Traffic at South Bend International Airport is starting to rebound after it dropped by a large amount when the COVID-19 pandemic started. Vice President of Marketing Julie Curtis tells WSJM News as destinations closed, travel plummeted.
“We saw what every other airport across the country was seeing,” Curtis said. “In April, we served just 5% of the traffic that we did in 2019, but that was very consistent with what you were seeing across the United States.”
Curtis says as destinations have started to reopen, traffic at the airport has been rising. Last week, South Bend International had about 26% of the passengers it had last year.
“We’re seeing the uptick primarily in the leisure market. There is pent up demand as we’ve all been home for the past few months, and people are anxious to get out, especially to those outdoor destinations like Florida beaches and whatnot.”
Curtis says the airport’s four airlines have continued operating during the pandemic, although at reduced capacity. She notes each is implementing safety measures to avoid coronavirus, and the airport is doing the same with floor markings that urge social distancing and reminders about masks. Curtis says there are some estimates it will take three to five years for the travel industry to fully recover. She asks those who start to travel again to think about flying local.
