Cuomo proposes $34M investment, name change at Stewart Airport

A $34 million proposal by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo would bring a number of changes to Stewart International Airport in Orange County, including a new name.

norwegian air stewart international airport
One of Norwegian Air’s Boeing 737 MAX’s arriving at Stewart International Airport in September 2017. Photo by Bob Rozycki

The governor called on the Port Authority to approve the investment, which would rebrand the airport as New York International at Stewart Field.

In a press release, Cuomo said the airport”™s name “does not communicate to travelers and visitors booking flights to the region where the airport is geographically located.”

The name change, he said, will help attract passengers to the region and increase its name recognition.

“By transforming Stewart Airport into a state-of-the-art transportation destination, we are providing an inviting gateway to the region and supercharging an economic engine for the entire mid-Hudson Valley,” Cuomo said. “This international transportation hub will provide a world-class passenger experience, attract new visitors and businesses and continue to move the mid-Hudson Valley forward.”

The initiative, which was unveiled as part of the governor”™s 2018 State of the State address, also included the construction of a permanent U.S. Customs and Border Protection federal inspection station.

Norwegian Air began offering trans-Atlantic flights from the airport in June and July with service to Ireland and Scotland, which was expected to generate $36 million in economic activity and create 230 jobs in the region.

The expanded inspection station would add nearly 20,000 square feet of space to the existing terminal and “support continued passenger volume growth from these new international flights and increase bookings,” Cuomo said.

Construction of the inspection station is expected to be complete by 2021.

The proposed investment would also include bus service connecting the airport to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan.

The governor also called on the Port Authority to seek requests for proposals to construct  a solar carport parking area at the airport that would be built, installed, owned, operated and maintained by the developer. Construction of the $7 million, privately financed solar project is expected to last one year.