Passengers finding their way back to LVIA
Shawn Munir sank into a chair at Lehigh Valley International Airport’s baggage claim area as his wife dozed beside him. After two months alone in Chicago and missing spending Ramadan with their families, they decided to catch up with relatives in Pottstown.
“We figured it was a good time to travel and accept some level of risk,” he said from behind a face mask, waiting for their ride to arrive.
Normally, they would catch a flight to Philadelphia or the New York City area. This time, they considered driving the 730 miles, but opted instead to take Allegiant Air’s new service between Midway International Airport and ABE.
“It was too cheap and too convenient to say no,” he said.
More and more people like the Munirs are beginning to trickle back into airports across the country. While the CDC and state departments of health are still encouraging people to stay home, airlines are reporting small increases in the number of people catching flights.
Lehigh Valley International Airport is somewhat ahead of the curve, said Tom Stoudt, executive director of the LehighNorthampton Airport Authority. The FAA reported that passenger numbers in May were down 90% in May nationally, Stoudt said. Local passenger traffic figures won’t be finalized for a few more days, but Stoudt was optimistic.
“That’s still nothing to write home about, but I think we’ll be about 5% better than that,” he said.
Stoudt will take the relative victory. Passenger totals dropped by more than 80,000 in April. The month of May may not be that bad, but the lagging economy isn’t helping. Most travelers have been taking their once-ayear vacation, not the business men and women who frequently fly to commercial hubs across the country.
“There’s not a lot of business travel right now. Companies are coming back online, but a lot of their travel budgets have been cut,” Stoudt said.
Stoudt credited the relative bounce in passengers to LVIA’s status as a regional hub. Being a smaller airport limits how many services it can offer, but it also means the airport is not being hurt by the drastic fall in international flights. Far fewer people also travel through LVIA than places like Philadelphia International Airport, making it more attractive to people hoping to maintain social distancing.
To reassure passengers, the authority has taken several steps to protect public health. Some 775 signs and floor markings have been added to the facility, most of which are stickers helping customers keep six-foot distances. Other signs and screens feature a new mascot, Abe the pilot, who offers safety tips.
“Companies are coming back online, but a lot of their travel budgets have been cut.”
— Tom Stoudt, executive director of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority
In addition, a waiting area has been converted into an extending queuing area in case those six-foot distances lead to overflow lines at the TSA checkpoint. Door knobs, elevator buttons and other high traffic surfaces have been covered in microbicidal stickers, which kills fungi, bacteria and viruses.
Anyone entering the main terminal is required to wear a mask. Staff on the lower level have extra masks for people who may have forgotten theirs, Stoudt said. When asked if people would be denied service if they refused to wear a mask, Stoudt said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. It hasn’t happened yet.”
Plans are being revised for a new passenger bridge between the main building and terminal, as well. Engineers and architects are looking at changes that would make the addition as hands free as possible. Tackling these questions now should be cheaper than going back and trying to retrofit the bridge after the fact, Stoudt said.
“We’re asking ourselves, ‘What are the things in the ‘new normal’ we need to be thinking about?’” he said.
Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell can be reached at 610820-6168 or tshortell@mcall.com.