The Eugene Airport is having some growing pains, due to increased traffic and visitation. But there are expansion plans underway at the facility.
Even with the pandemic, the Eugene Airport’s seen travel return to 2019 levels and then some. Add in three new airlines including Southwest, and you’ve got a robust hub needing more parking and security.
Airport Director Cathryn Stephens said the $1 trillion infrastructure bill recently signed by President Biden will help.
“We believe we'll be getting for each of the five years, $3.9 -in additional entitlement funding- so for a total over the five-year period of about 19 and a half million,” said Stephens. “That’s funding that will allow us to really continue forward with our capital improvement program.”
Other projects include expanding the baggage check system, a carwash for rental agencies, and more “heavy pads”, to accommodate large aircraft on the tarmac. Results from an intensive terminal study are expected next fall.
Meanwhile, holiday travel will keep going strong through the New Year, adds Stephens. Commercial air traffic at the facility returned to 2019 levels this spring, and it looks to continue given the Pac 12 championship and Christmas travel.
“We recovered fully at the end of May and then have had a strong summer, hitting records almost every month in the summer and then in the fall as well.
“Southwest Airlines started at the end of August and so we've seen their impact on the market as well. And then the other piece to that is what we're really seeing is passengers having more options at a local airport as well.”
Stephens says with three new airlines recently added to the Eugene Airport, many travelers who’d normally have gone to Portland have flown local instead.
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