The manager of Dawson Creek's airport says lower fares and more fly-in workers are behind record-setting passenger numbers in 2014.
According to manager Ian Darling, 19,054 fliers passed through the Dawson Creek airport in 2014 — making it the airport's busiest year in more than a decade.
"It's fuller flights [driving the increase,]" he said. "For quite some time, when you looked out at our parking lot, you'd see three or maybe six cars parked out there. All of a sudden the parking lot is 80 per cent full."
Darling added that cheaper fares introduced by Central Mountain Air, until recently the airport's commercial carrier, made flying out of Dawson Creek more attractive.
Between 2002 and 2013, the airport averaged 14,754 passengers a year.
2007 was the 12-year low, with 8,808 passengers, while 18,140 passed through in 2013, the previous best.
The busiest month was February, with 2,023 passengers. The airport averaged 1,588 fliers a month.
In December, Hawkair took over service to and from Dawson Creek.
Hawkair president Jay Dilley told Alaska Highway News the airport could handle "between five and seven thousand people" without major infrastructure upgrades.
The airline has says it would consider adding additional service, potentially a flight to Calgary, if there is demand.
reporter@dcdn.ca
