HARLINGEN — Rio Grande Valley airports are hoping the state’s reopening plan opens the gates for more passengers.

The director of aviation at the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Marv Esterly, says before the coronavirus pandemic it regularly had more than 1,000 passengers a day, but that number has dropped dramatically – ranging from 100 to 150 passengers a day.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS is told COVID-19 protocols could get more difficult if and when more people return to flying.

“We suspect that in the next few months that traffic will pick up even more than it is right now. So the need for social distancing will be there, but it will be more difficult to have, especially as you get on the aircraft,” said Esterly.

Financially, Esterly says the VIA has filed for help from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to pay their employees, but for the most part he believes the airport will be fine.

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