After declining passenger traffic throughout 2019, T.F. Green Airport saw some gains in January and February. But by the time those numbers were reported, COVID-19 had already shut down most business activity across the state.
The results at the Warwick airport have been devastating. On May 4, just 21 mostly empty planes arrived or departed, compared with 119 on the same day in 2019.
Daily passenger traffic this month has been below 200, compared with more than 5,000 a year ago. Those numbers will rise with the state’s stay-at-home order lifted, but airport operators worry T.F. Green may not have enough flights when consumers are ready to fly again.
That’s because airlines receiving federal stimulus funding can consolidate flights in a geographic area that links T.F. Green with Boston. That creates a disincentive for airlines to continue flying out of Green if they can meet minimum requirements for the region with flights in and out of Logan International Airport.
R.I.’s congressional delegation is now playing catch-up fighting to eliminate this disincentive. The airport’s survival may depend on their success.
