CITY OFFICIAL: IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL AT CAPE AIRPORT

Cape Girardeau Airport manager Randy Holdman was somewhat surprised at some of the calls he received over the weekend.

"People were asking if we were still open," said Holdman on Sunday. "It's business as usual. Trans World Express, car rentals, taxis, the restaurant and everyone else is still open for business. We just need to let people know that."

The confusion over the status of the airport stems from action the city took to begin the process to evict Cape Central Airways, the airport's fixed-base operator. The city is seeking to end Cape Central's 12-year lease with the city, which was renegotiated two years ago.

But Holdman said Sunday all operations at the airport, including Cape Central Airways, are open for business.

Sunday has become one of most profitable days for Trans World Express, the commercial airline that serves the airport, since the company moved its time of departure from 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. TWE's boardings for April were 510, giving the company its highest month in five years.

Holdman was concerned this would not be one of his better Sundays because misinformed travelers were staying away.

City attorney Warren Wells cited concerns with the timing of payments and some safety matters under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration as reasons for terminating the lease with Cape Central Airways. "There are other matters we can't discuss because of the possibility of litigation," said Wells.

Wells also said the city is not waiting for the outcome on the FAA investigations to proceed with its action against Cape Central Airways. "They're (FAA) going their way on this and we're going our way," said Wells.

Cape Central Airways CEO Mark Spatz, who believes the city has treated his company unfairly, has hired Al Lowes as his attorney in the event there would be a lawsuit over the action taken by the city.

The FAA has just begun its investigation into an emergency landing at Fort Knox, Ky., and three flights that left the Cape Girardeau Airport March 8 when 12 inches of snow forced the facility to close at 9:58 p.m.