Declining traffic: Vermont airport's record-breaking run ends

— -- Vermont's Burlington International Airport is coming off two record-breaking years. This year, not so much.

Last month, nearly 7,000 fewer people boarded planes at Vermont's largest airport compared with June 2008. That's a 10.5% decline and the third consecutive month of year-over-year declines. The airport has not seen such a dramatic drop in passengers since November 2000, when the total of departing passengers dropped 13.9%.

"The economy is affecting demand for air travel nationwide and we are feeling the effect," said Brian Searles, the airport's director.

Burlington International has logged fewer passengers for four of the first six months of this year, and year-over-year changes in February and March were essentially flat, according to airport data. Through June, about 342,000 people have flown from Burlington. That's about 4.5% below the same time last year.

Searles, who also has been serving as interim director of Burlington Department of Parks and Recreations since the end of June, said the airport budgeted for a 5% decline in passengers.

Fewer passengers mean less revenue for the airport. And the airport has "hit the pause button on spending until we are more secure." Capital-improvement projects and equipment improvements have been put on hold, he said. Even if the number of passengers flying from Burlington continues to sag, Searles doesn't anticipate cutting jobs.

"We are not near the point of considering layoffs," he said. The airport employs 35-40 full- and part-time employees.

Searles is expecting more year-over-year declines in the months ahead. There was "tremendous expansion" last year that can't be sustained in a recession, he said. AirTran Airways— which is responsible for 8% of the airport's passengers — will stop its Baltimore service in September, for example. The airline has said it will resume service in the spring.

Burlington International is still looking to expand service options.