Normal parking resumes at Cape airport

Business Today

A federal rule change that allows Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to resume use of its parking lot will save visitors some walking and taxpayers some money.

The rule that required unauthorized vehicles to park at least 300 feet from airport terminals was lifted in late October for small airports like Cape Girardeau's, airport manager Bruce Loy said. Large airports still must comply, he said.

Cape Girardeau airport's 175-space lot became available for public parking Oct. 26. Since Sept. 12, the day after the terrorist attacks, airport visitors have been using gravel parking lots more than 300 feet away.

The rule change also makes it unnecessary to spend $13,000 on an assessment study of the effects an explosion would have on the airport, Loy said. At Loy's request, the Cape Girardeau City Council approved the assessment study Oct. 15 in hopes the Federal Aviation Administration would exempt Cape Girardeau's airport from the parking rule.

"I had just assumed they would give us back a portion of our lot, 100 feet or 150 feet," Loy said. "Obviously, we're pleased to get it all back."

But Loy warned nothing is permanent in these uncertain times.

"I'm holding on to all the blast assessment information in case this thing comes back, which it could," Loy said. "It could easily go back to the way it was somewhere down the line."

Loy said that some people thought that the whole thing was ridiculous, but the government needed time to assess the threats. "They saw that the threat really wasn't to the smaller airports so they changed this rule."

The airport remains under heightened security, Loy said. Armed Missouri National Guard soldiers are stationed at the airport, police patrol regularly, more stringent security screenings are in place and barricades still stand in front of the terminal.