Manistee County Becker Airport. Image: Pure Michigan
Large airports in Michigan such as those in Detroit and Grand Rapids have seen a loss in revenue and passengers since the pandemic began.
Small airports in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are confronting those same problems, but the negative effects are bigger.
However, operators of smaller airports say they’re looking forward to the future because there’s a projected increase in passengers this summer as COVID-19 vaccinations become more widespread.
For some smaller airports, day-to-day operations didn’t change much, officials said. For others, the changes were dramatic.
Manistee County Blacker Airport switched carriers on Oct. 1, after Cape Air won the bid to be the airline partner with the airport, according to airport director Barry Lind.
MBS projects 2021 revenues to decrease by 28%
Airport manager: Full recovery of aviation industry 3 to 4 years away
, Jon Becker
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James Canders (Photo/MBS Airport)
The MBS Airport Commission concluded its meeting schedule for the year by passing a 2021 budget that reflects just how badly COVID-19 has crippled the airline industry. With air traffic down about 63% this year and the airport still reeling despite some major belt-tightening, officials are projecting revenues to decrease by nearly 28% next year.
“This is a conservative estimate,” said James Canders, MBS airport director. “It’s based on operations staying relatively flat over the next year.”
The new spending plan of $4.6 million is an overall decrease of $1.3% compared to 2020 “despite us cutting 9.3% of non-personnel related expenses from 2020,” Canders said. “Unfortunately, there were some increases in personnel and retirement expenses that offset the decrease in operating ex