Officials with Eugene Airport (EUG) yesterday announced a fifth record passenger year in 2015. Over the past five record years EUG has experienced a 14 percent increase in passengers.
The passenger activity numbers were released yesterday at the monthly meeting of the Airport Advisory Committee. For the first six months of the year, the number of passengers departing EUG grew 3.2 percent, while the number of arriving passengers grew 3.8 percent.
There were six record months in 2015. February, December and April showed the largest increases over the same months the previous year. In February, the number of passengers departing Eugene Airport grew 10.5 percent over the same month the previous year. The number of passengers arriving at EUG rose 11.7 percent compared to the same period 2014.
The second largest increase was in December. Departures were up 10 percent over the same month the previous year. Arrivals in December were up 8.6 percent compared to the same period 2014.
The increase in 2015 is attributed in part to Alaska Airlines’ new nonstop service between Eugene and San Jose which launched on Nov. 5, a busy holiday travel season and the Oregon Ducks playing in the National Championship last January. “We’re excited to share the news of our continued growth with our passengers and stakeholders,” said Eugene Airport director, Tim Doll, AAE. “Our team members take pride in making travel through Eugene Airport pleasant and it shows for five years.”
To accommodate the record breaking passenger numbers, the Eugene Airport terminal building is undergoing a major expansion project focused on accommodating increased passenger use. Project completion and commissioning is targeted for mid to late 2016.
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