Port Authority envisions Stewart Airport as regional hub

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey took control of Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, N.Y., Nov. 1, and vowed to turn the former Air Force base into a strong regional airport  even as it  acknowledged it will take some hard work to turn that vision into a reality.

Stewart is owned by New York State, and in January the Port Authority board authorized the purchase of the operating lease from a private firm for $78.5 million.

In the Nov. 1 takeover ceremonies, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the authority called Stewart an underutilized airport and said it could be developed into a major transportation hub for the Hudson Valley region, thanks to its proximity to a growing, prosperous population and a host of corporate headquarters.

Additional capacity at Stewart also would help ease congestion at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark, they said.

The authority's board has said it believes Stewart "is ideally situated to handle some of the increased demand in the future that will occur on the periphery of the New York-New Jersey region."

"Developing Stewart Airport is considered a cost-effective means of expanding regional airport capacity to meet the needs of travelers in the mid-Hudson Valley, to divert some corporate and private activity from Teterboro Airport and to free up capacity at the region's major passenger airports," it said.

Port Authority spokesman Pasquale DiFulco said the authority had determined there were about 11 million people a year who used Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy airports but actually lived closer to Stewart.

"Obviously, all 11 million won't use Stewart," DiFulco said, "but we believe it is realistic that we can move a portion of those people to Stewart."

Between them, Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports processed more than 107 million passengers in 2006. Stewart's traffic has nearly tripled this year but will fall short of a million.

Although developing Stewart as an alternative is going to take major work, given its location and required upgrades, efforts to increase its significance got an early boost by ultra-low-fare carrier Skybus' simultaneous Nov. 1 announcement that it plans to start service to Stewart early next year.

Skybus said it would begin twice-daily service from its Columbus, Ohio, base Jan. 6 and from its second base in Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C., Feb. 25.

"Stewart International Airport is a growing factor in the New York metropolitan area transportation picture," said Skybus CEO Bill Diffenderffer, adding that the authority's takeover "will only accelerate Stewart's importance."

Currently at Stewart, AirTran offers service to Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa Bay and West Palm Beach. JetBlue serves Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, and Northwest flies to Detroit.

The airport also gets regional airline service to Atlanta from Delta Connection and to Philadelphia from US Airways Express.

The Port Authority said it has been in "active discussions" with other airlines seeking to provide services at Stewart.

Stewart has some advantages. Its long runway can accommodate the latest jets, and, at 2,450 acres, it has plenty of room for expansion and new operations. Also, at least for now, travelers can avoid the crowds and lines of the big three New York area airports.

But it also needs a lot of work, some of which has already begun.

In September, the Port Authority board approved more than $17 million for parking and road improvements, and bulldozers were standing by Nov. 1 to begin work on the parking lot as soon as the takeover ceremonies were over, DiFulco said.

The new parking lot will add 300 spaces to the airport's existing 2,350. A gravel lot, which should be ready in about a month, will be paved by late this year or early next year, DiFulco said.

Also, while the airport is near the intersection of two interstates, and only a few miles from the closest exit, those few miles can seem a lot longer because of traffic for a large shopping district en route.

To improve access, the state is creating a new exit off of I-84, and the authority is building an access road from that exit to the airport. The exit and road should be usable before the end of the year, although DiFulco said "finishing touches" on the road won't be completed until next year.

The authority is assessing what other work is needed, but some things are obvious, DiFulco said. For example, he said, the airport's two security checkpoints are close to the car rental counters and will need to be moved to create more space for travelers.

Also, the authority wants to persuade carriers to offer some international service from Stewart, but right now Stewart is equipped only to handle the occasional private charter flight.

To contact reporter Andrew Compart, send e-mail to [email protected].