In another sign of Austin's economy thawing out from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reported earlier this month that passenger traffic in October inched up higher than the previous month.
While the airport's total October traffic — the most recent data made available — was a bit higher than September, it still recorded only a fraction of the volume of passengers the airport has hosted in recent years because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 507,858 passengers traveled through the airport in October, airport officials said. Last October, about 1.57 million passengers were recorded, which had been a 9.5% increase from October 2018, officials said.
Total passenger traffic between January and October was 5,447,217, which is down 62.2% compared to the same period in 2019, the airport said.
"Overall passenger numbers still remain well below typical trends for this time of year, however numbers continue to gradually rise following our steep decline in April," airport spokesman Bryce Dubee said. "This trend is consistent with what the industry as a whole is experiencing, and could be because passengers are now more familiar with health and safety protocols taken by airports and airlines alike."
If passengers choose to travel, he said, "we continue to ask that they do so responsibly: wearing a mask, keeping their distance, and checking requirements of their arriving destinations."
The number of passengers traveling through the airport increased around Thanksgiving last month, but was still much lower than normal, Dubee said. The busiest day during the week of Thanksgiving was the Sunday after the holiday when 12,248 passengers went through TSA checkpoints, Dubee said. On the same day last year, 29,697 passengers were recorded.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, Austin- Travis County health officials pleaded people to stay home for the holidays and avoid traveling so as to not spread the coronavirus. They have the same message for travelers as Christmas and New Year's Eve approaches.
While the airport anticipates a larger volume of passengers this week, Dubee said Christmas at the airport usually sees lower traffic numbers than during Thanksgiving.
The airport only has 18 food and beverage locations open and 10 retail locations open. Restaurant and retail revenue can depend on how many people are traveling through the airport and aviation activity, Dubee said.
The decrease in passenger traffic has affected all of the airport's tenants and partners, he said. Some businesses have reduced staff or hours and others have suspended operations.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin airport's October passenger traffic up from September but still fraction of 2019 volume
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