AIRPORT: OFFICIALS SAY BOARDINGS OFF TO SLOW START IN '91

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- City officials say it's likely boardings at the Municipal Airport will dip below 10,000 this year, which would result in the loss of $300,000 in Federal Aviation Administration entitlement funds for airport development.

Public Works Director Doug Leslie and Airport Manager Mark Seesing said the airport will have difficulty securing the 10,000 boardings required by the FAA to maintain its status as a "primary" airport.

The Cape Girardeau airport is one of five primary airports in Missouri, and 435 in the U.S.

At the city's Airport Advisory Board meeting Wednesday, Seesing blamed the war in the Persian Gulf for decreased flights at airports nationwide.

"The FAA security requirements have really closed down much of the traffic," he said. "I hope now that the hostilities have died down, things will pick up."

Leslie said he doubted that the airport would be able to reach the FAA's 10,000-boardings threshold this year because of the drastic decline in January and February boardings.

The airport had 1,575 boardings during the first two months of 1991 compared with 2,203 during the same period in 1990.

The airport barely reached the 10,000-boardings level last year.

"As close as we were last year, coupled with the problems early this year, it doesn't look real well," Leslie said Wednesday.

In an interview Thursday, Seesing said the slumping economy also was partly to blame for the decline in boardings.

The airport manager also said there's little airports can do to counter the public's fear of terrorism as a result of the Persian Gulf War.

"(Terrorism) can happen," he said. "It doesn't matter if its Level Four security or Level 50 security."

Seesing said that despite the early boardings slump, the city hopes to boost boardings through promotions and marketing.

"It's definitely going to be an up-hill battle, especially starting out in such a hole," he said.

Seesing said Trans World Express, the airport's only commercial air carrier, will add a fourth departure from Cape Girardeau in April, which could increase boardings. He said a real boost to the airport would be additional airline service to a destination other than St. Louis.

"We'll continue our efforts to try to attract additional airline service into Cape Girardeau," Seesing said.

But, he added, potential airlines are reluctant to locate in airports where boardings are on the decline.

"Their decisions are made on traffic counts out of your airport," he said. "If your numbers decrease, they're very likely to overlook your airport if they're planning to add service somewhere."

Seesing said if the city is able to attract additional industry, it could offset the effects of declining boardings.

"Bringing industry into an area is another thing airlines look at," he said.

Seesing said he doesn't remember the city ever falling short of the 10,000-boardings goal in the six or seven years the FAA has had the airport entitlement program.

He said the loss of the entitlement funds probably wouldn't affect immediate airport development projects, but could hamper long-range development plans.

Seesing said a project to renovate the airport terminal building, in addition to installation of new signs and runway painting to be done in the next year, likely will use all the available airport funds.

He said the airport has available about $1.5 to $2 million in FAA funding and revenue from Public Facilities Authority bonds issued last year.

The terminal building project is expected to cost about $1 million.

Seesing said a long-range plan to extend an airport runway and taxiways would be threatened by the loss of the FAA funds.

"I'd really like to see that project completed, but it's going to be expensive," he said. "It would eliminate traffic flow problems and give the airport another (helicopter) pad.

"But when you stop and look at it, the terminal building is one of the most important things we can do."

Seesing said the existing terminal building is unappealing, and not particularly useful or economical. The renovation project will help alleviate those problems, he said.