By Joshua A. Potosek, Sullivan County Manager
On a warm July day in 1969, local, State and Federal officials celebrated the opening of Sullivan County International Airport a few miles west of Monticello, NY. The 6,000-foot runway was pressed into major service only a couple weeks later, when the legendary Woodstock festival bands started flying in and the emergency choppers started flying out.
While the Airport has continued to play host to international stars performing at local hotels (or just jetting in for their own relaxing getaway), the original dream of a vibrant, attractive aviation hub has – pardon the pun – never really taken off. Yes, there was scheduled airline service in the 1970s – even flights to Canada, earning the “International” part of its name.
And it continues to provide a haven for pilots (who rent hangars from us), planes (propeller-driven and jet-powered), the Civil Air Patrol, Hatzolah Air, and our 911 Center. Aviation fuel sales remain strong, and with an average of 72 takeoffs and landings every week, the Airport by no means goes unused.
But we know it’s capable of far more. And that’s why we were thrilled when Gov. Kathy Hochul included Sullivan County in her Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Program, giving us $18.5 million to construct a new, energy-efficient terminal via the NYS Department of Transportation.
The 15,000-square-foot, timber-supported building finished construction last fall, and it’s a beauty: two stories full of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the runway, with six leasable business offices, a conference room, a pilot’s lounge, and a second-floor restaurant (opening this summer) with an outdoor deck featuring views extending all the way to the high peaks of the Catskills. Sustainably built with glue-laminated wood, the terminal is heated and cooled with a geothermal system, powered in part by a photovoltaic array, and will have electric vehicle charging stations right outside its doors.
On its own, the terminal is an incredible new asset for the Airport. But we are not stopping there. We have just begun marketing the Airport as the most attractive business jetport within a 100-mile radius of New York City. After all, we already have more room and less expensive lease terms than any of the airports closer to the City (from which we’re only a 20-minute plane ride).
The intent is not to bring back scheduled airline service, since there’s plenty of options in and around the Hudson Valley. Rather, we’re seeking to promote Sullivan County International Airport to business aviation companies as a convenient, attractive, cost-effective alternative to the far more congested and expensive NYC airports.
Here in Sullivan County’s Catskills, they can store and fuel their planes, ship cargo in and out, and set up offices for their pilots and ground crews. We’ve already demonstrated the feasibility of this with Hatzolah Air, a nonprofit goodwill that flies around the world from our Airport.
With a new terminal ready to dazzle, we’re aiming high to finally reveal this long-hidden gem.
