Study shows Johnstown airport has room to bolster travel numbers
Even with boardings up more than 80% and the airport's local market share increasing, approximately 530 people every day are still driving to airports further away for flights, Texas-based consultant ArkStar's 'Demand and Leakage' study showed.
That adds up to about 193,000 potential customers yearly, ArkStar's Gary Foss said. And they are driving two hours on average to board flights, often to destinations such as Florida and Denver.
For Johnstown's airport and its United Express carrier, SkyWest Airlines – and perhaps future carriers – that illustrates a real opportunity for growth, he said.
'This is a great opportunity for us. It shows the potential that still exists,' he said, adding that Johnstown's airport is capturing just under 6% of the air travelers who live closer to Johnstown than other airports, such as those in Pittsburgh, Latrobe or State College.
Johnstown's airport authority paid $7,500 for the study to get a snapshot of local residents' travel habits. It's part of their goal to lure more of those residents to fly from Johnstown.
The airport, which had 35,000 people fly to or from Johnstown in 2024, offers direct flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The airport's Essential Air Service contract is also up for renewal this year, and the study's findings could shed light on travel destinations that airport officials should be considering for 2026.
Southern favorites
Chicago, one of SkyWest's current direct destinations from Johnstown, is among the top destinations for local air travelers, regardless of whether they are flying from Johnstown or other airports such as Pittsburgh, the study showed.
But many of the top seven destinations overall were southeastern cities, Foss said. Orlando ranked first and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, second, with Miami third, while another Florida route also scored high.
'One-third of (travelers) are going to Florida ... and 48% are heading to the southwest,' he said.
Denver was a surprising inclusion in the top five, Foss added.
SkyWest meeting
Airport Manager Cory Cree and airport authority board members are planning to meet with SkyWest Airlines officials in Utah next week about the study's results – and about future opportunities for Johnstown.
The airport authority has been taking steps to entice an airline – either SkyWest or a future carrier – to add additional flights from Johnstown.
Plans are progressing to expand parking and, separately, the waiting area for screened passengers inside the terminal in 2026.
Foss and the board said next's week's meeting will be a chance to update SkyWest on the Johnstown airport's momentum. But even if the airport's goal to add another direct destination doesn't yield results, details from the 75-page report still could lead to positive changes, Foss said.
The up-to-date data on local travelers' favorite destinations could lead SkyWest and Johnstown to consider different Essential Air Service routes, or tweak current flight schedules to provide more ideal connections to flights to popular destinations.
The study's details could also help Johnstown's airport better focus its marketing – not just through TV or online ads, but also targeting certain demographics within the pool of travelers, Foss said.
Marketing tool
Airport authority members put an emphasis on data detailing SkyWest's performance, which showed its completion rate topping the national average over much of the past year, as another message they need to share and highlight.
'There's a lot of good data here,' Board Chairman Tim McIlwain said at the meeting via Zoom.
Even with the record numbers the airport has been reporting, 'there seems to be a lot of potential to capture even better enplanement numbers,' he said.
Foss reminded the board members that even though the airport has been providing reliable commercial jet service for the past several years – and seeing its passenger totals grow because of it – that's still a short period of time when it comes to changing the region's travel habits.
'Old habits die hard,' Foss said, adding that figures showed some people continue driving to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Baltimore for flights. 'It takes a couple years to really get the word out, and people are still discovering that they can get to major hubs from Johnstown.'
'But you look at these numbers ... and you can see the upside,' he added.
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