Eugene Airport (EUG) is a small-hub airport enplaning nearly 600,000 passengers annually prior to the pandemic. EUG loses significant traffic to Portland International Airport, a large-hub airport. Since 2002, Mead & Hunt has helped EUG improve air service and retain a higher number of passengers.
Mead & Hunt completes analyses on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis, including airfare, performance and schedule monitoring, retention/diversion studies, and True Visitation Estimates. EUG has had significant success expanding service in existing markets and new nonstop markets over the past few years. Some examples include Alaska Airlines Los Angeles service, Allegiant Air San Diego service, and United Airlines Chicago and Los Angeles services.
One of the most remarkable air service initiatives has been with Southwest Airlines. For the past 10 years, EUG and Mead & Hunt have met with Southwest at every opportunity. The pandemic changed the way Southwest viewed the market and they reached out to EUG and Mead & Hunt in late 2020. Mead & Hunt completed the true visitation estimate and helped the community structure their incentives for Southwest. This culminated in Southwest announcing initiation of nonstop service in August 2021 to two initial markets from EUG, Las Vegas and Oakland.
