Passenger numbers at Austin Straubel up in 2002 News-Chronicle Final numbers for 2002 show a 7.91-percent increase in passengers using Austin Straubel International Airport. Statistics released by the airport show the number of departing passengers up 7.2 percent, with 373,150 in 2002 to 348,086 in 2001. As for arriving passengers, those figures were up 8.6 percent (373,804 in 2002 to 344,126 in 2001). The numbers for the month of December showed a major increase, with December 2001 totals affected by the drop in air travel after Sept. 11. Departures were up 25.6 percent for the month, with 33,866 in 2002 to 26,989 in 2001. Arrivals were up 25.5 percent (33,751 to 26,898). Of the scheduled airlines serving Green Bay, Comair, which flies as the Delta Connection, showed the largest increase for the year, 57.8 percent (35,431, up from 22,460) in departures and 60.4 percent (34,949, up from 21,794) in arrivals. Northwest remained the busiest carrier, with 203,536 departures (up 3.1 percent) and 205,503 arrivals (up 4.5 percent). Cargo numbers at the airport were mixed, mostly because of a major drop in arriving cargo numbers for Northwest. Arriving cargo was down 32.3 percent, while departing cargo was up 4.6 percent, thanks mostly to a 469-percent increase for Heartland Aviation. Overall activity, including general aviation and military usage, was up 16.9 percent, with 74,141 takeoffs and landings to 63,405 in 2001.