Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority Board Chairman Jim Hall, left, and Mayor Tim Kelly take home celebratory cookies branded with 2024’s record-breaking enplanements: 556,958. The number is 14 percent higher than 2023’s.
photo by Hannah Campbell
Thursday afternoon at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority board of commissioners meeting, Chairman Jim Hall led everyone present, including Mayor Tim Kelly, in a moment of silence for the 67 souls who lost their lives in the American Airlines flight that crashed Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. The plane collided with an Army helicopter performing a training exercise.
“This is an unfortunate day in aviation safety,” said Mr. Hall, who chaired the National Transportation Safety Board from 1994 to 2001.
Mr. Hall pointed out that about 65 American Airlines employees work at the Chattanooga Airport.
As the Chattanooga Airport breaks enplanement records in December and January, a new marketing campaign will lean toward digital advertising and data-gathering to first find what resonates with customers, and then direct efforts there. The marketing budget increased 24 percent this fiscal year.
Airport President and CEO April Cameron told the group that 2024 enplanements were 14 percent more than 2023’s.
“So now the pressure’s on for 2025,” Ms. Cameron said, reiterating that more tickets sold equals more air service.
It was reported that December enplanements were the highest-ever, following record highs in October and November, too. Planes are 86 percent full, and Delta Air Lines flights are 87 percent full.
Seat capacity is 30 percent higher in January 2025 compared with January 2024. In May, Allegiant Air will increase service to Tampa from twice weekly to four times weekly, and to Orlando from twice weekly to three times weekly.
The airport’s marketing team presented its new and more measurable strategy, a departure from billboards, print ads and Google ads.
The airport’s website, flycha.com, now features a new Kayak tool called FlyMyAirport, which allows people to search and purchase tickets on the Chattanooga Airport’s website between any cities. The push has already helped raise immediate seat purchases by 42 percent, the marketing team told the group.
Chattanooga is one of three cities in the U.S. to beta test Airport One’s FlyMyAirport widget.
The airport will also track its ads on Google, Facebook and Instagram, recording if people see the ad, and if they click on it. The data rates business and leisure travel and whether people respond to promises of convenience or to a tug at the heartstrings.
A current ad pushing route awareness suggests flying to sunny Florida for Major League Baseball Spring Training.
So far, the analysis shows Chattanooga customers want convenience, and many are leisure travelers. Sentimentality ranks low.
“We are going to outperform the competition with the experience,” said board member David Littlejohn.
A study last year reported that Chattanooga is losing 61 percent of potential customers to other airports, mainly Atlanta and Nashville.
“Our market that we’re missing is right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee,” Mr. Hall said.
Mayor Kelly offered to explore a loyalty program with the Chamber of Commerce.