The travel industry hit unprecedented lows during the pandemic year of 2020, and signs are that recovery is somewhere far out on a distant horizon. The airline industry in general and the region’s own New York Stewart International Airport in particular were hit hard.
That’s precisely why now is the right time to reinvest in the airport.
The Port Authority which operates the airport announced plans last week to do exactly that. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced several initiatives designed to bring more air travelers through the terminal. They include a new airport marketing campaign, a new air carrier incentive program, and the completion of a new Federal Inspection Station.
The incentive program, as outlined by the governor last week, will offer airport fee-waivers and marketing support for 24 months for air carriers that begin new nonstop air service to a destination not currently served from New York Stewart. New York Stewart’s incentive program will reduce risk and defer startup costs for air carriers. It is designed to attract prospective domestic and international air carriers as demand in the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The marketing campaign, complete with a new logo is meant to convey the region’s proximity to the New York Metropolitan Area and tout the region’s many assets, including the Storm King Art Center, Resorts World Catskills, Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, and the soon-to-open LEGOLAND New York Resort and others to explore potential partnerships to grow tourism and air service in the region.
The inspection station adds 20,000 square feet of space to the existing terminal. That space will allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors to screen up to 400 international passengers per hour.
All three initiatives are meant to make the airport more attractive to international travelers and the overseas carriers, but the investment should also provide some incentive for Hudson Valley residents who want to get away, once it’s safe to do so. Some of us may be wary of airlines and airline travel in a post-pandemic world. Others need a good excuse to start planning an overdue vacation and an affordable destination like Savannah, GA, Myrtle Beach or Punta Gorda may do just that.