Reno airport passenger count bodes well for economy
By Lenita Powers, Reno Gazette-Journal
More cargo and passengers are moving through Reno-Tahoe International Airport, a harbinger of better economic times ahead for the area, Krys Bart, the airport’s chief executive officer, said last week.
“Airports are early indicators of the economy and these numbers are a sign of recovery for our community,” Bart said.
Cargo moving through the airport jumped by almost 20 percent in November compared to the same month last year, and the percent of passengers has risen by 1.7 percent since July 1, the start of the airport’s fiscal year.
The larger jump in cargo compared to the more modest increase in passenger traffic also follows the normal airport indicators of an economic upturn, Bart said.
“Cargo rebounds first because it is directly related to business activity,” she said. “If we have increased business activity, we should see increased wages and more disposable income, and then we should see increased passenger activity, too.”