Cape Air

It's good to see that more and more airline passengers are choosing to fly in and out of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport since Cape Air took over the commuter service to St. Louis last November.

Cape Air promised to provide better service and more flights to attract customers, and the Hyannis, Mass.-based commuter airline has kept its word.

There are several reasons for Cape Air's success: A low fare of $49 to St. Louis. Four round-trip flights each weekday. Free airport parking. Code sharing with American Airlines. No luggage fees. Quick security checks.

These factors appeal to travelers these days.

And Cape Air has worked hard to provide reliable service. Catering to passengers' needs has been cited by many of the passengers who use the commuter airline.

The result?

In the 19 months it had the commuter air service contract in Cape Girardeau, Great Lakes Airlines, Cape Air's predecessor, flew a total of 833 passengers. By contrast, in the first six months of 2010 Cape Air has carried 2,066 passengers in and out of Cape Girardeau.

And the numbers are growing each month. "It has been a real nice, refreshing difference from what we had prior to them coming here," said airport manager Bruce Loy.