Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport optimistic during pilot shortages

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport officials say they are almost seeing pre-pandemic levels of passengers taking flights.

All this is happening while officials say they are experiencing pilot shortages.

But Executive Director Mike Stewart is optimistic about the airport’s ability to get back on track.

“We’re almost back at 2019 levels as far as numbers go, it’s just a different type of travel, it’s a leisure travel versus quite so much business travel that we had back in 2019 but it’s coming back,” said Stewart. “Hopefully the pandemic is subsiding, and we continue to grow, and we get the pilots back in the cockpit.”

Airport officials want to remind you to get to the airport about an hour and a half before your flight, and remember not to bring drinks, including water, when going through TSA.

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