JACKSON, Miss. – You are paying more to catch a flight out of the state’s busiest airport.
First quarter figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics show average round-trip fares at the Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport rose nearly five percent compared to the same quarter a year ago, from $434.25 to $454.49. The soaring costs landed the airport’s domestic ticket prices among the top ten highest in the nation.
Some experts say the airport’s loss of discount carrier Southwest Airlines may have fueled the hike in ticket prices, even though Southwest didn’t end services there until early June. The anticipated loss of the $800,000 the airline generated for the airport annually led the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority to increase the landing fees for other carriers, which was eventually passed on to passengers.
Other regional air carriers rounding out the top ten list of highest domestic ticket prices: Memphis, Tenn. and Houston Bush, Texas.
