The Bellingham International Airport’s latest effort to understand regional travelers is really taking off, but it needs more Whidbey resident responses before hitting the runway.

With a travel survey posted to Facebook last Tuesday, the airport is collecting insight on where Washington travelers are interested in flying, what prices they are willing to pay and through which airlines.

So far, most responses have come from Whatcom County, but Aviation Director Matthew Rodriguez said the airport is eager to hear more from Whidbey residents. That organic engagement, he added, is valuable data when the airport meets with both existing and potential airline partners.

The Bellingham International Airport, Rodriguez said, offers a less congested travel experience to the airport than The Seattle-Tacoma Airport and Paine Field Airport alternatives. For some Whidbey travelers, he added, “Bellingham is positioned in a really great spot.” The full-service airport, which serves about 800,000 customers a year, is about 50 miles from the North End of Whidbey, while SeaTac is more than 90, according to the online distance calculator.

Plus, Rodriguez said Bellingham offers a more relaxed experience with an emphasis on its Pacific Northwest attitude. The airport’s “exceptional customer service” is personable, making a start to a vacation or business trip that much more hassle-free, Rodriguez added.

The survey’s initiative is new territory for the airport; it has not been done in the seven years Rodriguez has worked at the airport, he said. The volume of responses to the travel survey has already exceeded expectations, he noted, spreading entirely on its own. Even with more than 10,000 responses, the airport is still seeking input from residents outside of Whatcom County. Community responses help confirm the consultant-driven data the airport already uses when speaking with airlines, Rodriguez said.

Those conversations depend on more than just stated traveler preferences, but the survey is a key piece of the broader strategy. Rodriguez said the data illuminates not only where people want to go but how much they might be willing to pay. Even so, he cautioned that new routes take time, calling airline recruitment a relationship-driven process grounded in trust and consistency.

While physical expansion is not part of the plan, with already two airlines serviced at the airport, Alaska and Allegiant, it has the capacity to add a couple of additional airlines and additional routes.

The survey will remain open for several months. Rodriguez hopes continued participation from Island County and the surrounding areas will help shape the airport’s next steps.

Take the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/BLISurvey.