Local airports see effects of economic turbulence

WASHINGTON - Business isn't exactly booming at the D.C. region's three airports.

Regan National, Dulles International and BWI Thurgood Marshall airports all are seeing declines in the number of air travelers.

Both Reagan National and Dulles International continue to see a decline year-to-date, with overall volume down about 4 percent at Reagan National and down 2 percent at Dulles International. BWI Marshall got off to a fast start at the beginning of the year, but airports officials now say there is a softening demand.

Looking at the most recent figures for air travel -- comparing August 2008 with August 2007-- there was a 5.3 percent decline in the number of air travelers at Regan National, a 1.5 percent decline at Dulles International (although international travel is seeing an increase), and a 8.2 percent decline at BWI Marshall.

High fuel costs, rising ticket prices, capacity cuts and other economic pressures are being blamed for declining passenger traffic.

The local airports follow a larger trend throughout the country, where domestic travel was down 6 percent in the month of August.

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