WATERTOWN, S.D.(AlphaMedia)–The nation’s airline industry is beginning to dig out of a cavernous hole left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Passengers stopped traveling a little more than a year ago when the virus began spreading across the country, but with more people being vaccinated, the industry is starting a slow climb back.

Watertown Airport Board member Mike Tomlinson gave an update at Monday’s board meeting.

As Tomlinson explains, right now that means addressing a pilot shortage.

He says plans are starting to fill up again, but there’s a long way to go for airlilnes to reach the break-even point.

Watertown’s passenger numbers bottomed out last April, when there were only 45 enplanements for the month.

Last month, there were more than 600.