Video: Early Numbers for SeaPort Air out of Tupelo Unimpressive

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo’s new airline says it remains confident its passenger numbers will improve. Seaport carried 182 passengers in February. That’s an average of 13 passengers a day in the airline’s fourth full month of operation. The numbers were 34 % below the previous February when troubled Silver Airlines was serving Tupelo.

Seaport is using 9-passenger Cessnas for 18 flights a week to Nashville and 12 to Memphis. Some analysts say passengers don’t like the small planes and are willing to drive to Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham or Columbus to catch flights. Seaport receives an annual federal subsidy of two and a half million dollars to provide the service.