Suarez: VIA is proving a great competitor to McAllen Airport

MCALLEN, Texas - Valley International Airport’s decision to offer more routes for leisure passengers has helped the airport gain a greater market share.That is the view of Elizabeth Suarez, director of McAllen International Airport. Giving her monthly report to the McAllen Economic Development Corporation’s board of directors, Suarez said the Harlingen-based VIA is, year-to-date, now neck and neck with McAllen for passenger volume.  “Harlingen has done a great job at linking up market share. It is  attributed to a lot of different factors. About two years ago they came in with a very aggressive plan to recruit new air services, primarily leisure services. We saw new routes to Monterrey, to Las Vegas,” Suarez said.Indeed, in April of this year, VIA outperformed McAllen, Suarez explained.Overall market year to date, McAllen captures 45 percent of the market share, with Harlingen at 43 percent and Brownsville at 12 percent,” Suarez said. Editor's Note: To read the full story, along with details of McAllen International Airport becoming the official South Texas Airport of the Dallas Cowboys, go to the Rio Grande Guardian website.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.