Greater Rochester International Airport Director Andy Moore says usually there are around 53 flights departing the each day. But that’s diminished due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today, we’re down to around ten flights, around an 81 percent reduction in flights,” he said.
That also means the number of passengers per day is down - around 95 percent. That huge drop is having a dramatic impact on the economic activity airports typically would see, whether its concessions, car rentals or parking, which is the largest revenue generator for the airport.
“Typically we would have somewhere in the range of 5,800 revenue generating parking spaces, and we had 87 cars in those parking spaces,” he said. “The reduced passengers certainly has had its impact here locally on the airlines, and then the concessionaires with no passengers. Those revenues and that economic activity is not happening.”
Moore says the impact is felt on the corporate side of the airport along Scottsville Rd., so it doesn’t just affect on-site business or government.
On the upside, he adds that maintenance personnel is more diligent than they’ve ever been in cleaning the airport and various touchpoints to help keep staff and the limited travelers flying out of Rochester safe.