Memphis airport: Light Thanksgiving traffic ahead
Memphis International Airport expects a busy Thanksgiving week by COVID-19 pandemic standards but still well below 2019 levels.
Memphis-shelby County Airport Authority CEO Scott Brockman said Tuesday passenger traffic during the holidays will be 45 to 50% of what it was in 2019.
“We’ll see, but advance bookings look pretty good, and the trends look pretty good,” he said. “I think we’ll still be in the neighborhood of 10 to 12% (passenger traffic) above the national average.”
Brockman advised those traveling for the holidays to be patient if Transport Security Administration checkpoints have longer waiting periods than normal. He cited solid leisure travel demand in Memphis even during the pandemic and business travel from Memphis-based companies like Fedex as to why airport traffic is besting the national average.
The early stages of the pandemic and shutdowns stemming from it wiped out almost all Memphis International Airport traffic. In April, passenger traffic dropped about 94.5% from the year before. Some retail and restaurant locations inside the airport have closed due to the downturn.
Memphis International Airport was more conservative than other airports when projecting passenger numbers for its fiscal year, which began July 1, Brockman said. The airport planned for traffic to drop by 65%.
Airport traffic has improved since April, but it remains well below 2019 levels. Total airport passengers declined 57% in September from the year before, and scheduled flights dropped from 86 to 44, according to the airport.
The airport’s cargo activity, led by the Fedex Express World Hub, remains strong. Total cargo weight handled in September increased nearly 17.5% from the year before, as Memphis-based Fedex has thrived amid the pandemic.
When a COVID-19 vaccine is widely distributed and embraced, airport traffic should “go up exponentially and we will have a much better year than what we anticipated,” Brockman said.
Early study results from Pfizer and collaborator Biontech released Monday indicate their vaccine prevented more than 90% of infections from the COVID-19 virus.
On its website, the Memphis International Airport says it is frequently cleaning and sanitizing high-contact areas such as gates and the security checkpoint. Floor markings are in place to demonstrate proper social distancing. Each of the airlines has its own COVID-19 procedures and policies.
A study by Harvard scientists released in October and paid for by airlines, airplane manufacturers and airports said air travel “is as safe as or substantially safer than the routine activities people undertake during these times” such as grocery shopping or dining out. Airplanes’ ventilation systems, wearing face masks and social distancing getting on and off the plane are among the factors keeping flying safe, it said.
Two studies in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases indicated COVID-19 can spread on lengthy airline flights, but both examined flights that occurred in March and didn’t specify if passengers were wearing masks, USA TODAY reported.
Tips for air travel safety published by USA TODAY in June include keeping airplane air vents open to improve ventilation, selecting the window seat to reduce exposure and consider taking shorter flights instead of one extended flight to limit time next to someone who could have COVID-19.
Max Garland covers Fedex, logistics and health care for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at max.garland@ commercialappeal.com or 901-529-2651 and on Twitter @Maxgarlandtypes.