The new Cape Girardeau Regional Airport terminal is a step closer to opening as the Airport Advisory Board approved a date for the grand opening Tuesday, Aug. 13.

Airport manager Katrina Amos told the board that the completion of the terminal is still “on track” for the move-in date of Tuesday, Aug. 20, and Wednesday, Aug. 21.

She said they will have teams break down some equipment Tuesday after the mid-day flight and then move the equipment to the new terminal after the morning flight Aug. 21. That flight will be the only one of the day.

“The last flight on the evening of the 21st will park at the new terminal facility to be ready for the flight on the morning of the 22nd,” Amos said. “I think we're in good shape. You know, furniture is in, you know, they're continuing to clean and work on punch list items. We started soft-moving, last week.”

She said while they don’t have anything “grand” planned for the first flight, they might be giving away bag tags to commemorate it. After the board members were given the update, they considered a motion to schedule the grand opening for the terminal Tuesday, Oct. 1, and it passed.

Other business

Flights to Chicago also will begin on that date. It was announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an order approving a request made by Contour Airlines to replace Cape Girardeau Regional Airport’s service from the current Nashville, Tennessee, pattern to flights going to Chicago, according to prior Southeast Missourian reporting.

Amos said she was told by Contour Airlines CEO Matt Chaifetz that Cape Girardeau is currently “topping the advanced bookings for Contour.”

“He provided that our advanced bookings are up 83% for Nashville, and up 200% for Chicago,” she said.

Amos said July fuel sales are up by 33% from the last year. She also pointed out that the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding have been approved by the state for the taxiway D reconstruction project and will be on the agenda at the first City Council meeting in September.

The board still needs applicants who live in Cape Girardeau to be appointed to the advisory board. Amos said they haven’t received any new applicants and “didn't have very great candidates.”

She said she asked city manager Ken Haskin if they could hold off on appointing a new member to the board and he agreed.