First, the bad news: Apple Vacations won”™t be returning this winter for charter flights at Stewart International Airport. Now, the good news: There is plenty of opportunity for cargo, and while passenger travel may be taking a beating, suppliers still need to ship their goods.
That news came from Susan Baer, director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, who met Nov. 1 with a small but lively group of Orange County Chamber of Commerce members at the Falkirk Country Club in Central Valley.
While conceding that attracting new carriers to the airport has been a challenge, she assured listeners the Port Authority is committed to making Stewart a success story.
“The airlines have figured out it is a good thing to be profitable,” said Baer, “because, for many years, they were unprofitable.” Now that the economy has taken a nosedive and fuel prices have risen dramatically, there are fewer flights with more passengers. Many, including carriers out of Stewart, are also taking on cargo as a means to become more profitable. One thing that has not changed, said Baer, is the need to move goods around the country and internationally.
“Cargo tonnage at Stewart is already 35 percent higher this year than it was for all of 2010,” she said, helped by FedEx”™s introduction of a second daily flight out of the airport.
“We see it as an engine to fuel economic growth. Stewart”™s proximity to major highways and the ease of getting in and out of the airport and directly onto major interstates is a huge plus, and we”™re capitalizing on that.”
All three airlines operating out of the Hudson Valley airport saw a 10 percent increase in passenger levels in June, July and August, over comparable 2010 numbers. Baer acknowledged Stewart “has been hit very hard by the recession, and it”™s far from over. Despite that, JetBlue is bringing back its seasonal flight to Florida, and we”™re confident the trend will continue” as the Port Authority seeks to lure airlines to its northernmost airport.
Baer told chamber members she is working with JetBlue”™s president, Dave Barger, to get a shuttle from Stewart to Boston”™s Logan International Airport, which would create another major hub for passengers and another one-stop destination that has been asked for.
“Everyone wants one-stop flights, but in many cases, it just is not financially feasible for the airlines to do it ”“ but if we can add another hub it will be a great boost,” Baer said. Â Stewart offers nonstop flights to Detroit, Philadelphia, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta.
The airport has been able to take advantage of its new federal inspection station for international flights, hosting 18 countries that flew into New York for a recent meeting at the United Nations.
“We”™ve also had 20 international diversions over the past year … thanks to the new FIS, we were able to clear passengers and bring them to their intended destination once they disembarked,” Baer said.
Brig. Gen. Verle Johnston, commander of the 105th Airlift Wing at the Air National Guard base at Stewart, said the Port Authority”™s upgrades “may not be noticeable, but new approach lights, reopening the (number) 2 runway, which allows pilots to guide planes in with less than 100 feet of visibility and other ”˜unnoticed”™ infrastructure work are vital improvements that are a tremendous help to the airport and to the Air National Guard. We”™re very fortunate to have them running the airport.”
The chamber breakfast also offered a formal introduction to Richard Heslin, new general manager at Stewart, formerly manager at Teterboro. A 40-year Port Authority veteran, he”™s looking forward to working with FedEx and UPS to help build on its current cargo numbers.
The terminal”™s expansion plans are being decided by the Port Authority and will go back to its board of directors in early 2012. “If all goes according to plan, we will start construction in mid-2013, and that will include a permanent federal inspection station,” said Heslin. The $20 million renovation/addition is expected to take 18 months to complete.
Baer said she wanted to remind everyone the Port Authority “is in this for the long haul. To date, we”™ve invested $56 million in improvements, and in 2011 we”™ve let contracts amounting to $30 million, half of them going to Hudson Valley businesses, helping to bring jobs to the area. We”™re encouraging vendors to learn how to do business with the Port Authority. The information is on our website (PANYNJ.gov). Â We want to see Stewart become a success story as much as you do.”
