Hertz leaves Juneau airport Sept. 30, and three rental counters stay

Hertz will stop renting cars at Juneau International Airport on Sept. 30, leaving three counters at the terminal: Alamo/National/Enterprise, Avis and Budget.

Airport Manager Andres Delgado reported the company's notice to the airport board this week. Neither the notice nor his report says why Hertz is leaving, or what happens to existing reservations and employees.

The departure opens up counter and concession space, and airport staff plan to seek a replacement through competitive bidding. Delgado wrote that the goal is to "minimize impacts to rental car availability during the transition."

Getting to the terminal without a car is already harder than it was. Capital Transit suspended its Route 6 Airport Connector in April, citing staffing. Travelers are directed instead to Routes 3 and 4 and a walk of about four-tenths of a mile along Shell Simmons Drive, which is a longer trip with luggage or with limited mobility.

Passenger traffic through the security checkpoint dipped slightly in August after rising in July, which Delgado attributed to the seasonal taper. The persistent problem there is the cluster of early morning departures, when scheduled flights can outstrip what the checkpoint can process.