AIRPORT PASSENGER VOLUME RETURNING TO PRE-SEPT. 11 LEVELS.

Byline: Susan Abram  Staff Writer

BURBANK - Burbank Airport is experiencing ``pre-9-11 numbers'' of travelers, with passenger totals hitting 418,660 in June - a 4.6 percent increase from 400,126 travelers a year earlier, airport spokesman Victor Gill said Tuesday.

Travelers, he said, appear to be slowly overcoming their hesitation to fly, born of the Sept. 11, 2001, airline terrorism.

``My sense is there's been time for people to get used to the environment, and the rigors of security screening,'' Gill said. ``June as an indicator would give us a sense it's going to be a fairly busy travel summer. July and August are heavy.''

Even as summertime travel increases overall at the airport, rates for parking near the airport are falling.

On Monday, Burbank Hilton Hotel's ACE Parking reduced its long-term parking fees from $9.80 daily to $7.50 and promised customers a free newspaper and bottled water on the shuttle ride to the Burbank Airport, said parking manager Elias Constantinides.

``I think if anything, the volume of passengers who use the parking has increased at the airport, but as far as the Hilton, we are seeing at least a 50 percent decline since last year,'' Constantinides said.

The lot faces more competition with the opening late last year of private Star Parking, which offers 2,200 spaces in a lot adjacent to the airport's parking structure.

In December, the airport slashed its parking fees nearly in half from $9 to $4.55 in response to Star Park's opening.

``That demand on our parking is greater is attributed to our reductions last December,'' Gill said.

Brett Foy, vice president for Zelman Develop Co., which owns Star Park, said the boom in air travel is helping his business establish a reputation in the parking market.

``Our business is improving and we're making progress every month,'' Foy said. ``It's good for everybody. As travel goes up, there's enough customers going around. I think if the airport didn't price their rates so low, they would be losing more customers.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com