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P/CLOUDY Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, April 10, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 29, 2003 Numbers up at Medford airport Security, such as vehicle searches, has relaxed since the months following 9/11 By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Despite a sluggish U.S. economy and travel jitters abroad, a record number of passengers are flying in and out of the Medford airport. "Our numbers are higher than before 9/11," said Bern Case, director of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. "Our travel has been tremendously solid." Prior to 9/11, passengers at the Medford airport had been breaking records annually for six years. The trend peaked in 2000 with a record 492,065 people flying in and out of the airport. But the numbers dropped noticeably after the terrorist attacks in 2001. A total of 464,535 passengers used the airport in 2001, a decrease of roughly 6 percent from 2000. The numbers dipped even lower in 2002, to 462,098. December 2002, however, marked a rebound for the airport when a record-breaking 41,529 passengers passed through, compared to 34,824 passengers in 2001. The trend continued into January with 32,977 passengers — 3,217 more than in January 2002. No records were broken in February, but Case said numbers were substantially up from one year ago. Local travelers will notice security has relaxed a bit since the months following 9/11. Although Medford police and private security personnel still patrol the airport and federal screeners are in place, vehicles are no longer searched. "Our threat level in Medford, Oregon, is not as high as say Miami, Florida," noted Case. But Nancy Stevens, a Central Point resident who dropped her stepson off Friday for a flight to Portland, said she wishes security measures were tighter. "I know it’s probably not necessary, but I would feel safer if they were still (checking vehicles)," said Stevens. "Medford is just as vulnerable as anywhere on the planet when it comes to terrorism." Although vehicle searches have been eliminated, Case said the policy can be reinstated in less than one hour if it becomes necessary. Though national and international airports are on the alert for signs of the mysterious SARS disease, local airport officials aren’t specifically looking for symptoms because the facility lost its U.S. Customs Office in January, along with its international flights. "We’re relying on our major points of entry to do that job," said Case. California resident Andrew Jones arrived in Medford Friday from San Francisco. Jones said he’s a frequent flyer who’s in town on business, and added that security at the Medford airport seems more than sufficient. "You’ve got to look at the bigger picture," said Jones. "This is a small, rural airport comparatively. You don’t need the same safety procedures in place." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S