RAPID CITY - Total passengers using Rapid City Regional Airport have been steadily declining in recent years, but the airport's executive director hopes that will change with a strong summer.

The Rapid City Journal reports that total passengers peaked in 2010 at about 610,000. That number dropped in 2011 to 540,000 and 533,000 in 2012.

But executive director Cameron Humphres says the airport is forecasting passenger gains this year of up to 3 percent. He says he's hopeful Rapid City may get new flights to and from the North Dakota oil fields.

He says the demand doesn't look like it would support daily service, but maybe a few times a week.

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