Passenger numbers for October are Lafayette Regional Airport's largest ever for that month.
Passengers boarded and departed planes at Lafayette Regional Airport in record numbers for the month of October, shattering a record set in October 2010. During the month, 20,563 passengers boarded planes at the airport, and 20,511 passengers landed in Lafayette.
Through October, the airport reported 190,060 passenger boardings and 189,625 passenger arrivals. That's 2,045 (1.09 percent) more boardings and 2,956 (1.58%) more arrivals into Lafayette compared with the same period last year.
"October was another great month for the airport, and we remain on a record pace for the best year ever. With the holiday season fast approaching, we hope people will continue to choose to fly Lafayette," Lafayette Airport Commission Chairman Paul A. Guilbeau said in announcing the record. "There are other reasons to be optimistic this will be a record-breaking year," he added. Guilbeau cited Allegiant Airlines' new service to Las Vegas, flights that have been mostly full. Also, he noted that in December United/Continental will be bringing in 70-seat planes to replace the smaller 50-seat regional jets that service the Lafayette to Houston route.
Load factors - the number of passengers flying on an airline versus the number of seats available - continued to be high in October for all carriers. All airlines reported at least 86 percent capacity on flights. Cargo numbers for October also remained high, the airport reported. Cargo boarded on planes here totaled 871,107 pounds, and cargo taken off of planes totaled 1,081,482 pounds.