Summer is the busiest and most bustling time of the year for the Island, and Martha’s Vineyard Airport is gearing up for it.
“There’s a lot of planning involved with making sure that all of the paperwork is done, that [airlines] are ready to come in and start their operations,” Martha’s Vineyard Airport director Geoff Freeman told The Times. “Our FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) inspections are in May. There’s a lot of planning, alongside our TSA (Transportation Security Administration) inspections.”
Other preparations Freeman listed were evaluating parking needs, particularly for taxis, new signage and road markings, cooperation with the West Tisbury Police Department for traffic management, and “minor comfort improvements” like concessions at the main gate areas.
In addition to the paperwork, the airport plans to hire seasonal employees for the summer. Freeman said individual airlines and the TSA might be hiring as well.
According to Freeman, the summer schedules for the airlines are not done yet, although a similar one to 2020 is expected. Aside from year-round Cape Air flights, the airlines that are anticipated to return are Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in early June and JetBlue in May. The difference from the 2020 schedule is that American will be offering nonstop flights once a week to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Meanwhile, JetBlue will be taking over more of the New York market. Elite Airways, “a new entrant to the Vineyard market last year,” has not finalized their summer schedule and did not tell the airport if they will return. If Elite chooses not to come back, the lease spot will open up, but Freeman said no other airlines have approached with an interest in flying to and from the Vineyard. “It all depends on what’s happening at the time,” Freeman said.
As for passengers, Freeman expects it to be consistent with what the airport saw in 2021. The number of passengers during 2021 surpassed 2019 numbers, which was pre pandemic. However, Freeman said this would also depend on the status of the travel restrictions in Europe. According to Euronews Travel, European countries have loosened some restrictions to varying degrees. Denmark and Norway have dropped all travel restrictions.
“We hope for a safe and successful season and we are working with the community to be a proactive airport and [we’re] looking to protect the needs of the community,” Freeman said.