NewsAugust 11, 2021
SEMO pilot program ready to kick off
The debut of the Southeast Missouri State University's professional pilot program is less than two weeks away with the start of fall classes Aug. 23. Texas-based U.S. Aviation Group (USAG), which will be providing the instruction plus the aircraft for the bachelor's degree program, intends to begin the Fall 2021 semester with three planes housed at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport (CGI) -- with possible expansion of the aircraft complement in the short-term, thanks to what airport officials are referring to as "a high level of interest in the program.". ...
The debut of the Southeast Missouri State University's professional pilot program is less than two weeks away with the start of fall classes Aug. 23.
Texas-based U.S. Aviation Group (USAG), which will be providing the instruction plus the aircraft for the bachelor's degree program, intends to begin the Fall 2021 semester with three planes housed at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport (CGI) -- with possible expansion of the aircraft complement in the short-term, thanks to what airport officials are referring to as "a high level of interest in the program."
Enrollment numbers for the program were not available at presstime from Southeast.
Mark Taylor, executive vice president for USAG, said in January he was hopeful of 20 to 25 students in the inaugural class, permitting USAG to keep a low eight-to-one ratio of students to aircraft.
Southeast's university communications office told the Southeast Missourian an event is being planned at the Cape Girardeau city-owned airport in Scott County to herald the pilot program, presumably before the semester starts, but details are still being worked out,.
Higher traffic
Enplanements, the industry term for passengers, reached 1,028 in July -- marking the highest monthly volume since December 2019, before the pandemic, when CGI saw 1,024 enplanements.
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"We had a really strong month (in July)," airportt manager Katrina Amos said, "and our load factor was one of the highest we've had in quite some time."
The airport's monthly July usage report shows a 40% load factor, up from 14% in July 2020.
According to www.avjobs.com, a website helping to fill job openings in the aviation industry, airlines calculate a capacity load factor -- the percentage of passengers compared to available seats -- to assess whether a company is earning money, losing money or breaking even.
SkyWest Airlines, the airport's current air service provider, reportedly prefers to see a 30% to 35% load factor on its planes, "so we exceeded that," Amos said.
"Business travel has increased somewhat but has been slower to respond than we'd hoped."
Lease
Amos announced the airport has entered into a lease with Larry Eftink Farms for 339 acres of currently unused airport property at just over $202 per acre, generating $68,552 annually or $342,763 over a five-year period for CGI. In 2017, under a previous agreement, the airport rented 265 acres to MJB Farms for $176.53 per acre.
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