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McCook Gazette

Airport passengers continue to climb, best since at least 2007

Monday, November 4, 2013

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Boarded passenger numbers at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport have seen a double digit increase every month this year since February. July, August and September combined for 500 boarded passengers, which is a 19 percent increase from the 418 passengers that boarded during the same time period in 2012.

The increases have resulted in the most passengers boarded at the McCook airport, during the first nine months of a year, since at least 2007. The increasing passenger trend began during the final quarter of 2012, shortly after several community leaders and members of the airport advisory board successfully lobbied Great Lakes Airlines to change their McCook departure time.

Boarded passenger numbers only include passengers from scheduled airline services, not charter, taxi or non-scheduled carrier passengers.

January through September, enplaned passengers by year:

2013 : 1488

2012 : 1142

2011 : 1334

2010 : 1362

2009 : 1242

2008 : 1238

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  • Is there a difference between boarded passengers and boarding passengers. Example, if passengers board in Denver for North Plate destination, do they count as boarded passengers for McCook.

    I'm asking for clarification on the nomenclature. This may just be a play on words to make Great Lakes passenger counts look good.

    -- Posted by flynh3 on Tue, Nov 5, 2013, at 8:35 AM

  • Cost to fly is still to high but use it or lose it

    -- Posted by dennis on Tue, Nov 5, 2013, at 10:22 PM

  • I do believe that boarded passengers are those that depart or arrive in McCook and not just going to North Platte. North Platte actually gets about 8-11,000 passengers a year.

    It's also only been in the last couple of years that McCook has had regular air service to a city besides Denver. Great Lakes used to fly to Grand Island. After they quit flying there they started going McCook to Kearney. Kearney had enough passengers for a bigger plane, so now its McCook to North Platte.

    I believe that the 2008-2011 numbers are from when the flights were only to and from Denver-McCook, I think it's 2012 when the McCook to Kearney route started.

    -- Posted by npwinder on Wed, Nov 6, 2013, at 10:16 PM
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