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As passenger numbers continue to climb at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, the airport commission on Monday approved the establishment of a $5-per-day “Super Saver” parking lot adjacent to its economy lot.
The new low-cost option is designed to compete with existing $5 per day rates available off airport property at nearby hotels and motels and to attract new customers who may not be parking at the existing rates, said Lenard Robinson, director of landside facilities for the airport.
The first phase of the new lot will accommodate more than 100 spaces, including six handicapped spots, and can be expanded to 250 spaces if demand warrants, Robinson said.
The current rates for the Economy Deck are $8 per day or $40 per week, while the Hourly/Long-term parking deck is $12 a day or $60 per week.
The lot is expected to be operational in time for the holiday season.
Total airport passenger numbers for the month of August were 172,716, nearly 23 percent higher than August 2013. Passenger numbers year-to-date were 1.26 million, 16 percent higher than at the same time last year.
So far this year, the airport has seen 174,462 more passengers through August than in 2013, with arrivals up 15.5 percent and departures up 16.3 percent.
The airport’s load factor — the airlines’ measure of how much available passenger capacity is used — was 81 percent in August, a 3.3-percent increase over the same month last year, bringing the average load factor so far this year to 83.3 percent.
JetBlue had the highest load factor at 90.2 percent, followed by Delta at 80.3 percent, American at 79.9 percent and United at 79.8 percent.
There were more than 104,000 available seats last month, compared to 91,000 in August 2013.
Delta continues to have the most market share at 47.2 percent last month, although all three legacy carriers lost market share to JetBlue, which posted a 13 percent share for August and a 10 percent share year-to-date.
“We haven’t seen August passenger numbers this good in many years,” said Lori Lynah, director of marketing and air service development for the airport. “Available seats are up as are load factors, which means that most flights are almost full.
“We should continue to see increases each month through at least the end of the year,” Lynah said.
In other airport business Monday, commission members:
• Attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the airport’s newest concession, Tapia Cigars, in Savannah Square. Proprietor Alberto Tapia, a native of Cuba, said Tapia specializes in premium cigars and accessories, with more than $30,000 in cigar inventory and 60-plus open boxes in its “walk-in” humidor.
• Approved an agreement between Hangar Partners LLC and Gulfstream Aerospace that allows Hangar Partners to sublease their entire leased premises — four-plus acres at the corner of Eddie Jungemann Drive and Product Support Road and a 40,000-square-foot hangar — to Gulfstream.
The commission then approved an amendment to a land lease agreement with Gulfstream to include an additional two acres across from Hangar Partners. Gulfstream will pave that area for parking to support its operations on the Hangar Partners site.
• Approved an expenditure of $66,500 with Graybar Electric of Savannah to install induction lighting in Economy Parking Garage. Graybar was the low bidder.
• Approved the purchase of a 150,000-watt trailer-mounted generator for $54,800 from low bidder TAW Power Systems of Pooler.