Travel is down nearly 50% from this time last year at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
It’s no surprise given the circumstances of the pandemic, but what is unusual is how staff are now making use of their time to maintain the cleanliness of the airport and prepare for returning travelers.
“We really started to see a drop-off in passenger traffic in mid-March,” said Syracuse Hancock International Airport Executive Director Jason Terreri. “We’re not seeing many people and out of the airport as you can imagine and it’s been a challenging time.”
An average day at the Syracuse airport would normally bring around 4,000 passengers, but lately it’s been about 150 people, about a 90% drop. For those remaining essential travelers, staff is taking extra measures to keep the airport clean and safe.
“As this has progressed we’ve increased our cleaning areas and techniques. What we’ve done is we’ve required a medical grade misting machine. That has a disinfectant we go through the secure and non-secure side on a regular basis misting every surface out there,” said Terreri
They’re also in the process of installing special lighting that works to reduce the spread of airborne illnesses. With fewer people in the airport, staff is taking advantage the opportunity to work on upgrades.
“In the terminal right now, the janitorial custodial staff are doing a fantastic job of refinishing all the terminal the floors. So when people do start coming back in, it’s gonna look like opening day. In the air field, we’re getting able to do some electrical upgrades. Our partners in the parking are getting out and doing some maintenance that we typically wouldn’t get to do because it’s full of cars,” said Terreri.
Recently, the airport received $12 million in federal funding for economic relief. That plus, 2019 was one of the busiest years for travelers at the Syracuse airport, is helping workers keep their jobs and staff preparing for the return of travelers.
“We miss having everyone in the terminal but we appreciate the fact that everyone’s doing their part to help get through this virus,” said Terreri.
Most of the airport remains open, but other services and concessions have been greatly reduced.