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Troubled Southeast Texas airport finds updraft
[January 06, 2008]

Troubled Southeast Texas airport finds updraft


(Beaumont Enterprise, The (Texas) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 6--A slight makeover and the possibility of a new airline are in the flight plans for Southeast Texas Regional Airport, which a recent report showed was among the nation's worst for losing customers.



Jefferson County officials' new outlook marks a reversal since November, when they said the developmental focus of airport grounds had turned to non-aeronautical uses such as retail outlets and hotels.

In a November story, The Enterprise revealed that Southeast Texas Regional ranked among the nation's Top 10 for losing customers.


The number of boardings here from 2000 to 2006 nosedived 57 percent, going from 89,809 to 38,626, according to Federal Aviation Administration figures.

However, boardings saw a 1.8 percent one-year increase for a period that ended June 30, 2007, according to a recent U.S. Department of Transportation report. The number of boardings from July 1, 2006, to June 30 last year was 35,180, the report shows. That compares with a figure of 34,570 for the same period a year earlier.

But FAA figures for the first half of last year show a 6.2 percent drop from the same 2006 period, going from 13,586 to 12,749.

Airport Manager Hal Ross said the search is on for a small, start-up airline to provide service from Southeast Texas to cities such as Austin and Dallas. A group has expressed interest, he said.

"They need working capital and expect the community to pay the capital," Ross said. "It creates opportunity, but ultimately the decision of an airline to move into an area will be based on community willingness to use the service." Continental provides the only commercial service, shuttling passengers between Southeast Texas Regional and Bush Intercontinental in Houston.

Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce President Jim Rich said until the main terminal is closer to opening, attracting new air service will be tough.

Hurricane Rita trashed the main terminal in September 2005, forcing the county to temporarily re-open a nearby outdated terminal.

The main terminal was set to reopen last September, but due to an unexpectedly lengthy federal grant process and other factors, county officials now say it will reopen this summer.

Late last year, Ross said it might not reopen until early 2009.

This past week, Rich said, "We are anxiously awaiting repairs to the terminal, and any real movement down the road will happen when we have modern, up-to-date facilities to attract new air service."

Rich said he is arranging a meeting to gauge interest of local business leaders in the airline interested in serving Jefferson County.

"It's a sign of encouragement," he said. "We're a little cautious because we've been down this road before, and it's a sensitive issue. People still want to drive to Houston if it saves them money. It's a tough issue to change."

Ross said to address concerns about the temporary terminal's image, the county invested $2,000 for a slight makeover.

Customers soon will see professional signs directing them to departure and arrival waiting areas, baggage claim, ticket counters, rental cars and restrooms.

There'll even be a "Welcome to Southeast Texas" sign, he said.

The signs will not be used in the renovated terminal, Ross said.

"We started off with a temporary mindset, and temporary has turned into what some people think is long-term," Ross said. "We've continued to make that facility as comfortable as we can.

"Any major renovation will take taxpayer dollars. We will make every effort to provide a safe and secure terminal at a cost that is appropriate to the temporary operation."

Jefferson County Commissioner Mark Domingue said airport officials have no updated plan for the airport once terminal repairs are completed.

"You don't market an airport until it's built," he said. "We're still working on the plan."

Ross said there is long-term hope for a new airline based on the industry's overall projections for the next five years showing 2 percent growth for domestic travel and 18 percent for international travel.

"(Large airlines) let go of some of the domestic routes, and maybe we'll see some of the smaller companies and some startups move in to service those areas that were formerly serviced by large carriers," Ross said.

In the near future, the county still plans to build up property surrounding the facility commercially, Ross said.

"Nonaeronautical airport property is the norm," Ross said. "It's important to any airport that they maximize the use of their assets in order to maintain a buffer area."

Developed land, Ross said, puts revenue into an airport's operating budget.

Meanwhile, the county received more good news with a report that the airport broke even during the 2005-06 fiscal year. The airport ended the 2004-05 fiscal year with a $147,667 deficit. The three previous fiscal years ended with deficits of $398,534, $1.6 million and $817,519, respectively.

Budget numbers for 2006-07 won't be available until later this month.

To see more of The Beaumont Enterprise, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.www.beaumontenterprise.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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