Officials point to signs of turnaround at Memphis airport
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Officials at Memphis International Airport are pointing to signs of a turnaround following a downsizing in operations.
The Commercial Appeal reports that in terms of scheduled flights, Memphis is among the top 10 highest-growth airports of comparable size for the first three months of 2016. And airfares have fallen sharply.
Flights, passengers and nonstop destinations are down by two-thirds to three-fourths since Delta Air Lines gobbled up longtime hub operator Northwest in 2008 and began dismantling the once-bustling hub.
The newspaper reports that parts of the airport are like a ghost town, especially on weekends and at slack hours of the day. Dozens of gates have been idled, and half the former restaurants and shops have gone dark.
