Ashleigh Davis, a spokesperson for the airport, says that's about 20% lower than the same period in 2019, but is still part of a promising trend.
"So we have had a pretty strong year of recovery through 2021. We've always either beat or met the trends for recovery throughout US airports, which is good news. And in October, we have seen a particular boost. Our travelers have reached 51,623 which is the highest number since the pandemic began."
She says leisure travel has seen a steady rise, while business travel still lags behind as companies continue to use remote options and face staffing shortages.
Davis is optimistic about travel returning to pre-pandemic levels, but the airport is still cautious about the future.
"The pandemic is ongoing. And at any point, something could change with that, which would then impact travel. And so we're still grappling with what that looks like, and what is the long-term outlook for the pandemic and travel, and how do we learn to live with it, or what is the future of that."
Compared to October of 2019, traffic for Allegiant Air rose 6% but dropped for the other three airlines that serve the Quad Cities Airport.
The airport is still under a federal mask mandate. Masks must be worn in the building and on airplanes at all times.
