The summer months are not the same without all the travelers.
I’m one of the few people who enjoys traveling through a busy airport. I don’t care about the hassle. I like the hustle of a packed terminal and the energy exuding around you as you traverse the concourse looking for a place to eat and a seat to sit.
But this is sadly a distant memory in 2020. The terminals are empty. Few planes are flying. The bustle is now barely a rustle.
Getting back to business is going to be a long road. Even if the virus disappeared tomorrow, people are going to be hesitant to fly—or do anything in public for that matter—for a while. Yes, many of us have that itch to travel, but a lot of people are likely not going to find it worth the risk. And even those who are ready to roll have nowhere to go.
Airports are going to be the beasts of burden winning back the goodwill of travelers. You’re the gateway to your community, you’re the first and last stop in the air leg of travel and most importantly, you’re the main source of dwell time for travelers.
I recently spoke with OAG Senior Aviation Analyst John Grant for an episode of the AviationPros Podcast and he mentioned airports need to seize this opportunity to coordinate a messaging plan across the industry.
The public needs to know you’re keeping the safe, you’re cleaning the terminal and most importantly, that you’re open for business.
The pandemic has been the great equalizer among airports. Everyone is feeling the pain. Everyone is losing service. Everyone is laying off staff.
That’s why it’s more important than ever the industry works together now to build that messaging. A strong and unified voice will build trust in the community. It won’t bring the travelers back overnight, but it will give you a game plan to win them back once this is all over.
It's easy to lose sight of the long terms challenge with all the short-term pain occurring now.
But airports are open for business. Let’s make sure the public understands that.
