People to Know: MidAmerica Airport Director Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson gives credit to his parents for encouraging and pushing him to pursue his passion in the aviation industry. He started getting the aviation bug when he was a teenager and has never turned back. Not even on his first day as airport director at the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, when his job started in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of right now, Johnson doesn’t have a normal day to day task, because of the incredibly difficult and challenging time the aviation industry is facing.
“I don’t have an average day as we react to sometimes weekly and daily changes. Talk to me in a year and I’ll let you know what an average day looks like,” Johnson added.
Pre-COVID-19, Johnson said one of the things that drew him to the airport director position was the potential and future opportunities for expanded air service and land development, the diversity of airport tenants and the community. He added that the hard-working staff was very team orientated, which is something that Johnson values in the aviation business.
“The aviation industry is a significant driver of the U.S. economy and the relationship and partnership’s that develop over time are the best,” Johnson said.
“My goals are also directly related to the airport’s mission, vision and values. For now, it’s learning the nuances and assessing the airport’s current and future role, regionally and nationally,” Johnson said. “Also, network, network, network. Success in the airport industry is defined by dedicated hard working aviation professionals over time.”
Johnson noted that his airport management principles are applicable at all airports big or small.
“The challenges relate to the saying, ‘if you have seen one airport, you have seen one airport.’ In other words many of the services provided to passengers and tenants are similar, it’s the nuances and budget numbers that are different.” Johnson said.
The importance overall is employee and passenger safety.
“Which in a time with the COVID-19 crisis requires resources,” Johnson said. “Then analyzing the current and future financial position of the airport as we peek at the future.”
MidAmerica is a joint-use airport with Scott Air Force Base (AFB). Johnson said that both airports have similar goals but different missions.
“The benefits to this are found in well-established relationships, continuity and teamwork,” Johnson said. “Scott Air Force Base is a huge asset to our community, locally and regionally.”
The challenges to having a joint use airport are only limited by the view of operation needs and differences, Johnson said.
He added that the relationship between MidAmerica Airport and Scott Air Force base is exceptional.
“For example, through this partnership, Scott AFB is able to use the airport’s civilian runway as military flying missions require or when the military runway is temporarily closed for renovation, as is the case currently,” Johnson said. “Unlike a similar closure at McChord AFB, where the entire flying wing operations were temporarily stationed at many other places for a repair project, the Scott AFB flying wings 375th Air Mobility Wing, 126th Air National Guard Air Refueling Wing and the 932nd Air reserve Wing do not have to deploy. “
Johnson added that this means there are no changes to aircraft parking as military aircraft can remain parked on the base’s ramp, there are no deployments to support home missions, and especially, no family separation for the estimated duration of the closure, which could last 12 months in total.
Boeing has a test facility at the MidAmerica Airport and has been a tenant since 2010.
“Employees at the company’s St. Clair manufacturing facility perform assembly and sub-assembly work on a range of defense and commercial aircraft,” Johnson said.
MidAmerica also became the designated test site for Boeing’s MQ-25TM Autonomous Air Refueling Platform in 2019, which successfully completed the first test flight in September.
There’s always challenges when starting a new job, but the chief one at hand for Johnson is the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 is the big one and there are no real solutions yet,” Johnson said. “The challenge of COVID-19 is really framed in three words: react, rethink and recover.”
Johnson said that the Airport’s projects were in progress when he had arrived, so there has been very little change or challenge. If COVID-19 continues for an extended period of time, then the airport will adjust, Johnson added.
From a construction perspective, the crisis has not impeded any of the airport’s projects.
“So far, according to the Illinois Public Health Department, construction workers are considered essential employees,” Johnson added.
And inside the airport, Johnson and the airport are following CDC recommendations in conjunction with state and local health department agencies on how to help prevent and cope with the COVID-19 crisis in airports.
“The airport is working with airport tenants, agency partners and the community to properly implement protocols and procedures that are appropriate for the current changing health conditions,” Johnson said.
Johnson also added by saying that the DOT/FAA has not instituted formal domestic travel restrictions, but travel has been somewhat limited by the reduction in air carrier schedules, CDC recommendations and personal choice. However, the latest data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), reveals that demand for air travel is once again slowly increasing in the US, and Johnson said that trend is also evident at MidAmerica Airport.
To help tackle the COVID-19 crisis locally Johnson said, “the airport is teaming with the St. Clair County’s Public Health Department to provide additional resources and implement BMPs for employees and the passengers using the airport.”