Arizona’s Tucson Airport continues to note month on month growth in passenger traffic.
Looking forward, from October through the end of the year, Tucson’s schedules are expected to be at 90% of pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the Tucson airport Authority (TAA) continues to work with its airlines to increase the frequency of flights and add new domestic (and international) routes for the benefit of the Southern Arizona region and to attract visitors.
A statement from the airport explained that while aviation is struggling to recover, airlines are doing their best to reactivate furloughed flight crews and transition aircraft that were ‘parked’ during the height of the pandemic to airworthy status so they can be added back into the active fleet. And while fewer aircraft mean flights are full there is little room to allow for weather or other service interruptions. In addition, not all flight routes have been restored; the airlines are evaluating their networks and adjusting their schedules accordingly.
TAA also acknowledged that food and beverage and retailers, as well as car rental agencies and other airport support providers are finding it challenging to hire the staff needed to reopen or offer the extended hours we were all used to pre-pandemic. The bright spot on the horizon is that they are all working on these issues.
