Coronavirus takes toll on Springfield airport

The Springfield-Branson National Airport is anticipating the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

Airport spokesman Kent Boyd said three of the four carriers that provide service locally announced plans to reduce seats temporarily on a nationwide scale.

The local affects are still being measured.

United Airlines plans to reduce capacity on its flights between Springfield and Chicago by 4.3% next month, Boyd said. That compares with a 10% cut domestically in April for the airline, he said.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have estimated temporary capacity cuts of 10-15% and 7.5%, respectively, Boyd said, noting Delta has not released a time frame for the reductions. The local impact from Delta and American is not yet known, he said.

“Given what we know at the moment, I expect to see an April capacity decline of 5% to 10% in Springfield,” he said.

Boyd did not mention Allegiant Air, the other carrier at the local airport. The four provide nonstop flights to 12 destinations from the Springfield airport, according to its website.

The Springfield airport in January reported another passenger record, with nearly 1.2 million flyers in 2019.