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CWA passenger count drops

By JIM SCHUH
of The Gazette
Passenger traffic at the Central Wisconsin Airport at Mosinee in 2000 fell by 10 percent, compared to figures from 1999.

Airport Manager Jim Hansford reports that 256,264 passengers used the airport last year. In 1999, the airport served 285,025 people.

The decline in passengers began when American Eagle discontinued service about a year and a half ago. Exacerbating the situation are relatively high fares between the airport at Mosinee and connecting locations, such as Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. Efforts by a committee of Central Wisconsin business people to get the airlines to lower fares haven't met with much success. So more people are driving to the area's larger cities to save money on airfares.

Adding to the decline is United Express changed from 64-passenger aircraft to 34-passenger aircraft last year, Hansford said.

"They don't have the seats in the airplanes to put the people on," Hansford said. "I think the passengers are definitely there. It's not that people don't want to fly, it's just we don't have the service to accommodate them."

The Airport Board is in the process of selecting an air service consultant to help improve service to CWA, Hansford said. Area chamber of commerces have formed a joint committee to improve air service.

Portage and Marathon counties operate the airport under a joint agreement, with Portage County responsible for just over a third of the local financial obligation.

For 2000, United Express was the only carrier to show a drop in passenger numbers, despite increasing its number of flights by 23 percent. Its passenger figures were 34 percent lower than the year before - going from more than 78,000 to just over 51,000. United Express, operated by Air Wisconsin, flied between Mosinee and Chicago.

The other airlines serving the airport - Mesaba, which operates as Northwest Airlink, and Skyway, a subsidiary of Midwest Express - saw an 8 percent increase in passengers, despite reducing its number of flights by 2 percent.

Mesaba flew more than 171,000 people - to or from the Twin Cities or Detroit. In 2000, Mesaba carried two out of every three passengers using the airport.

Skyway registered a 5 percent gain in passengers last year, flying almost 24,500 people between Mosinee and Green Bay or Milwaukee. Skyway's total number of flights to and from Mosinee was down by 4 percent last year.

The Central Wisconsin Airport had a total of 14,662 scheduled airline landings in 2000 - 3 percent fewer than the prior year.

The amount of freight passing through the airport at Mosinee on scheduled airlines as well as with general aviation remained constant at about 6.1 million pounds.

With fewer people using the airport last year, revenue from overnight parking fell by 8 percent. The airport charges $3 per day to park.



	CWA passenger count drops By JIM SCHUH of The Gazette Passenger traffic at the Central Wisconsin Airport at Mosinee in 2000 fell by 10 percent, compared to figures from 1999. Airport Manager Jim Hansford reports that 256,264 passengers used the airport last year. In 1999, the airport served 285,025 people. The decline in passengers began when American Eagle discontinued service about a year and a half ago. Exacerbating the situation are relatively high fares between the airport at Mosinee and connecting locations, such as Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. Efforts by a committee of Central Wisconsin business people to get the airlines to lower fares haven't met with much success. So more people are driving to the area's larger cities to save money on airfares. Adding to the decline is United Express changed from 64-passenger aircraft to 34-passenger aircraft last year, Hansford said. "They don't have the seats in the airplanes to put the people on," Hansford said. "I think the passengers are definitely there. It's not that people don't want to fly, it's just we don't have the service to accommodate them." The Airport Board is in the process of selecting an air service consultant to help improve service to CWA, Hansford said. Area chamber of commerces have formed a joint committee to improve air service. Portage and Marathon counties operate the airport under a joint agreement, with Portage County responsible for just over a third of the local financial obligation. For 2000, United Express was the only carrier to show a drop in passenger numbers, despite increasing its number of flights by 23 percent. Its passenger figures were 34 percent lower than the year before - going from more than 78,000 to just over 51,000. United Express, operated by Air Wisconsin, flied between Mosinee and Chicago. The other airlines serving the airport - Mesaba, which operates as Northwest Airlink, and Skyway, a subsidiary of Midwest Express - saw an 8 percent increase in passengers, despite reducing its number of flights by 2 percent. Mesaba flew more than 171,000 people - to or from the Twin Cities or Detroit. In 2000, Mesaba carried two out of every three passengers using the airport. Skyway registered a 5 percent gain in passengers last year, flying almost 24,500 people between Mosinee and Green Bay or Milwaukee. Skyway's total number of flights to and from Mosinee was down by 4 percent last year. The Central Wisconsin Airport had a total of 14,662 scheduled airline landings in 2000 - 3 percent fewer than the prior year. The amount of freight passing through the airport at Mosinee on scheduled airlines as well as with general aviation remained constant at about 6.1 million pounds. With fewer people using the airport last year, revenue from overnight parking fell by 8 percent. The airport charges $3 per day to park.