The
Cape Girardeau Regional Airport hit an important milestone of over 10,000 commercial flight boardings this year. At that level, the Airport can combine federal funds with
local tax revenue approved by voters in August, to build a new control tower and terminal for the regional airport.
“We are extremely happy to announce that we have hit our goal of 10,000 passengers boarded out of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport! This has been a long time coming and we couldn’t be happier. We would like to thank SkyWest Airlines and United Airlines for having faith in this community and this region by providing us this opportunity,” said Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Manager Bruce Loy. “Based on these numbers, it is safe to say we should hit somewhere between 11,000 and 12,000 boardings by the end of the year. That is truly quite an accomplishment!”
According to Loy and per the “Outbound Passenger Load” report issued by SkyWest Airlines on Nov. 13, for the week ending Nov. 10, 2019, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport hit their goal of 10,000 passenger boardings, or enplanements, as of Wednesday, Nov. 6. By the week ending Nov. 10, the airport saw 227 total passengers, making the year-to-date total 10,143 passengers.
Exceeding 10,000 enplanements will unlock $2.55 million in additional funds from the Federal Aviation Administration. Leveraging the FAA and Capital Improvement Sales Tax funds will provide the necessary $6.8 million to build a new control tower and terminal for the regional airport.
An airport is a critical part of any regional hub focused on economic growth. The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport is one of few commercial airports in the state, and the only one in the region. Airports like Cape’s provide access to the national and global economies and require investment. The first step to a new terminal and air traffic control tower is a Terminal Area Master Plan, which is just beginning with internal stakeholder meetings.