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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A new study shows Huntsville International Airport to be the most expensive airport in the United States.

According to our news partners at AL.com, tickets at HSV cost $456.17 per flier. The cheapest airport, located in Atlantic City, N.J., costs far less at just $109.43.

“Airlines will price their fares based on what the market will bear,” Mary Swanstrom, the airport’s public relations manager, told AL.com. “The airlines set the prices. The airports are not allowed to by law.”

Swanstrom noted that 70% of fliers in Huntsville are business travelers, while just 30% are leisure travelers.

The news doesn’t get much better statewide either, with Alabamians paying some of the highest fares in the country. West Virginia ranked first in the survey for most expensive flights at $419.27 per ticket. Vermont came in second, and Alabama in third at $410.93.

Swanstrom told AL.com that there are several ways to avoid higher airfares, including:

  • Planning your flights three to six months in advance
  • Be flexible on dates
  • Shop around
  • Note that flight fares are cheaper on Fridays and Sundays

The survey, conducted by NetCredit, averaged flight costs from airports at a statewide level, then compared the area’s average local pay to average domestic flight prices.