McAllen airport catching up to VIA passenger numbers

HARLINGEN — McAllen Miller International Airport is gaining on Valley International Airport for the first time in the region’s air travel history.

MMIA is closing the passenger gap on VIA, traditionally known as the Rio Grande Valley’s airport hub.

During May, MMIA had 34,269 travelers, an increase of 1,370 passengers from May 2006. Although VIA had 36,713 travelers in May, the number increased by only 472 passengers from that month a year ago.

Statistics for April 2007 posted on the VIA Web site show that about 47.2 percent of Valley travelers fly out of VIA, about 42.9 percent out of MMIA and 9.9 percent through the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.

Five years ago, the numbers were different: 63 percent of Valley air travelers passed through VIA and 37 percent flew from MMIA.

Michael Browning, director of aviation at VIA, said he attributes MMIA’s increase in travelers to additional services and the economic boom in McAllen.

“(MMIA) added AllegiantAir and Delta (Airlines) and their community is growing. They’re going through an economic explosion,” he said.

While VIA is always working to add new airline services, there are no concrete plans to do so at this time, Browning added.

VIA currently offers flights with Southwest Airlines, Continental Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.

American Airlines, Continental Airlines, AllegiantAir and Delta Connection provide service through MMIA.

Philip Brown, aviation director at MMIA, concedes that Southwest Airlines is unlikely to leave the Harlingen airport, but MMIA would like to add another airline.

“We’re doing fine,” VIA’s Browning said. “And (the McAllen airport is) going to do fine. It’s a vibrant city.”

Enrique Castillo, deputy director for operations and airfield maintenance for MMIA, said he expects about 1 million people — from passengers to visitors — to pass through that airport by the end of this year.

“If we continue at this pace, we’re going to reach 400,000-plus (boardings) by the end of the year,” Castillo said.

Besides McAllen’s economic development, Castillo said MMIA caters to the entire Valley, not just McAllen.

“From Roma to Brownsville and Tamaulipas, (Mexico), Coahuila, (Mexico) and Nuevo Leon, (Mexico),” Castillo said.

Retail growth in the McAllen-Pharr-Edinburg area has drawn many weekend passengers to MMIA to shop and “hop on a plane” to go home, Castillo said.

Six nonstop flights each week from McAllen to Las Vegas, something VIA doesn’t offer, has attracted many travelers to that gambling destination, he added.

“We’re growing as much as we can,” Castillo said.

But MMIA will lose an advantage that it has had over VIA. As of Oct.1, MMIA will charge short-term and long-term parking fees as a way to increase revenue, MMIA’s Brown said.

The fees, which will range from $3 a day to $15 per day, will generate about $1.9 million in revenue before expenses in the first year, Brown said.

The money will be used for capital improvements such as additional parking, terminal expansion and landscaping.

Browning said he expects the Harlingen airport to keep doing well despite the changes in McAllen.

“There’s probably going to be little or no change at all (at VIA),” Browning said about the MMIA parking fees. “We’ve been charging (for parking) since 1975. The (airport) board believes the airport should be run as a business and not on city tax money.”

Brown agrees and said airports should be as self-sufficient as possible. The new parking fees at MMIA are competitive with what other Texas airports charge, he added.

Browning said there are more than 800 parking spaces at VIA. In 2006 there were about 375 cars in the parking lot at any given time.

Brown said there are 1,400 parking spaces at MMIA and they have been full recently. He also said that he hopes people who travel often will understand the fees.

“We are one of the few airports that don’t charge (parking fees) and seeing that change, people will be unhappy about it but we’re going to try to be patient with them.”

Airport patronage

The number of passenger boardings at the McAllen-Miller International Airport increased at a higher rate than at Valley International Airport in Harlingen during the month of May.