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Enterprise at Key West Worldwide Airport continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, with American Airways resuming its each day service to and from Boston subsequent month.
The service has been placed on maintain for a number of months in the course of the pandemic, as airways struggled to fill airplanes and guide reservations. The each day, continuous service will return Dec. 17.
Additionally, the passenger counts proceed to rise, with service being about 87% of regular this month. The counts are anticipated to return to 100% subsequent month, Monroe County Airports Director Richard Strickland mentioned.
Presently, the nationwide common for restoration of airline service is about 45%, in keeping with Strickland.
“It’s nowhere close to the place we’re,” Stickland mentioned proudly.
The airport skilled a big lower in passengers in the course of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic this summer season.
The airport began to see indicators of restoration final month when passenger counts elevated considerably and United Airways resumed each day service to Chicago and Newark, N.J.
The airline additionally started weekend service between Key West and Dulles Worldwide Airport close to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 6 and each day service will begin Dec. 15, Strickland mentioned. Strickland and the county had been working with United to begin the brand new route for a number of months, he mentioned.
Passenger counts and new routes have grown constantly in recent times, and the county has begun to plan to increase the terminal. Final month, Strickland unveiled preliminary plans and designs for a brand new concourse and different enhancements.
Final month, the fee accepted a sequence of request for proposals and {qualifications} and mortgage and grant requests for the undertaking, which is slated to begin in 2022 and run by 2024. The undertaking is being funded by passengers charges positioned on aircraft tickets for passengers utilizing the airport, not native gross sales or property tax, Strickland mentioned.
The enlargement is required to accommodate the rise in passengers, Strickland mentioned. From baggage declare to the departure ready room, the airport is underserving passengers, officers mentioned.
The brand new concourse will accommodate a 3rd safety check-in line and extra room for a baggage pickup space. The departure space will go from 4,000 to 18,000 sq. ft, Stickland mentioned.
The undertaking contains glass jetways so folks will not should stroll throughout the tarmac to get to the terminal.
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