Passengers, flights increasing at Orlando Melbourne International Airport despite COVID-19 surge

Despite spiking COVID-19 cases in Florida and the nation, foot traffic and flights are on the rise at Orlando Melbourne International Airport.

At the height of the pandemic's impact on airlines, flights from the airport fell to just two each day. Now three or five leave every day, airport spokesman Rob Himler said.

American Airlines has added back two flights each day Thursdays through Mondays, . Delta, too, has resumed one of its daily flights and is operating two flights each day to Atlanta.

Sept. 9 American Airlines plans to resume flights Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well and operate three flights per day to Charlotte, North Carolina, Himler said.

More:Delta asks to suspend flights at Melbourne airport amid coronavirus pandemic

More:TUI to fly 156,000 UK tourists to Melbourne per year, generating 'tremendous' impact

Before the pandemic, the airport saw eight flights each day: five Delta flights to Atlanta and three American Airlines flights to Charlotte.

"When you compare it to other airports all around the nation, I have to consider ourselves pretty lucky," airport spokesman Rob Himler said. "It's (a pretty happy thing) that the airlines are adding back flights."

The volume of passengers has grown as well. Though Delta is currently offering only 60% of its seats for sale to increase spacing between passengers, in July about 80% of those have been sold, according to airport Director of Operations Cliff Graham. American Airlines, which is offering all seats in its flights for sale, has been booking about 60% of the seats.

American Airlines previously sold between 80% and 90% of its seats before the pandemic, according to Graham.

Despite the drop in revenue, the airport has managed not to lay off any of its employees.

"That was one of his (airport Executive Director Greg Donovan) top priorities, to make sure we maintain jobs for everyone," Himler said.

Most of the staff continues to work from home apart from custodial workers, police officers and other employees that must work onsite. Those employees wear masks and work on separate shift schedules so that if one of them gets sick, the other shift of workers will be less likely to be infected, Himler said.

The airport is "strongly recommending" that people wear masks in the building and providing them free for passengers who do not have them. Airlines are requiring all passengers to wear masks.

On Thursday the airport announced that it is putting to work a new Clorox electrostatic sprayer that kills 99.9% of bacteria in just 5 seconds and has the capability to cover up to 18,000 square feet in one hour, according to a press release.

Florida topped 400,000 total COVID-19 cases Friday with 5,653 total resident deaths. As of Friday, Brevard has seen 4,736 cases and 64 deaths.

Bailey Gallion is the business and development reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallion at bgallion@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3786.