DES MOINES — One year after Southwest Airlines began flying out of Des Moines, airfares at the airport are cheaper.
The Des Moines Register reports Airport Director Don Smithey credits Southwest for the lower fares because other airlines adjusted prices to compete.
The U.S. Transportation Department says Des Moines’ airfare fell 6.9 percent between the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.
That was the third-largest drop in the U.S. at a time when airfares were increasing in most places.
Southwest began offering twice-a-day flights from Des Moines to Chicago last September. The discount airline added a daily flight to Las Vegas on Sunday.