The Magic Valley Regional Airport continued to see steady growth in passenger and commercial flights through 2018, according to the annual report presented to the Airport Advisory Board.
The airport served more than 85,350 passengers in 2018, about 4,000 more passengers than in 2017 and more than 15,000 passengers compared to 2016. Passenger totals included both inbound and outbound flights for air service provided by Delta Airlines. Increased passenger counts boosted other services at the airport. Total gross car rental revenue, landing fees, and fuel sales all increased in 2018.
“We’re pleased that more people are choosing us, and we believe that reflects our airport’s convenience,” said Bill Carberry, Magic Valley Airport Director.
The increase comes after substantial capital investment in the airport that includes upgrades to runways, taxiways, and tarmac, and the completion of a $4.3 million — mostly federally funded — airport terminal expansion and remodel in 2017.
The airport also saw an uptick in air freight from 2.12 million pounds in 2017 to more than 2.32 million pounds in 2018 — breaking away from the five year average of 2.1 million. The increase in air freight also follows capital improvement projects that include a FedEx sorting facility that opened in 2017.