Following a 95% decline in passenger volumes because of COVID-19, Jacksonville International Airport is postponing its Concourse B expansion.
“The way things are going and the way they pick back up, we hope to get that program back on track, possibly as soon as three years from now,” said Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO Mark VanLoh at a news conference June 2, that WJCT News partner the Jacksonville Daily Record attended.
VanLoh said 52 JAA employees accepted a voluntary separation agreement, leaving the organization “a lot leaner.” Lights have been turned off in some parts of the airport and indoor temperatures raised throughout the airport to lower costs, he said.
It is unlikely new routes will be added at the airport anytime soon, VanLoh said. Before the pandemic, the airport had been working to add flights to Europe.
“That’s basically off the table for now until we can get back to normal,” he said. “We are focused on getting the flights back that we had before the virus.”
Related: Local, State, And National Coronavirus Coverage
The lowest point for weekly passengers at the airport was April 12-18, when the airport saw 2,478 passengers.
Its highest point was Feb. 16-22, when 65,286 passengers passed through the security checkpoint.
Read the rest of this story at JaxDailyRecord.com.
