Traffic at Cherry Capital Airport has declined as people cancel trips because of the coronavirus.
The pandemic is having economic impacts on the airport, says Airport Manager Kevin Klein
“We are seeing a decrease in passenger volume at this moment,” he says.
The dip in travelers might hurt the airport’s expected $32 million expansion that’s slated to double the size of the airport’s terminal. Most of the money for the expansion comes from passenger service fees.
“We’re going to look at some of our major capital projects that are coming up, which may have to be delayed if we see the travel changes or restrictions increase,” Klein says.
Recent restrictions on European flights into the U.S. may hurt Cherry Capital Airport, but they won’t know until later this year since most international travel happens in summer, says Klein.
“We anticipate international travel for this year, 2020, to be considerably down, and we’re planning for that,” he says.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced at a press conference Friday that his administration is looking at ways to help the airline industry as flights are canceled and airplanes remain grounded.