Susan Baer, director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, brought some good news to the Hudson Valley on Nov. 16: more flights will be flying in and out of Stewart International Airport.
Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward had announced earlier in November that Delta would be adding an additional daily evening flight to Atlanta beginning Feb. 13.
Baer, attending a breakfast with 150 members of Orange County Chamber of Commerce at the Falkirk Country Club, said JetBlue will be doubling its service to Orlando in June, 2011, adding a daily non-stop flight. “We”™ve had a tremendous alliance with JetBlue,” said Baer. “They have rode out the storm with us and remained at Stewart. We are confident our relationship with Jet Blue will continue and grow at Stewart.”
The Port Authority is gearing up for its new partnership with Apple Tours, which will run weekly charters to Cancun from Stewart beginning in February. It is nearing completion of a separate federal inspection facility and has begun a $2 million study to enlarge the current terminal by 25,000 square feet.
“The expansion will give us the opportunity to build out the federal inspection area and add more baggage space,” said Baer. “We hope to create a niche in the charter business and are looking forward to working with Apple Tours and to build on the charter flight business.”
The new 1,000-space parking lot outside the terminal has been completed and open for public use. The $7 million addition, constructed with permeable asphalt, is designed to collect rainwater, which will drain into cisterns beneath the parking area. In turn, the “gray” water will be kept warm with solar power and be used for irrigation around the airport.
Baer noted more than $50 million in infrastructure improvements have been pumped into Stewart since the Port Authority took over its lease on Nov. 1, 2007, with more than half of the contracts given to local vendors. She encouraged more companies to familiarize themselves with doing business with the Port Authority.
It will also begin construction on a new $10 million crime lab next year to replace the current building, in exchange for continued security services to be provided by the State Police.
Baer readily admitted attracting airlines to Stewart has been a challenge since air transportation tanked in 2008, exacerbated by skyrocketing fuel costs the same year. “We don”™t miss the opportunity to talk to our current carriers about considering Stewart; but airlines are moving slowly in rebuilding service ”“ from their perspective, it is better to go slow and have sustainable growth than to grow quickly and fizzle out.”
