Just a year ago, Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport was tied for fourth in a ranking of the most expensive airfares among the country's 100 largest airports.
Now, after adding low-cost carrier JetBlue in February, the airport has dropped to No. 25 on the list.
Ticket prices have fallen 13.7 percent -- the sharpest decline in the U.S., according to recently released Bureau of Transportation Statistics' numbers for the second quarter of this year.
Airport officials credit JetBlue for the lower prices.
"It's helped lower fares across the board," said Lori Lynah, airport director of marketing. "We have more seats and more service in the market. ... With more competition, the fares will be lower."
The company added flights to and from Boston's Logan International and New York City's John F. Kennedy International airports.
It also prompted other airlines to compete.
Delta, United and US Airways added more service, giving passengers the weekly option of 45 more flights and 5,000 additional seats, Lynah said.
The airport has seen 1.4 million passengers in 2014, up 16 percent from last year. The average ticket price, as high as $503, has fallen to $434, according to the transportation bureau.
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce president Bill Miles said the JetBlue effect has been felt on Hilton Head.
Hotel occupancy rates in October jumped 9.6 percent from last year. He attributes that rise, in part, to more corporate and leisure travelers flying into Savannah-Hilton Head.
"It certainly is a big win for our residents, for our visitors and for the business community," he said.
"Any time you are able to bring in and recruit additional airlines, especially when you land one like JetBlue, it's going to increase seats in the market."
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