The state has awarded funding to 36 public-use airports from St. Lawrence County to Broome County for use in various improvement projects and purchases. Airports serving Syracuse, Rome, Oswego, Ithaca, Watertown, Elmira, and Binghamton are among the three dozen facilities awarded state funding. The facilities will use about $49 million for “strategic infrastructure enhancements,” the […]
The state has awarded funding to 36 public-use airports from St. Lawrence County to Broome County for use in various improvement projects and purchases.
Airports serving Syracuse, Rome, Oswego, Ithaca, Watertown, Elmira, and Binghamton are among the three dozen facilities awarded state funding.
The facilities will use about $49 million for “strategic infrastructure enhancements,” the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
The projects will focus on safety, facilitate innovation, leverage existing resources, advance business development, and promote sustainability and resiliency.
Administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, projects funded through the aviation capital-grant program include the construction and rehabilitation of new and existing hangars; electrification and carbon-reduction programs; new and upgraded snow-removal equipment; and updated security systems.
These investments will “serve to make the surrounding communities more economically competitive with neighboring states,” Hochul’s office contends.
Airports, funding awards
Central New York
The state awarded Syracuse Hancock International Airport $2.5 million for the construction phase of a redesigned de-icing pad and control center to address current capacity and safety concerns.
Cortland County Airport, Chase Field will use $2.5 million to help pay for construction of a new conventional aircraft-storage hangar building that includes offices and an expansion of the existing landside vehicle parking lot.
Oswego County Airport will use its $500,000 award to help purchase aviation-fuel trucks.
Mohawk Valley
Griffiss International Airport will use its $2.5 million award to renovate and outfit an existing building to accommodate Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation’s expansion that will have it leasing the building long term, per Hochul’s office.
Southern Tier
The state awarded Ithaca Tompkins International Airport $1.4 million that it will use toward the construction of a 2,600-square-foot emergency-operations facility. It would be co-located within a proposed airport rescue and firefighting/snow-removal equipment (ARFF/SRE) facility that the FAA is funding.
In addition, Tri-Cities Airport in Broome County will use a $1.2 million funding award to help pay for the replacement of its existing refueling facility and the installation of new fuel tanks, along with a new self-service credit-card reader and tank-monitoring system.
Greater Binghamton Airport/Edwin A. Link Field in town of Maine was awarded $800,000 to help pay for the acquisition of several pieces of ground-service equipment. They including electric vehicles in the form of pushback tractor/tugs (large and small) in order to prepare for an electric fleet “in a strategic manner,” per Hochul’s office.
New York also awarded Elmira Corning Regional Airport $800,000 to purchase electrified equipment and associated charging infrastructure.
The Lt. Warren E. Eaton Airport in Chenango County will use a $600,000 funding award to help pay for the acquisition of a new snowplow, and attachments including snowplow and wing combination, and slide-in hopper with spreader for deicing and traction materials.
North Country
Watertown International Airport will allocate $2.1 million toward the rehabilitation of a portion of Hangar D to extend its useful life. The work will include reinforcing the building envelope to reduce areas where deficiencies were identified.
The state also awarded Massena International Airport in St. Lawrence County $100,000 toward the purchase of a batwing trailed mower and a snow-removal support vehicle that includes a commercial grade pick-up truck with material spreader and plow blades.