Passenger decline at T.F. Green continues

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) – T.F. Green Airport has lost more than two million annual passengers since 2005, but Rhode Island Airport Corporation interim CEO Peter Frazier on Tuesday said he is “cautiously optimistic” that the airport could see a spike in traffic in 2013.

“I think we’ll see an improvement,” Frazier told WPRI.com. “We as an institution are doing everything we can to maximize our attractiveness to the airlines.”

Frazier’s comments came on the same day that T.F. Green reported that 3,650,737 passengers used the airport in 2012, a six percent decline from 2011. In 2005 — T.F. Green’s peak year for passengers — 5,730,557 passed through the Warwick airport.

But the airport saw a steep drop in passengers during the economic recession and has yet to see a recovery despite improvements in the economy. Frazier pointed to the .04 percent uptick in passengers in Dec. 2012 compared with Dec. 2011 as a sign that things might be starting to turnaround for T.F. Green.

“It’s nothing to be proud of, but we think we held our own,” Frazier said.

Frazier said he is confident the addition of JetBlue Airways will help draw more customers to the airport but he also confirmed that Air Canada —the only airline offering international flights from T.F. Green — has suspended its service in Warwick.

“Any time you lose an airline, it’s a disappointment,” Frazier said.

Dan McGowan ( dmcgowan@wpri.com ) covers politics and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Twitter: @danmcgowan