For the CFO of a large hub airport in North America, the past two years have been the biggest challenge in the executive’s career. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft movements and passenger traffic at the airport have plummeted to less than half of their usual volumes. Some retail stores have pulled down their shutters permanently. With cash flows dwindling, keeping operations running smoothly has proved difficult.
This CFO is not alone. Across the United States, airports have experienced significant month-to-month changes in aircraft movements and passenger volumes. In this article, we examine the financial outlook of the nation’s airports, factoring in the…