Syracuse Airport formally completes $62M renovation project

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Contractors have formally completed work on the $62.4 million renovation project at Syracuse Hancock International Airport.

The project sought to turn the airport into a “modern, state-of-the-art gateway for travelers living in and visiting the Central New York region,” according to the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Of the project’s total cost, $35.8 million was provided by the state, $14.9 million came from the federal government and $11.7 million was provided by the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority and Onondaga County, according to a release from the governor’s office.

The redevelopment of the Syracuse airport was undertaken as part of Cuomo’s Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization competition, his office said.

Elmira Corning Regional Airport, the Greater Rochester International Airport, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, Albany International Airport and the Plattsburgh International Airport are also part of the initiative, which seeks to “enhance” safety and economic development, improve operations and access, reduce environmental impact, and “create a better passenger experience.”

The airports “are key,” Cuomo said in remarks Thursday afternoon at the Syracuse airport.

“Because for tourism to come here, for new businesses to come here, for people to visit, it’s about the airport,” said Cuomo. “The airport is the new front door and you fly around this world and you see magnificent airports and then you come to the United States and our airports are all second class … The airport is no longer a place just to drop people off and pick people up. The airport is a place to do business. It’s entertainment. People land here. They get a sense right away of what Central New York is all about.”

Cuomo joined local politicians and airport officials for a ribbon cutting.

About the project

The redesigned airport features a terminal that is 14,500 square feet larger than the original structure, with “more modern” ticketing and baggage-handling processes. Additionally, a new exterior façade allows natural light to illuminate the passenger drop-off area and a precast concrete canopy that ran along the front of the terminal has been removed.

Two renovated glass pedestrian bridges above the passenger drop-off area give travelers with mobile airline tickets a more efficient route to their flights, allowing them to skip ticket lines.

A Taste NY grab-and-go kiosk will “promote New York’s food and beverage producers and provide travelers the opportunity to purchase locally-made and grown snacks, such as chips, candies, apples, ice cream, and beverages,” Cuomo’s office said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com