PORTLAND, Ore. — Face coverings will be required for everyone at Portland International Airport starting Monday, May 18.
The Port of Portland said the new rule is meant to “protect travelers and airport employees, and to provide a consistent experience for passengers flying in and out of PDX.”
Children under 2 and people with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing masks will be exempt from the rule.
Additionally, PDX has closed the areas where people used to meet arriving passengers, in order to minimize people congregating in the terminal. The “meeter-and-greeter” areas are closed until further notice.
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People picking up arriving passengers are asked to remain outside the terminal unless the arriving passenger needs assistance.
Since mid-March, airport travel has dropped drastically. In March, PDX saw a 52% reduction in passengers compared to March of 2019.
It was even worse in April. PDX saw a 90-95% decrease in passengers compared to April 2019.
So far in May, there has been a slight increase, but Port officials say travel is still down 91%.
In March, the Port of Portland told employees they were expected to take unpaid leave for one day per month through 2021. Port officials also called for cost-saving measures including limited travel, a hiring freeze and reduced overtime. The port says it has cut $20 million from its budget with these measures.
Port of Portland Executive director Curtis Robinhold said during the port's monthly commission meeting on Wednesday that the operating budget for PDX is around $240 million, or $20 million a month, but with the decrease in passengers and incoming revenue they project a $109 million operating revenue decrease. Robinhold said the $72 million the airport will receive from the CARES Act will help fill the gap, but won't cover the entire loss.
The lone bright spot at PDX might be air cargo, which is up 10% in April. Cathay Pacific Cargo has three flights a week between Portland and Hong Kong. Additionally, UPS, FedEx and Prime Air are handling increased air cargo, as consumers order more products online while they stay home.
Watch: PDX sees 94% drop in passengers (April 8, 2020)