Stewart International Airport Gets Expansion, Name Change Approved
Update 2/23/18: The Stewart International Airport finally has a new name: New York Stewart International Airport. The name change is a move made in the hope of luring travelers to/from the airport, which is near Newburgh, NY, when considering NYC flight options.
On February 15, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey authorized a $30 million expansion to Stewart International Airport (SWF), which would add nearly 20,000 square-feet of space to the existing terminal, including a new US Custom and Border Protection facility.
"Expanding the terminal supports Governor Cuomo's vision of an airport that increases flight activity and passenger volume, and provides the level of service and amenities that should be expected of a world-class facility," said Jeffrey Lynford, Board Vice-Chairman, in a press release.
Currently, the Hudson Valley airport lacks a dedicated area to screen passengers from international flights. As of now, the airport uses a moveable wall to section off part of the terminal and separate domestic and international passengers.
Last year, nearly 450,000 commercial airline passengers used Stewart International Airport (SWF), which includes 141,000 international passengers.The new project will provide a dedicated federal inspection area that can process up to 400 international passengers per hour, as stated by the Port Authority.
Joseph Sitt, chairman of the Global Gateway Alliance, expressed support for the proposal in advance of the Port Authority meeting last Thursday.
"The bottom line is New York has the most congested and delayed airports in the country year in and year out, and it's not going to change without new capacity," Sitt said in a statement. "That will take proposals like the Stewart International Airport expansion along with better transportation, a real and sustained commitment to marketing, and, most of all, more flights and services to attract passengers. Otherwise, this will be just another plan that prolongs the airport's life, but falls far short of truly serving our region and our economy."
In addition to the expansion, the Port Authority Commissioners also approved a change in name of Stewart International Airport to something else — although it hasn't decided yet to what. The targeted completion date for the construction project is 2020.
H/T: USA Today