NFTA Aviation Director "optimistic" on future of Buffalo Niagara International Airport during pandemic

The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is slowly picking back up six months into the pandemic.

Every day, the airport sees about 1,300 passengers.

THE PANDEMIC HASHAD A CRUSHINGEFFECT ON TRAFFICTHROUGH THEBUFFALO NIAGARAINTERNATIONALAIRPORT.PEOPLE ARERETURNING -- BUTSLOWLY.FEWER THAN 200PEOPLE WERE GOINGTHROUGH THEAIRPORT EVERY DAYBACK IN APRIL.AND RIGHT NOWTRAFFIC IS DOWNABOUT 85 PERCENTFROM NORMAL.TONIGHT NIKKIDEMENTRI GOES INDEPTH -- AND FOUNDTWO MAJORREASONS THAT AREACCOUNTING FORTHE DECLINE.WHEN YOU ARRIVEAT THE BUFFALONIAGARAINTERNATIONALAIRPORT --NATSTHE NEW YORK STATEHEALTH DEPARTMENTGREETS YOU AT THEDOOR.T-S-A LINES ARESHORT.AND THE INFAMOUSLONG LIVE AT TIMHORTON'S ISN'TTHERE."IT'S DEFINITELYDIFFERENT, IT LOOKSLIKE THE END OF THEWORLD."THE N-F-T-A AVIATIONDIRECTOR SAYS THEAIRPORT HAS SEENAN 85% DROP INPASSENGERS.FROM JULY 2019 TOJULY 2020SCHEDULEDDEPARTURES ATBUFFALO NIAGARAINTERNATIONALDROPPED BY ALMOST60%."GETTING THROUGHTSA IS GREAT RIGHTNOW, WE'LL NEVERSEE THIS AGAIN.""THE NUMBER OFPASSENGERS OVERTHE LAST FEWMONTHS HAS BEENSTABLE.

BNIA ISSEEING ABOUT ABOUT1300 PASSENGERSEVERY SINGLE DAY.AS FOR FLIGHTS ITNORMALLY SEES 100A DAY.AND NOW ITSOMETIMES SEESONLY 40.""I WISH WE WEREPICKING UP I GUESSIS THE WAY TOSTART."7 EYEWITNESS NEWSCHECKED IN WITH N-F-T-A AVIATIONDIRECTOR BILLVANECEK ON THEHEALTH OF THEAIRPORT IN APRIL,MAY AND NOWSEPTEMBER."BY YEAR'S END IFWE'RE AT 50% OFWHAT WE WEREDOING BEFORE THISALL HAPPENED, I'LLBE A VERY HAPPYMAN.""N: IS THAT STILL ONTHE TABLE?B: YA KNOW, IF I'D BETTHAT BET IN VEGAS,I'D LOSE A LOT OFMONEYUNFORTUNATELYBECAUSE IT DIDN'TMATERIALIZE."DIDN'T MATERIALIZE,VANECEK SAYS,BECAUSE OF TWOTHINGS THEEXTENDED BORDERCLOSURE --"EVEN IN VANCOUVERAND SEATTLE THOSEARE TWO MAJORHUBS SO THEY'RENOT AS IMPACTED ASWE ARE.

THEY'RE NOTLOSING 30% WE ARE.THAT'S A TOUGH PILLTO SWALLOW FORUS."-- AND NEW YORK'STRAVEL ADVISORY."NIAGARA FALLS IS AHUGE DRAW IN THESUMMER TIME, BUTWITH ALL THEQUARANTINEDSTATES THAT AREOUT THERE PEOPLEARE A LITTLEHESITANT TO COMEUP BECAUSE THEY'DHAVE TO QUARANTINEFOR 14 DAYS WHENTHEY GOT HERE."THERE ARE SIGNS OFHOPECONSTRUCTIONCONTINUES ONEXPANDING THEAIRPORT AND A NEWMARKET HAS OPENEDNEAR THESOUTHWEST END OFTHE TERMINAL."I'M JUST OPTIMISTICWE'LL SEE PEOPLEFLOCKING TO THEAIRPORT PROBABLYEARLY NEXT YEAR."ND, 7EWN.NEW AT 11 -- LOCALVETERANS CAN NOWPROTECTTHEMSELVESAGAINST THE FLU.FLU SHOTS AREAVAILABLE AT THE V-AHOSPITAL IN BUFFALO-- AND MANY OTHERLOCATIONS.WALK-IN AND DRIVE-THRU CLINICS WIL