsburgh area and plans to bring some of those vehicles to the Altoona-Blair County Airport.
That would increase the airport's fleet from about 60 vehicles to about 80 or 90 vehicles, Plessinger said.
La Fiesta's sales for August were down 6% from July and 1% year over year. Plessinger described the restaurant's sales as "staying pretty firm."
"The restaurant is seemingly always busy," Plessinger said, adding the food is sold at a reasonable price, and the business seems to attract more and more families to the airport, especially for Friday nights.
Coffee Coop's sales were down 9% from July, but up 10% from August 2025, according to Plessinger.
"Everybody seems happy with what she's doing," Plessinger said of Coffee Coop owner Betsy Francke, adding a lot of the airport's employees give Francke business in the morning. Coffee Coop also attracts many people to the airport specifically for its breakfast sandwiches, Plessinger said.
In other business, Plessinger said work on the airport's maintenance garage construction project is ongoing. The footers, foundations and basic steel structure is complete, and contractors will work on drains, flooring, doors and exterior grading and paving in the coming weeks, he said.
Airport officials also held a preconstruction meeting with its contractors for the terminal restroom project, which will make the airport's restrooms accessible from within the Transportation Security Administration's secure area.
Work on that project is anticipated to begin by mid-October, Plessinger said.
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.