Travelers have kept the Manhattan Regional Airport busy this summer with July statistics comparing more closely to its pre-pandemic levels.
Director Jesse Romo says more people traveled out of Manhattan in July than in any month during the pandemic.
Romo says those numbers not only rival July 2019 enplanement numbers, but also reflect a strong summer travel season, which saw June enplanements down only 8 percent from June 2019.
June numbers were also strong, according to Romo, trailing June 2019 enplanement numbers by 8 percent. The airport, which adheres to all federal policies, still requires all travelers to wear masks.
Romo says travelers planning an international trip, whether via Chicago or Dallas, should be aware of testing and quarantine rules of their specific destinations.
Romo says it’s unclear if airlines will eventually require a vaccine passport. As of Monday, Americans can now travel across the border into Canada, for the first time in well over a year.
The travel industry, like many others, have struggled mightily through the pandemic, but have been lifted by billions of dollars in federal aid. The Manhattan airport, through three rounds of federal dollars have received over $4.7 million.
It’s unclear how much, if any, of that federal aid can be used on airport infrastructure, though Romo anticipates some money to be allocated out of the Congressional infrastructure bill, which is anticipated to pass both chambers sometime this month.
Design for the airport runway reconstruction is now 60 percent complete.
Construction is expected to begin in late spring to summer of 2023 and will include some notable airline service disruptions. Romo says there will be closures of both runways overlapping during that time.
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to cover nearly $30 million of the costs associated with the project, with the city of Manhattan expected to contribute over $6 million.
