Airport trustees begin wrestling with post-American numbers

RENO, Nev. - Four days after American Airlines unexpectedly slashed its flight schedule in and out of Reno, airport trustees have begun looking at ways of making up for the 17 percent loss of air passenger traffic.

Executive Director Krys Bart told a Washoe County Airport Authority caucus on Tuesday the loss will almost certainly mean a dramatic increase in the landing fees paid by airlines to use the facility.

Before it was learned on Friday that American was cutting 17 of its 28 daily flights, the tentative budget had called for a 3-cent increase, from $1.27 to $1.30, for each one-thousand pounds of landing weight.

Now, the amount could go up another 22 cents to make up for an estimated $682,000 loss in landing fee revenue. Options include raising other airport fees or trimming an already tight budget.

''This is a very, very significant jump,'' Bart said. ''It would be a devastating blow to our carrier service if we go to $1.52.''

With a proposed budget that already has been trimmed significantly, Bart said she would have to look at further cost reductions and price increases in other areas to keep the landing fee at only $1.36.

''These are difficult times, but these times won't last forever,'' she said, adding that other carriers such as Southwest Airlines will be approached to step into the gap left by American.

That could be a tough sell with a major boost in landing fees.

Southwest representative Leslie Carr flew in from Los Angeles to attend Tuesday's meeting and said that while Southwest is committed to the airport and community, it is concerned about the higher fees.

''It's not fair to balance the budget on the backs of the airlines that are committed to Reno,'' she told the board.

Carr told the Sparks Tribune that the proposed $1.36 landing fee would be acceptable to Southwest and that the airline might consider adding flights in Reno, but that right now the carrier is growing so quickly that it already has an airplane shortage.

''We're bullish on Reno,'' Carr said.