Lafayette Regional Airport has best year on record for passengers

Last year was the best year on record in terms of the number of passengers traveling through Lafayette Regional Airport, said Lafayette Airport Commission Chairman Paul A. Guilbeau.

Airlines serving Lafayette report a total of 455,377 passengers flying in and out of Lafayette last year, surpassing the record of 448,226 passengers set in 2010.

December was the latest in a number of months in 2011 that posted some of the best numbers on record, Guilbeau said. Last month, a record 18,479 passengers boarded planes at the airport and another 18,202 passengers deplaned.

Load factors, the number of passengers flying on an airline compared to the number of seats available, continued to be higher than average in December for all carriers. Leading the way was Delta Connection/Atlanta with 87.6 percent of seats filled, followed by American Eagle with 78.9 percent, Allegiant Airlines with 78.2 percent and Continental Express with 75.1 percent.

Cargo numbers for December, and for the year overall, remained high as well.

Lafayette Regional Airport offers multiple daily nonstop flights to Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. Allegiant Airlines provides twice weekly non-stop service to Las Vegas.