Interview: Robert Heuts, Airport

are not directly subject to the whims of the market, they do depend on major budget allocations from the government for the execution of multiyear projects. COVID-19 battered the finances of local and state governments and it will take some years before they have recovered.

Still, the news is not all bad. The fact that Biden has decided to make infrastructure revitalization his signature issue means that there will be a renewed focus on it and the possibility of major funds for big projects that will offset the losses incurred fighting the pandemic. And it is not just the president holding this view. There is a mood around the country that infrastructure has been ignored for too long.

In Raleigh-Durham it is vitally important that these issues be addressed. People are coming, jobs are coming and an economic boom is likely underway. Will the current infrastructure be enough to support this influx? Robert Heuts

Airport Director Raleigh Exec Jetport

What shifts in demand for your services have you experienced over the course of the pandemic?

We’re seeing an uptick in transient activity. Companies decided they were not going to send their people on a commercial airline during the pandemic. These companies are using charter operations to visit customers and do what they have to do to run their businesses. In addition, the recreational flyers figured out pretty quickly that they can feel safe 5,000 feet in the air by themselves.

What long-term changes have emerged?

Prior to COVID, people would hop on an airplane and no one would pay much attention to the way the plane was sanitized. Now, the airlines are doing a full clean-up, and then getting it certified by somebody certified to do that. Today, a person jumping on a charter jet knows that the airplane has been cleaned and disinfected the way it needs to be. That’s done in between all flights. I really think that will be a long-term change and it’s probably a good thing. Maybe it won’t be as intense next year as it is this year but I see that as something that will continue.

What’s motivating airlines to do business in the Triangle region?

First, there are some great universities in this area. You’ve got Duke, North Carolina and NC State, the different community colleges, and other smaller schools. All of these have thrived here, and that builds the basis for a great workforce. Back in the 1950s, IBM and Northern Telecom started recognizing the fact of our highly trained workforce. They built Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in the world. It attracted great companies. Everything has changed over the years but the RTP still has a representation of great global companies. You’ve got the educational system and private companies involved in research and development and then there’s manufacturing. Add to that the governmental activity and you have a very dynamic region. All of that works together.

Banking & Finance:

Raleigh-Durham’s bankers received an unexpected boost in 2020 by way of the PPP loans. As the funnel for funds, banks were able to help offset a low interest rate environment that continues to squeeze margins. Reinventing themselves for a digital and remote world also proved essential along with the need for cyber protections. It all adds up to a mammoth shift in the banking and finance landscape.