Everyone knows that COVID-19 hit the airline industry as hard as any industry, and it’s true to say that, to this day, airlines and airports are still feeling the sting of that massive blow to business. However, it’s also true to say that the industry has been making solid strides back to normalcy, and that is indicated by the consistently growing numbers of passengers flying in and out of Piedmont Triad International Airport .
PTI Executive Director Kevin Baker said that, based on current projections, the airport is expected to surpass the number of passengers it saw in the year 2018.
That’s a good sign, but the number airport officials would really like to see is a number of passengers greater than in 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic hit this area in March of 2020.
“I think this year we will surpass 2018,” Baker said recently after the latest stats for passenger numbers came out.
He also said that it will take more time to get to the passenger numbers seen in 2019.
“2019 was an artificially good year,” Baker said.
He added that, for numerous reasons, there was simply an exceptional number of people flying in 2019, and, therefore, even if PTI passenger traffic keeps recovering nicely, as it has been, it will take a while to surpass that highwater mark.
Baker also said that, in an attempt to increase passenger traffic, he and other airport officials are always talking to airlines and attempting to woo them here. Many flyers in and out of Greensboro would particularly like to see a low-cost carrier, like the relatively new Breeze Airways, which in recent years added service to Raleigh Durham International Airport.
PTI recently did announce a new route to Dulles airport in Washington DC, with many important new connections.
May have something to do with the record number of migrants coming to Greensboro from New York and Chicago. I’ve flown to Chicago 10 times this past year and have seen no less than 10 migrants on each flight.