Passenger traffic soaring: Charleston International's April figures set all-time monthly record

Boosted by the arrival of Southwest Airlines, Charleston International Airport is busier than ever.

The Charleston County Aviation Authority reported Thursday that 239,531 passengers traveled through its two concourses in April. That's 29 percent more travelers than April a year ago and an all-time monthly record for passenger traffic at the airport, according to Aviation Authority Chairman Chip Limehouse.

The previous record was set at about 230,000 passengers in May 2008, before fuel prices hit record highs that summer and a few months of ahead of the global financial meltdown that helped prolong the last recession.

Delta Air Lines, the longtime dominant carrier in Charleston, served the largest number of travelers in April with 79,181 passengers, about 3 percent more than the same time last year, according to airport officials.

USAirways reported the second-highest number

of passengers at 60,514.

Southwest Airlines, which started service out of Charleston in mid-March with seven daily flights to four cities, served 50,884 travelers in April.

Nearly all of the carriers at the airport, including American Airlines and Continental Airlines, posted significant increases, according to airport officials.

"That's really good news," said airports director Sue Stevens.

Local travel officials had been counting on Southwest's arrival to boost traffic.

"It's the Southwest effect," Stevens said.

She also reported that parking was up 24 percent based on the number of tickets, and taxicab activity jumped 21 percent in April.

"Coming off a couple of rough years, things are looking up," she said.

Among the many new passengers arriving at Charleston International Airport on Thursday was Rebecca Westrum of Oklahoma. Visiting friends here for the first time, Westrum said her two connecting flights were crowded.

"I didn't see any empty seats," she said.

Kathy Clark of Charleston flew back from Atlanta on Thursday after spending some time with family members.

During the past month she has flown twice to Atlanta, and said all the flights were full.

"I love this airport compared to Atlanta because it's small," she said.

Morgan Lorenz of Long Meadow, Mass., flies about four times a year and arrived in Charleston on Thursday. She said her flight was "completely packed."

Derek Legette of The Post and Courier contributed to this report. Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524.