The past few weeks have been a shock to the system for the Midland International Air and Space Port.
With the coronavirus pandemic unfolding across the country combined with the steep drop in the price of oil, that’s created a significant drop in business.
Deputy director Aaron Easton said that he’s seen the effects of that firsthand over the course of the last month.
“It’s dropped off pretty good,” said Easton in a phone interview Friday. “I’d say it’s pretty similar to what you’re seeing on the roads to be honest.”
Easton added that the number of flights coming and going from the airport is about a third less than what you would typically see on a normal day.
The exact number of that drop, however, won’t be known for at least another week or week and a half according to Easton.
At that point, the airport, which is operated by the City of Midland, will have the monthly reports arriving from the airlines.
Three airlines — Southwest, American Eagle and United — all operate commercial flights along with the different private aircrafts that come and go from the runways.
“The airlines have reduced flights here and that is very evident and the future of that is still unknown,” Easton said. “They are currently reworking their schedules to re-tool their resources and analyze demand to run their business in the most efficient fashion.”
As of March 25, a report in the Chicago Business Journal stated that United Airlines was planning to cut back 52 percent of its domestic flight schedule in April.
A report from the Dallas Morning News indicated that that Southwest Airlines is cutting 2,000 flights per day from May 3 to June 5 to reduced demand.
As for the rest of the operations inside the airport, Easton added that the food court along with the gift shop inside the terminal remain open. The amount of traffic that comes in daily is determined by the individual leaseholder in those respective shops.
“They work closely with the airlines in terms of staffing and are run by those hold who own the leases to adjust their operations,” he said. “It’s a day-to-day thing to see what’s needed.”
Easton said that those operations are complying with the local, state and federal guidelines in regards to operating amid a chaotic time for the airline industry.
He added that the airport will continue to remain open and will be taking the necessary precautions needed in order to stay in compliance.
“The concerns moving forward are definitely industry-based,” Easton said. “It’s not like the only things that affect the airport are here locally. We’re just closely monitoring what’s going on in the world right now.”
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