Niagara Falls International Airport receives $11.7 million to rebuild runway

April 05--The Federal Aviation Administration has set aside $11.7 million to rebuild the main runway at the Niagara Falls International Airport, paving the way for Allegiant Air to expand service from the airport to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Rep. Kathleen C. Hochul and other officials announced the moves at a news conference in Niagara Falls this morning.

"As I'm making the argument in Washington every single day as to why we should have a new mission for the Niagara Falls Air Base, this runway is an important component of the argument we're making," the Amherst Democrat said.

The 11,000-foot main runway serves commercial flights as well as C-130 cargo aircraft from the adjacent Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

And the runway surface is "showing some cracks," said Col. Allan Swartzmiller, air base commander.

Without repair, Swartzmiller said, "it could be hazardous to aviation."

Work will start next week and be completed within a year, said Kimberley A. Minkel, executive director of the Niagara Falls Transportation Authority.

Early release of the FAA money enabled an early start to the project, Minkel said .

"Typically, in past years, funding wasn't released until summer," she said.

Hochul said she spoke to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and urged him to move up the release because of Western New York's short construction season.

"This money could have gone anywhere in the country. This is discretionary money from the Federal Aviation Administration," Hochul said.

The runway reconstruction "makes us viable for another 20 years," said Col. John Higgins, vice wing commander of the 107th Airlift Wing of the Air National Guard, one of two units headquartered at Niagara Falls.

The total cost of the runway rehab is $23 million, with 90 percent coming from Washington, Minkel said.

Besides the FAA money, funding for the project is coming from the military budget, Minkel said.

Minkel said the contract for the runway work has been awarded to Sealand Construction of Rochester.

Last year, the secondary runway at the airport, measuring 5,500 feet, was rehabilitated, Swartzmiller said.

The runway reconstruction comes amid a period of unprecedented growth at the Niagara Falls airport, which has seen its passenger count increase from about 1,000 in 2009 to more than 200,000 today.

And that number could grow even more, thanks to the new flights Allegiant Air announced today.

Allegiant, which started at Niagara Falls in December with flights to St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla., and later added service to Orlando-Sanford, will begin flying July 1 to Fort Lauderdale.

The three-hour flights will depart Sundays and Thursdays at 7:55 p.m. Incoming flights from Fort Lauderdale will land at 7:15 p.m.

Last month's bankruptcy of Direct Air, which had been the No. 1 carrier at Niagara Falls, had nothing to do with the move to add Fort Lauderdale service, according to Keith Hansen, director of airports for Allegiant.

"That was an opportunity we saw. That didn't have anything to do with Direct Air," he said.

The Fort Lauderdale flights will use MD-80 aircraft with at least 150 seats. The airline is currently redesigning its MD-80 cabins to increase seating to 166, Hansen said.

Base fares will start at $94.99. Allegiant charges $35 per bag to check luggage or to carry a bag on the plane. Flyers can save money on the fees by paying them when they buy their tickets online, Hansen said.

Hochul said Allegiant's announcement was another key component in the airport's growth.

"Between Allegiant's expansion and the federal investment announced today, I am confident that the Niagara Falls International Airport will be a key component in Western New York's economic development, and will serve as an international gateway to travelers and increase regional tourism revenues," Hochul said.

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