A $30 million overhaul of the elevators at the 21-year-old terminal, however, is still scheduled to start in October.

Right now, however, airport officials and staff concede the new construction push elsewhere may have to be put off until passenger demand is stronger than at present. The construction industry specifically was counting on the airport's growth plans to create new jobs in the immediate five-county area.

But new passenger projections by airport personnel show the 2001 passenger count slipped to 28 million from 30 million in 2000 and won't reach a previously predicted high of 38 million in 2005 until 2008 if the strongest annual growth rate of 4.3% is maintained.