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i <br /> <br /> ` ~ 'y <br /> . <br /> PUBLIC WORK DEPARTMENT • 858 PEARL • EUGENE, OREGON 97401 <br /> NEWS RELEASE <br /> i <br /> July 5, 198 <br /> CONTRCT: bert Shelby, Director of Aviation, 687-5430 <br /> j From Sandr Gleason, Public Information, 687-5523 <br /> FOR IMMEDI TE RELEASE <br /> S UDY SHOWS 30% OF EUGENE'S AIR TRAVELERS DRIVING TO PORTLAND <br /> Eugen Oregon With nearly 550,000 annual enplanements, Mahlon <br /> Sweet Airp rt ranks second in the state for air travel, showing a 52 percent <br /> i <br /> increase i the last five years. In spite of this growth, a recently completed <br /> study of E gene air travel indicates 31 percent of area air travelers still <br /> drive to P rtland to begin their trips. <br /> Accor ing to Robert Shelby, director of aviation at Mahlon Sweet, the <br /> number of assengers flying from Mahlon Sweet has increased. "In 1972, 40 <br /> percent o Eugene air travelers were driving to Portland; we've reduced that <br /> to about 30 percent. Considering the larger size of the Portland market, the <br /> greater f equency of Portland service to individual markets, and the larger <br /> number of airlines serving Portland, some percentage of Eugene travelers will <br /> always drive to Portland. However, I believe we can keep about 90-95 percent <br /> of area t avelers. Since the airlines set the fares and determine the routes, <br /> it will t ke their cooperation to reach that goal." <br /> Earl er this year, in an effort to reduce the number of travelers driving <br /> to Portia d, airport officials hired Roberts & Associates, a San Francisco <br /> based avi~tion consulting firm. The consultant was asked to ]ook for <br /> opportunities to make fares more competitive with Portland. <br /> more <br /> i <br /> <br />