AIRPORT FACELIFT SHOULD HELP `FLY CAPE' EFFORT

It's amazing what a facelift can do to transform the ugly and ignored into the attractive and pursued.

In the case of the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport, city officials are hoping the nearly completed airport terminal building renovation will be the facelift that's needed to attract commercial flyers and industry to the virtually dormant airport. The $1.1 million terminal building is an attractive, functional facility that is well-equipped to meet the needs of business travelers. It also features a restaurant with seating for about 75 people, a lounge and a large, public lobby, all providing an excellent view to the airport's runways, taxiways and aprons.

The city is negotiating with potential tenants for the restaurant and lounge essentially all that stands in the way of the project's completion.

Hopefully, the new building can be a catalyst to bring visitors to the airport and revive interest in aviation here.

At a meeting last week with local travel agents, city officials and representatives of Trans World Express Cape Girardeau's sole commercial airline carrier revealed plans to increase efforts to market use of the Municipal Airport. The "Fly Cape" marketing effort is well-timed.

Along with the new terminal building, the city now has a new airport manager Randy Holdman, a retired Air Force officer with an impressive aviation resume and recently gained state and federal approval for more than $3 million in airport improvements.

Although the costs of the terminal building renovation were split about 60-40 between federal and local funds, the city will only have to finance 5 percent of the cost of the improvements projects. The Federal Aviation Administration will pay 90 percent of the costs and state grants will fund the remaining 5 percent. Apparently, there is much to promote at the airport.

Challenges remain, though. TWE has made great strides in improving reliability on their flights between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, but passenger load factors still are paltry. The airline has applied for a FAA subsidy for providing air service to Cape Girardeau. City officials have linked their difficulty in securing other carriers for the airport to TWE's meager boardings. Their hope is that a concerted marketing campaign will lure customers who now procure other transportation to St. Louis to "Fly Cape" instead.

Having a remodeled terminal building will help. The airport is as much a front door to the city of Cape Girardeau as are the rose-festooned entrances off Interstate 55.

In the past, many business travelers' first impression of Cape Girardeau was shaped by their arrival at an aging, unattractive airport terminal building. That building now has a fresh, modern look that residents can be proud of, one which should help lure additional boardings and industry to Cape Girardeau.