Cape airport, consultants discusses expansion plans with council

The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and CMT consultants presented ideas for airport terminal updates, expansion and future passenger projections included in its Terminal Area Master Plan (TAMP) to the Cape Girardeau City Council at its meeting Monday.

Consultant and TAMP project manager Nick Brown discussed several options to update the airport, including expansion of building facilities, roadways and parking lots into the airport property, focusing on the northwest section.

As explained by Brown, the current airport facility was built pre-9/11 and was not constructed to fit security and convenience expectations of many modern airports, such as electronics charging stations.

Beyond expansion, the plan also focuses on growth of passenger boardings and available airplanes. Currently, the airport houses 73 aircrafts, but Brown said that number may rise to 94 by 2040. He said a transition to larger 65-seat aircrafts by 2035 is also forecast.

In an introduction to the council, airport manager Katrina Amos said the planning process is still preliminary. Brown said CMT consultants will present forecast documents for city and airport approval, and then submit to them to the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Moving forward, they will develop facility expectations such as number of security lanes, ticket counters and other building requirements needed, Brown said.

In April, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport received a $17 million grant as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, according to previous reporting by the Southeast Missourian.

Due to COVID-19, Brown said the airport has experienced a 60% decline in traffic this year compared to 2019 data. CMT estimates Cape Girardeau Regional Airport will not return to 2019 traffic levels until at least 2022.