# Passenger #'s dropping, Sacramento airport looks at budget cuts



## Blackwolf (Dec 14, 2013)

While SMF (Sacramento International Airport) has some particular issues regarding ultra-high "user fees" when compared with the rest of the airline industry as well as over $1 Billion in construction debt, they are not alone.

Indeed, when it comes to small and medium-sized "regional" airports, Sacramento Airports Commissioner John Wheat sums it up pretty clear:



> “We’ve seen a tremendous reduction in passengers,” Wheat said. “Unfortunately, we have not quite bottomed out yet.”


And as SouthWest Airline's airports manager Chris Czarnecki states:



> Industry experts say Sacramento’s financial challenges are similar to those facing other medium-sized airports, including San Jose, Oakland and San Diego. “It is really a reflection of the new economics of the airline industry more than anything,” Southwest’s Czarnecki said.


I recall a discussion here on AU at some point in the recent past about a predicted decline of domestic air travel, and that effect on these Billion Dollar airport terminals that dot the US as a result. Indeed, we're not seeing "regional jets" being solely used to ferry between smaller airports and hubs any more. With the announcement yesterday from American to buy dozens of new CRJ's and Embraer jets, the trend of using small "regional jets" on main-line flights is strongly looking to be the new normal. Which might mean a sizable reduction of service to anything but the biggest hubs.

Sacramento Bee article:

Passenger levels dropping, Sacramento airport looks at budget cuts



*EDIT* to remove multiple automatic hyperlinks.


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## jis (Dec 14, 2013)

I am surprised that Sacramento thinks it is in the same league as San Jose, which is starting to get many international flights to the Pacific basin.


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## rickycourtney (Dec 14, 2013)

Also I would argue that SMF isn't in the same league as Oakland either. OAK is one of Southwest's de-facto hubs and it serves a million more passengers each year.

Another issue is that it is becoming more cost effective to fly regional jets to smaller airports.

A few years ago it was cheaper to drive from Fresno to Sacramento and catch a flight. Now a flight from SEA-LAX-FAT is cheaper than flying SEA-SMF and driving back to Fresno. I know that's true because I priced it out yesterday.


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## calwatch (Dec 16, 2013)

They built that massive Terminal B complex with a fancy train and modern screening facilities, while sitll keeping Terminal A the way it is. It may be beneficial to consolidate the two terminals, and it would certainly save on the costs of having duplicate security checkpoints and airside facilities. But I'm not sure traffic has dropped to that level yet.


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