Airport reports strong finances

As El Dorado city officials and various city departments review updated financials in the 2020 city budget, at least one city department has received welcome news amid concerns that have been raised by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

The El Dorado Airport Commission and Johnathan Estes, manager of the South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field, said the numbers have come in better than expected and as of June 30, the airport is operating $80,000 to the good.

“That's remarkable considering what's happened in aviation for the past three months,” Estes said.

The news helped to steady trends that were discussed in late May and remained iffy through June due to financial uncertainties that have been posed by the virus.

Flight activity and fuel sales had dipped since January but Estes and airport commissioners noted

that the numbers began climbing in

May.

“We have maintained a mildly profitable business and kept as many people and employees as we can and kept the airport operating faithfully. That's really all we can ask for during these challenging times,” Estes said May 31.

Last week, Estes and Mickey Murfee, chairman of the airport commission, said the airport is now fully staffed.

In response to COVID-19 and the financial unknowns it presented, the El Dorado City Council and Finance Committee in March called for a spending freeze on non-essential city services until they could assess how revenues would play out in the weeks and months to come.

The airport was the only city department in which an employee was laid off as a cost-cutting measure ahead of an anticipated loss in revenue.

The move reduced the SARA staff from four to three, including Estes.

Estes said he has since filled the position and another vacancy that had opened when another former SARA employee resigned to attend flight school and pursue his pilot's license, an initiative that is offered for free with employment at SARA.

Estes explained that with his subscription with King Schools aviation education business, SARA employees have access to free and paid courses that Estes covers out of his own pocket and the former SARA employee took advantage of the benefit, which includes assistance with practice exams.

When it became evident that the airport budget would support a four-person staff, Estes said he attempted to rehire the employee that had been laid off but the former employee had already taken another job in his native Mississippi.

“We're back to normal staffing levels. I was lucky to hire a person who is really ambitious and is learning every aspect of the job. She's a really fast learner and it's saved a lot on training time,” Estes said.

Fuel sales and commercial airline boardings

Murfee said June fuel sales and boardings with Essential Air Service provider Southern Airways Express reflect an increase in aviation activities at SARA.

Commercial flights and general aviation had dropped sharply in the first quarter and early in the second quarter of the year.

There has been an uptick in the numbers since May.

Estes reported that SARA's fixed base operation (FBO) sold 19,143 gallons of jet fuel and 2,800 gallons of avgas in June.

A breakdown showed that Southern Express purchased 55% of jet fuel, while 28% went to home-based aircraft and 19% to transient aircraft.

The breakdown reflected a shift in typical trends, Estes said, explaining that transient fuel sales normally top sales for home-based aircraft.

Murfee said fuel sales in June were higher than in May (18,459 for jet and 1,883 for avgas) but overall, fuel sales are down from the same two months in 2019.

A total of 20,522 gallons of jet fuel were sold at the FBO in May of 2019 and 20,782 in June of last year.

Sales for avgas were up this year, compared to 1,855 and 1,982 gallons for May and June, respectively, in 2019.

Jet fuel is used for planes with jet engines while avgas, or low lead, fuels planes with piston engines.

Southern Airways reported a total of 212 enplanements and 230 deplanements in June, versus 133 enplanements and 103 deplanements in May, for flights to and from Dallas and Memphis.

“It's just about twice what it was in May and a whole lot better than April but it's still below last year,” Murfee noted.

The highest numbers for 2020 were reported in January, with 302 enplanements and 292 deplanements. The lowest passenger counts for the year were recorded in April, with 33 enplanements and 39 deplanements.

Estes said Hot Springs and Harrison, two other EAS communities in Arkansas that are served by Southern Airways, have posted similar trends.

“They have graphs that show a plummet in April for enplanements and a steady rise in May and June,” he said. “Their fuel trends are going to vary from ours because they're farther away from the Dallas destination and of course, Harrison is going to be closer to Memphis.”

Added Murfee, “Well, I hope the trend stays.”