DAY International Airport began 2015 with another dip in traffic, but several airlines saw improvements.The airport saw 77,250 passengers in January, a 6 percent decrease from the previous January, and its 18th consecutive month of traffic declines.The continuing shift in passenger loads from the airport's busiest carriers continue to drive its changing numbers. In all, Dayton airport saw roughly 1.1 million passengers in 2014 — about 110,000 fewer than 2013.
Delta Air Lines remained the busiest carrier at the airport, but its 22,400 passengers marked a 6 percent decline from what it posted in January 2014.
US Airways followed, with close to 17,000 passengers on the month, a 5.2 percent decline.
American Airlines, whose local subsidiary PSA Airlines Inc. is based at the airport, saw a 2 percent increase in passengers to 13,300. It's now the third busiest carrier at the airport.
United Airlines system saw a 9 percent increase in passengers to 12,700 compared to January of 2014.
It overtook the Southwest/Air Tran system, which posted 11,900 passengers, a 23 percent decline from the first month of last year.
Experts have pointed to a changing airline business model that focuses on "hub and spoke" flights to major airports. This means fewer direct flights out of smaller airports.
The airport could see millions of dollars in construction improvements, with $27 million in airport construction funding recently cleared for Dayton-area airport upgrades. And the city is on the hunt for a new airport director, following the departure of Terry Slaybaugh for MKE.