Vero Beach Regional Airport has experienced significant growth in recent years since the return of commercial flights. The airport initially saw success with Elite Airways, which offered flights to Newark, Portland, Maine, and White Plains, N. Y. However, the pandemic resulted in the suspension of Elite’s operations in July 2022.

In February of the following year, Breeze Airways stepped in to fill the void and has since gained a loyal following with flights to several destinations such as New Haven, Islip, Ogdensburg, Providence, White Plains, Stewart/Newburgh, and Washington Dulles. This success caught the attention of larger airlines, with JetBlue announcing daily service to Boston Logan and New York’s JFK in August 2023. Shortly after, American Airlines also announced daily flights to Charlotte, N. C. , beginning in February 2024. With the addition of these new airlines, the city and airport officials are now facing the challenge of ensuring that the airport’s infrastructure can handle the increase in passenger traffic.

To address this issue, Mayor John Cotugno called for a special discussion on September 23 to assess the situation and plan for necessary infrastructure improvements. City Manager Monte Falls stated that the airport was in “uncharted territory” as it had previously only handled one small carrier but is now preparing to host three commercial airlines operating at near-peak hours. Falls also mentioned that they were already making improvements to the terminal and parking, but with the arrival of JetBlue and American, they will reach full capacity between 7 a. m. and 9 p. m.

However, Falls emphasized the need to avoid rushing into large-scale projects such as building a new terminal or parking garage. He stated that they currently have the capacity to park about a thousand cars and need to ensure that the demand for these services will be long-lasting before making significant investments.

Airport Director Todd Scher identified parking as the most immediate concern, with cars spilling into grassy overflow lots during Breeze’s first holiday season in 2023. Scher stated that the airport is working with its consultants to incorporate parking and terminal needs into the Airport Master Plan. They are currently designing an additional 200 paved parking spaces, and overflow lots that were previously leased are now back under airport control. Scher also mentioned that Avis has started shuttling customers from the grass lot to the terminal and is willing to expand this service to airline passengers.

In the long term, a new terminal may be necessary. Scher presented various options, including city-funded construction, which could take up to four years, or third-party leasing agreements that would allow a private company to build or manage the facility. He also mentioned that a terminal renovation is currently underway, with expected completion by late November or early December. This renovation aims to make the existing space more functional with additional bathrooms, covered walkways, and outdoor waiting areas.

To alleviate parking issues, a consolidated rental car facility is being planned south of Sun Aviation, which is expected to