AIRPORT ADVISORY GROUP VIEWS BOARDING DECREASE

As expected, boardings at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport in 1991 fell well below the 10,000 required to assure $300,000 in annual federal entitlements for airport improvements.

Airport Manager Mark Seesing reported to the Airport Advisory Board Tuesday that total boardings through December were 8,704, down from 10,017 in 1990.

Airport boardings lagged behind 1990 totals each month in 1991, and will force airport officials to seek money for improvements from sources other than the Federal Aviation Administration entitlements.

Seesing said Tuesday that the city this year will still be able to use unspent entitlements, but that it will have to begin the application process for future discretionary funds available through the state.

"There's money available for individual projects through the Missouri block grant program," he said. "There's also some other federal discretionary money that's available. We'll probably have to start getting applications in for that money this year so we can get it next year when our entitlements run out."

Board member William Walker, who also is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Air Transportation Committee, said a study done by the committee showed the decrease in boardings is related directly to a reduction in air service and reliability at the airport.

Charts compiled by the committee show a steady increase in boardings from 1984 to 1987, when enplanements began to decline. The latter year, 1987, also saw two of the three airlines serving the airport cease operations.

Since then, Trans World Express, which provides air service to and from St. Louis, is the sole carrier.

Walker said a key to increasing boardings is to find a carrier that will serve other destinations.

Board chairman Jerry McClanahan said he agreed: "Everyone in the community that I keep hearing from is clamoring for service to somewhere other than St. Louis."

Seesing said Lone Star Airlines of Texas, which has expressed interest in serving Cape Girardeau, likely would provide service to a destination other than St. Louis.

"They're also a private company that's interested in public relations and customer service as opposed to somebody like TWE, which is taken care of by (Trans World Airlines)," he said.

In other business, Seesing told the airport board that the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team has waived a requirement that the airport install aircraft arresting gear for the Blue Angels' air show scheduled for May.

He said the arresting gear would have cost the city at least $20,000 to install. The cost of the equipment was the one obstacle to securing the renowned flight demonstration team for a performance here.

Seesing also said he is working on a proposal to bring an aircraft to the airport for a static display. He said a group provides disarmed fighter aircraft free of charge to airports and cities willing to transport and maintain them.

McClanahan said he wanted Seesing to contact local veteran's groups to seek their participation in the project.