Virus continues to dampen airline traffic at Cape Regional Airport

This story is updated.

Passenger traffic at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport through SkyWest Airlines so far in 2021 is at 41% of what it was during the same pre-COVID period last year, manager Katrina Amos told the airport's advisory board Tuesday.

There have been 551 enplanements, the industry term for passengers, in 2021 compared to 1,341 at the same time in 2020.

SkyWest offers flights to and from O'Hare Airport in Chicago.

Amos said Mike Mooney of Volaire Aviation Consulting plans to give the board a full 30-minute report on the status of airline travel in April.

"(Mooney) has told us to expect a pickup (in enplanements) toward the summer months due to optimism about COVID vaccine doses being more readily available but we should not expect heavy traffic," Amos said.

Amos also told the seven-member board and City Council liaison Stacy Kinder local statistics seem to mirror the industry trend.

Asked by board member Mark Seesing to characterize the overall industry percentage of decline since COVID, Amos said it was 59%, clarifying to the Southeast Missourian the figure is misleading.

"Not every (airport) is feeling the same level of affect (and) some have rebounded more than others," she explained.

Amos, who said approximately 70% of the airport's passenger traffic historically is for business travel, remains bullish about that sector eventually returning to normal in time.

"There will be changes to travel behaviors by businesses who see the advantage of virtual meetings," she said, "but I believe we're seeing Zoom fatigue and people prefer in-person interaction."

__Status__

In 2019, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport was designated a "primary" airport for the first time, entitling the facility to up to $1 million in federal airport improvement funding when it reached 10,000 enplanements that year.

Given the unique circumstances of COVID-19 last year, the airport's primary status was left unchanged despite passenger numbers falling short.

As to 2021, Amos said it was too early for a determination by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

__Notes__

*The Federal Aviation Administration has given conditional approval to the site for a new passenger terminal facility in the northeast quadrant of the airport's grounds.

*The City of Cape Girardeau and airport management will keep and repurpose the current terminal after the new one is operational.

*The airport will invite carriers in 2021 to bid for the next two-year Essential Air Service (EAS) designation. EAS was established in the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act to guarantee small communities would continue to be served by certified airlines in order to maintain a minimum level of air service.

*Airport Advisory Board members will give an overview to the Cape Girardeau City Council about its work in April. The City of Cape Girardeau owns the airport.

*Three board seats are coming open on the advisory panel. One incumbent, board vice chairman Mark Welker, the Cape Girardeau County prosecutor, is not seeking reappointment.

*Airport staff continue to deep clean the space formerly occupied by Sandy's Place Restaurant, which has moved off airport grounds. There is no timetable set to bring in a new food vendor.

*Francisco Tartabini has been named the airport's new flight line supervisor, succeeding Derrick Irwin, who retired Feb. 26.