Echoing what is happening across the country, the number of passengers flying in and out of Redding Municipal Airport in 2009 fell 13.6 percent to the lowest level since 2003.
The turbulent economy and the growing difficulty of catching connecting flights in other cities factored into the decline, north state travel experts said.
Some even suggested that the return of a Redding-to-Sacramento airport van shuttle helped steer more travelers south in 2009.
"In our business it all comes down to discretionary income, and if you have it, you spend it and people will travel," said Cathy Bossert, co-owner of Downtown Travel in Redding.
Redding Municipal Airport saw 114,104 travelers pass through its terminal last year, down from 132,058 in 2008 and the fewest since 2003's 107,752 - a year when the industry was still feeling the effect from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Redding is served by SkyWest, which contracts with United Express and offers four daily flights to San Francisco, and Horizon Air, which flies daily to Los Angeles and Seattle.
Passenger traffic in Redding peaked in 2006, when a record 135,943 passengers used the airport.
"The entire industry is down," Redding Airports Manager Rod Dinger said.
Dinger said the economy and United Airlines' reduced seating capacity, which means fewer flights available in San Francisco, reverberate to areas like Redding.
Passenger numbers last year at Chico Municipal Airport, which is served only by SkyWest, declined 6.9 percent to 46,341.
At Sacramento International Airport, year-over-year passenger traffic fell 10.7 percent to 8,914,510 in 2009, the fewest travelers since 2003. Even low-budget carrier Southwest Airlines had an off year in Sacramento, experiencing a 7.5 percent decline in 2009.
Janette Webber, co-owner of Avanti Travel in Redding, said Redding continues to be a challenging take-off point for making a connection.
"Personally, I like to go out of Redding as much as I can, but sometimes you are forced to go to Sacramento," Webber said.
When Horizon Air in August replaced its Redding-to-Portland, Ore., service with a flight to Seattle, there was concern that the flight would not arrive in Seattle early enough for travelers to catch their cruise out of the Emerald City.
The flight arrives in Seattle late in the afternoon, which means north state travelers typically either have to stay overnight and catch the ship the next day or fly out of Sacramento to make a same-day connection, Webber explained.
"But if you use it as a positive, and tell people your trip is going to start a day early, you can stay in Seattle and relax," they understand, Bossert of Downtown Travel said of the potential layover.
Meanwhile, both Webber and Bossert said a Redding-to-Sacramento van shuttle that started service in April is gaining favor with north state travelers.
First Class Shuttle provides daily rides to Sacramento International Airport. The vans leave the Oxford Suites on Hilltop Drive. Individual roundtrip tickets are $85.
"We have done a tremendous volume with the shuttle," Bossert said.
Bossert noted that when she suggests flying out of Sacramento, customers often will shoot back that they don't want to make the drive. But that changes when Bossert suggests the shuttle service.
"We get a lot of calls from people who are looking for a shuttle. ... We used to get a ton of calls even before we had the shuttle," Webber said.
