Florida's Economy

I was in Palm Bay Florida earlier this week for the funeral of a cousin. That part of the state is called the "Space Coast", because the Kennedy Space Center is close by. I flew in and out of Melbourne International Airport. If activity at the airport is an indicator of the condition of the local economy, the Space Coast is not doing well. When my flight arrived that morning, I hustled through the airport to the rental car area and was on my way to the funeral service in just a few minutes. I did not pay any attention to the level of activity at the airport.

That afternoon, I arrived back at the airport at about 4:45pm for a 5:45pm flight back to Atlanta and there was no one there. All of the ticket booths and rental car stands had personnel, there were just not many passengers. My flight was a little late leaving. In the hour or so I spent in the terminal, the only airplane to land and take off was our little 50 passenger regional jet. The concourses were empty and there were no aircraft at any of the gates. I have had this experience at some tiny airports throughout the country. I have never had that experience at a medium sized airport like MLB.

When we arrived back in Atlanta there was the usual crush of humanity on the concourses and on the train leading to the terminal. Granted, ATL is a huge hub and many of the travelers were just passing through town. The Space Coast is a good bit smaller population wise than the Atlanta Metro area. Still, if air travel is an indicator of the vibrancy of a local economy, I am happy that I sell real estate in the Atlanta market.