Chattanooga has long been known as the city of Delta Air Lines, but that could change.
Figures show that American Airlines is ahead of perennial favorite Delta Air Lines in passenger traffic at Chattanooga Airport through July.
If the figures are valid for the entire year of 2024, it would be the first time in living memory that Delta has not ended a year with the highest passenger volume at the airport, according to Chattanooga authorities.
“This is very unusual. Delta has always been the market leader,” April Cameron, the airport’s CEO, said Monday in an interview after an airport authority meeting. “During COVID, there were a couple of months where American outperformed Delta, but then they came back.”
Airport data shows that American and its partner airlines boarded more than 133,000 passengers in Chattanooga during the first seven months of 2024, compared to more than 124,000 for Delta.
American’s boardings rose 26.3% through July compared to the same period last year. Delta is up 4.3% so far this year compared to 2023, the figures show.
American has expanded its service to its Charlotte and Dallas hubs, Cameron said.
“American is expanding the market in Charlotte and Dallas,” she told the airport board.
Delta seems to have noticed this, airport officials say. Earlier this month, the airline announced nonstop service between Chattanooga and New York City.
(READ MORE: Delta resumes nonstop flights to New York)
Daily service to LaGuardia Airport is scheduled to begin Oct. 7 and is the most requested route by business and leisure travelers in Chattanooga, Cameron said.
Airport Authority member David Littlejohn said at the meeting that it is important for travelers in the Chattanooga area to understand that every flight they take from Lovell Field is increasing competition.
“It influences the decisions of other airlines,” he said. “It’s good for people to understand that.”
(READ MORE: Study shows airports are losing more travelers to other cities)
Airport Board Vice Chairman Dan Jacobson spoke of “Delta’s continued belief in us.”
“Ultimately, it is up to us as a community to support this flight,” he said.
Cameron said she did not know for sure whether the high number of boardings on American Airlines affected the resumption of flights to New York, although it “might very well have contributed to it.”
“We know Chattanooga is a top market for Delta, and we know they are aware that American’s market share has been larger than theirs for several months in a row,” she said.
The airport’s CEO said the competition is good for the airport and that she believes Lovell Field benefits from it.
“We know that other airlines are taking into account the decisions made here in Chattanooga,” she said.
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Cameron said July was a record month for the airport in terms of total passenger numbers, with traffic up 10.4 percent from the previous year. For the year through July, passenger numbers at the airport were 14 percent higher than the previous year, according to the data.
“We are definitely in good momentum,” Cameron said.
Also flying from Chattanooga are United Airlines, whose passenger numbers increased 4.6% in 2023, and low-cost carrier Allegiant Air, which has grown 21.6% so far in 2024.
Allegiant recently launched nonstop flights between Chattanooga and Las Vegas.
Contact Mike Pare at [email protected] or 423-757-6318.
