Passenger traffic falls

PUNTA GORDA — Passenger traffic at Punta Gorda Airport in Charlotte County fell 27% in June but is expected to rebound as discount airline Allegiant adds new destinations.

According to the Charlotte County Airport Authority, 10,382 passengers passed through the Punta Gorda Airport in June, a 27% drop from the same month one year ago.

The decline is due to the fact that DirectAir ended service to Punta Gorda in April after that airline filed for bankruptcy protection. The overall decline in June was mitigated by the fact that Allegiant carried 2% more passengers in June than it did in June 2011.

However, in late June and early July, Allegiant started nonstop jet service to four additional cities from Punta Gorda: South Bend, Ind.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.; and Peoria, Ill. Those new routes will likely boost passenger traffic at the Charlotte County airport.