LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Passenger volume at Blue Grass Airport has dropped sharply due to the coronavirus outbreak.
So far this year, total passenger volume at the airport is down by 48.8%, or more than 275,000 passenger arrivals and departures, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported, citing numbers on the airport’s website.
The year started briskly for the airport. In February, total passenger volume was 104,228, up from February 2019, when just over 95,000 passengers passed through the airport.
However, by March, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the number had decreased to 58,382 travelers, down from the 119,656 passengers the airport saw in March 2019.
April saw even lower travel numbers, with just 4,216 total passengers coming and going through the airport. That’s a decrease of more than 96% from April of last year, when the airport had 119,440 total passengers. May saw an increase to 14,966 total passengers, but that figure was still 89% lower than the 132,582 passengers from May 2019.
The website did not provide statistics for June 2020, but Amy Caudill, director of marketing for the airport, said an uptick in leisure travel began around Memorial Day.
“Many passengers have been separated from out-of-town relatives for quite a while now are taking trips to see them,” Caudill said. “In addition, we’re also starting to see travelers who are ready to vacation again.”
Caudill said that in June, the airport saw 74% fewer travelers than in June 2019. In an effort to combat the overall decline, airlines are adding more flights for July and August.
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