WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach International Airport has taken several steps to make travelers feel more comfortable about flying to and from South Florida during the coronavirus pandemic.
Masks or other facial coverings are now required for airport employees and travelers.
There are also social distancing markings on the floor and on signs, hand sanitizers throughout the airport and new barriers at the ticket counters.
"We are trying to be as best of a partner to our passengers as we can as everybody sort of figures out the new way of traveling," said Lacy Larson, director of airport marketing and communication.
Among the additional cleaning and sanitization enhancements is the regular use of an electrostatic sprayer. New to the airport since the COVID-19 outbreak, the sprayer is used to ensure all touch points, bathrooms and the terminal are disinfected.
.@flyPBI is flying high in cleanliness during the coronavirus pandemic. This is just one of the many gadgets they're using to keep travelers safe. https://t.co/Zz01CqZNiS pic.twitter.com/WhODRzzsVO
— WPTV (@WPTV) June 18, 2020
RELATED: Health officials begin screening pasengers at PBIA
That's in addition to more janitorial staff.
The main terminal and concourses are closed each day between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. for a deep cleaning.
Before the pandemic, the bins used at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints used to be cleaned once a week. Now, though, they'll be cleaned three times a day.
The coronavirus has caused turbulence when it comes to consumer confidence. Many people still do not feel comfortable about flying this summer.
"Personally, I do not really want to be in an airplane if I don't have to be," said Susan Baim, who was dropping off her son, who is flying back to New York. "Until the virus numbers drop down, I think we really just need to keep up all the protocols that have been put into place and just keep more distancing on airplanes."
Last week the airport saw its highest volume of travelers since March with 3,000 people in a day. It was in the low hundreds shortly after the virus brought everything to a halt.
Before the pandemic, the number of travelers at PBIA was 15,000 to 20,000 per day and 30,000 per day during the peak travel period.
"We are seeing potentially it could be 2022-2023 before we are creeping back up into the numbers we were at prior to COVID," said Larson.
