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Cuomo today unveiled the 17th proposal of the 2018 State of the
State: invest $34 million to modernize and expand Stewart International Airport in
Orange County. The Governor is calling on the Port Authority to approve the
investment, which would increase access to world-class destinations and attractions
throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley by supporting the construction of a permanent U.S.
Customs and Border Protection federal inspection station. The new FIS will allow the
airport to handle both domestic and international flights, while providing an improved
passenger experience for all travelers. Additionally, as part of this modernization effort
and to improve its name recognition, the airport will be rebranded as New York
International at Stewart Field. The airport has experienced low passenger rates in
recent years, and with this renaming and the addition of regularly scheduled trans-
Atlantic service in 2017 for the first time, New York International will attract more
travelers from the Metropolitan area looking for alternative, efficient transportation.
This investment will support the Governor's ongoing efforts to expand transportation
infrastructure across the entire state, while helping to connect residents and visitors to
businesses, recreation, and tourism destinations throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley.
The airport's current name does not communicate to travelers and visitors booking
flights to the region where the airport is geographically located. The Governor's proposal
to change the name to New York International at Stewart Field will help attract
additional flight service to the region and increase name recognition among residents
and visitors.
This proposal has already received strong support from the local community as it
preserves the heritage of the Stewart family name in the Mid-Hudson Valley region.
New York International at Stewart Field currently utilizes a temporary federal inspection
station, which requires staff to assemble moveable walls when international passengers
arrive to create a sterile area to process travelers. When in place, this temporary FIS
restricts the airport's ability to handle domestic flights.
Constructing a permanent FIS will support the airport's potential to grow flight activity
and passenger volume, while fostering the continued growth of economic development
and tourism in the Mid-Hudson Valley region. The airport provides an alternative option
for residents and visitors in Mid-Hudson and downstate metropolitan area, specifically
traveling to international destinations.
The Governor has proposed a $27 million investment by the Port Authority to expand
international passenger service at New York International. With this investment, project
design is expected to be 100 percent complete by third quarter 2018 and construction of
the new FIS is expected to be complete by first quarter 2021.
Increasing passenger volume will support the regional tourism industry, as New York
International is currently home to the New York Air Show, which already draws tens of
thousands of people to Orange County and contributes more than $5 million in
economic impact every year. In addition, with the development of LEGOLAND in
Goshen, the Resorts Catskill Casino and other regional businesses have expressed
interest in flying guests through the airport, which further supports the need to increase
its capacity.
To provide an improved travel experience for customers, the current Stewart Airport
Express private bus carrier will be enhanced and rebranded, providing service from the
airport to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. Service will
be offered on a schedule corresponding with Norwegian flights. The bus
carrier, CoachUSA, offers 80-minute travel times between NYC and the airport via the
Stewart Airport Express, which will be branded with New York-themed colors and
promoted to support the airport's overall marketing efforts to boost tourism in the
region.
New bus "skin" decal will be used to rebrand the shuttles with an emphasis on the new
name, New York International.
The PV system would also support the establishment of electric vehicle charging
stations at the airport, allowing New York to meet the needs of the 21st century traveler.
Both space to construct charging stations and a booming electric vehicle market, which
has experienced an average 32 percent growth between 2012 and 2015, and an
increased rate of 40 percent in 2016 - provides the opportunity to develop twenty new
charging stations at New York International by 2020. The project would also be
consistent with New York State's Reforming Energy Vision energy strategy to reduce
greenhouse emissions and the Governor's goal to achieve 50 percent of electricity to
come from renewables by 2030.
New York airports are the gateways to the Empire State, and in order to continue
building on record-breaking numbers of visitors and spending, the Governor's
investments are modernizing air travel through with the launch of the Upstate Airport
Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, and redevelopment of JFK and
LaGuardia airports in New York City. These state-of-the-art projects are essential to
boosting tourism, remaining competitive in today's global economy, and supporting the
construction of a new New York.