Can an airport fly as high as the planes that it serves? It certainly looks like Key West International Airport can.
For well over a year, Monroe County Airports Director Peter Horton has reported a parade of high-flying news.
Most recently it was announced that Southwest Airlines, an airline with an industry reputation of being a low-cost and consistent performer, would be serving Key West with new flight options including direct flights to New Orleans.
Southwest acquired AirTran that began flying into Key West in December 2009.
The Chamber of Commerce and other business associations attribute the trend in reduced fares in the market to the arrival of AirTran. The airline ignited a price war, benefiting not only Key West tourism but local pocketbooks as well.
This comes on the heels of the announcement of new limited seasonal routes. Delta Airlines announced direct flights to and from New York City, and U.S. Express will be flying to and from Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C. These announcements add to what will be a record-breaking year for passengers in 2012.
Passenger counts in 2012 are on track to beat the 677, 581-passenger total in 2011, which was the airport's best year to date.
High passenger counts translate into an increase in revenue for the airport. According to Horton, this will enable an early repayment of the $30.6 million in bonds the airport borrowed to build the new terminal building.
This past July, Horton announced, "Those bonds will be paid off by the second quarter of next year - 23 years early."
The new terminal has allowed the airport to accommodate more passengers, increasing its capacity from 450, 000 to 1 million passengers a year.
In 2006, the departure area had 96 seats. Now it has more than 400.
Other good news included the announcement last year that Key West International Airport truly became international, as Americans, under certain conditions, will be legally able to fly to Cuba from Key West.
And passenger convenience has been improved as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently added a second line to expedite passengers through security in the terminal during the airport's busiest time for departures, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. This year, airport officials also embarked on a $2 million, two-year project to expand U.S. Customs facilities at the airport. Once completed, the airport will be able to handle 75 international passengers per day, instead of the current 10.
However, the high-flying airport does have its challenges. Operationally - though the terminal may accommodate more outgoing passengers - anyone arriving during a peak time quickly realizes that one luggage carousel is hardly adequate. And picking up passengers in a relatively confined pickup zone can prove daunting and frustrating. Of course more passengers translate into larger planes and more frequent flights over residential areas of the city, turning already busy air corridors into a seemingly nonstop air show.
This indeed brings into focus the delicate balance between protecting the quality of life on a small island community and revitalizing the Key West economy.
The intrusion of more planes and accompanying noise will undoubtedly impact quality of life in certain residential neighborhoods. However, from an economic point of view, the increase in air traffic translates into more tourists who tend to stay longer and spend more in local Keys hotels, restaurant and other tourist-dependent businesses.
All in all, at this moment in time, the Key West International Airport is a remarkable success and we congratulate Peter Horton and all county officials, past and present, for their efforts in making the airport a valuable asset to the community.
- The Citizen
Copyright 2012 The Key West CitizenDistributed by Newsbank, Inc. All Rights Reserved
