Westchester County Airport hopes to gain altitude in its revenue and passenger numbers despite failing to fill the 10 flights lost last summer when AirTran Airways left the airport.
Last week, the airport held a lottery to fill the flights, but no airline stepped forward. Instead of filling AirTran”™s slots, airlines sch as JetBlue Airways Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. have decided to increase their passenger load on routes they already operate out of Westchester. The county airport allows 240 passengers in the terminal per half hour.
AirTran left the airport last August after being acquired by Southwest Airlines in September 2010 for $1.4 billion.
In the lottery, prospective carriers are presented a chart of available flights and put in their flight requests. Airport management essentially picks an airline out of a hat to take over the slots. Another lottery will be offered in July.
Besides Delta and JetBlue, United Air Lines Inc., American Airlines Inc., Hyannis Air Service Inc. and US Airways Group Inc. serve the airport, with flights to Florida, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit, the Cape Cod area and Atlanta.
Delta has increased capacity on its flights to 75 passengers, while JetBlue has increased capacity to 150 passengers.
In 2012, the airport had 1.75 million passengers, down from 1.9 million in 2011 and its lowest count since 2007. The airport had 3,100 fewer flights last year, a 2 percent decrease from 2011. Airport officials expect a $2 million revenue decrease this year compared with 2012.
Still, “We are slowly catching back up again,” airport manager Peter Scherrer said.
Though owned by the county, the airport is self-sufficient and does not rely on county tax dollars, though it does receive federal funding. The airport has recently invested in stormwater equipment to ensure it stays open during the winter.
Westchester”™s restrictions on passengers in the terminal can make it difficult to attract airlines.
“It becomes a mathematical exercise,” Scherrer said. “We have situations where two larger size airlines take up the allocation, sometimes three take it up.”
The county”™s restrictions were implemented in 1984 and expire in 2014. Scherrer said he plans to talk to county officials about any changes that could be made to allow for more passengers and accommodate the airlines.
Still, “The restrictions are important and have worked well,” Scherrer said. “They ensure that the airport doesn”™t get too big.”
With fuel costs rising and airlines often teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, they have become more cost-conscious and hesitant to take up new slots at the airport. When they come into an airport, many airlines want to start six or eight flights, but Westchester”™s restrictions might limit them to one to two flights.
“They want their planes full and efficient,” Scherrer said. “They don”™t want to oversaturate the market. Developing a market could take up a year. You don”™t want to make mistakes.”
Meanwhile, noise complaints from residents are at a record low at the airport.
“We want to make sure that the airport is economically successful but we realize that we have neighbors,” said Patricia Chemka, deputy commissioner of county public works and transportation. “We try to be conscious of that within the context of airport operations.”
The airport also plays a key role for Westchester”™s business community. Its hangars are leased by companies that include PepsiCo Inc. and IBM Corp.
“The airport attracts businesses here and in Fairfield,” Scherrer said. “We have a lot of corporation aviation here. Before airplanes, affluent communities had railroads and they helped with development. Now it”™s regional airports.”
According to a 2010 state report on the economic impacts of aviation, Westchester County Airport generates more than $735 million in economic activity and 6,328 jobs with a payroll of more than $334 million.
Flying out of Westchester means not having to travel to Queens or Newark airports, and passengers are often willing to pay $100 more for the convenience..
“It”™s just so much easier to get to,” Scherrer said. “We have places people want to go to. We have lots of flights to Florida. It”™s very nice.”
Flights to Atlanta and Chicago, the hubs for Delta and United, allow passengers to fly out of Westchester and connect almost anywhere.
John Ravitz, executive vice president of The Business Council of Westchester, said that having an airport like Westchester in the region is a plus.
“It allows the county to attract businesses who want a closer option rather than going to the city,” Ravitz said. “The airport is run so well, and it”™s great for business travelers going on a one-day or one-night trip. For Westchester, it”™s a win-win that we support. The more the airport can grow, the better.”
