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Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport’s nonstop service to Washington’s Reagan International Airport is operating at an average 65% capacity as it nears its one-year anniversary, according to BTR Director of Aviation Mike Edwards.
The service, which was launched by American Airlines in June, was operating at roughly 45% capacity in August, as reported in Daily Report, well below the 68% recorded in July and the 74% during the first month.
Edwards says the flights have recently been closer to 75% full.
“We’re pleased with the increase,” Edwards says. “We’re going to continue aggressively marketing the flight. We need the community’s support to make sure we can maintain that service. American Airlines has made a large investment in our community by launching this service and we want to make sure it succeeds long term.”
Edwards says the airport’s goal is for the flight’s load factor to reach 80% or higher to maintain the flight.
“Looking at other regional markets with service to D.C., the average load factor is about 84%,” Edwards says. “We’re confident that once we get to 80%, the service will be viable in the long term.”
Overall, the airport saw more than 67,000 passengers in March, a 7% increase compared to March 2023. American Airlines saw nearly 10,000 more passengers from January through March than in the same quarter of 2023. The overall passenger volume through the first three months of this year increased by 8.4%.
