Plattsburgh International to Receive More Relief Funds
Feb. 3—PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh International Airport is set to receive $1,463,164 through the Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
The airport previously received about $2 million from the federal government which had been allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act last spring.
"The funding we're receiving through the latest round of relief is going to certainly be going toward offsetting operating expenses," Airport Director Chris Kreig told The Press-Republican.
UPSTATE AIRPORTS
U.S. Sen. Maj. Leader Charles Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) announced last week that more than $36.5 million for Upstate New York airports was set to be allocated by the Federal Aviation Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Aside from Plattsburgh International, other North Country airports set to receive funding are:
—Adirondack Regional Airport in Saranac Lake: $24,000
—Lake Placid Airport: $9,000
—Ticonderoga Municipal Airport: $9,000
—Malone-Dufort Airport: $9,000
—Piseco Airport: $9,000
—Ogdensburg International Airport: $1,006,558
—Watertown International Airport: $1,005,484
—Massena International Airport- Richards Field: $24,000
—Potsdam Municipal Airport/ Damon Field: $24,000
VITAL
Schumer described air travel as vital to the connectivity and success of the Upstate economy.
"Airports serve important functions in many communities, especially in more rural areas, connecting people to the rest of the world and allowing for economic opportunities to land," he said in a statement.
"In the new congress, I will continue to fight for federal funding to keep our airports open and operational and to make sure Upstate New York has the help it needs to revive and thrive."
Gillibrand said that, as New Yorkers continue battling COVID-19, airports could not be left behind.
"Airports, travel and tourism will be a critical part of our economic recovery and these federal dollars will help airports across Upstate New York continue providing high-quality and safe transit when travel takes off."
HIT HARD
Kreig said the funding for Plattsburgh International was appreciated, as was the senators' advocacy.
"It's obviously no secret that the airport industry and the airline industry have been hit hard by COVID-19. Our business is down, passenger travel is down, airline travel is down."
He estimated that, industry-wide, passenger traffic was down by 65 percent overall in 2020 when compared with 2019 numbers. Specifically for the period from April — when COVID-19 started really impacting air travel — and December, that figure increased to 85 percent.
But Kreig noted there is hope for getting passengers flying again as the vaccine gets rolled out and once border activity returns to normal levels.
GOAL TO PRESERVE
Kreig said SkyWest/ United Express — which operates at Plattsburgh International under the federal Essential Air Service program that will be up for bid again next year — continues to offer its normal schedule of 12 round-trip flights to Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. each week. Additionally, Allegiant is still flying four to six flights per week.
Spirit Airlines, which had been operating three flights a week to Fort Lauderdale, suspended flights out of the airport in August, and halted its service in September.
"We periodically maintain contact with them," Kreig said. "We're hoping that we can renew discussions or engage in discussions as things start to settle down."
He added that maintaining relationships with the airlines is important both now and for when the pandemic ends.
"Right now, the goal is to preserve. We want to grow service, but we also want to preserve what we have."
CUSTOMS RESUMED
That includes customs operations. Plattsburgh International is in U.S. Customs and Border Protection's user fee facility program, meaning that, for a fee, it has on-site customs officers who can process flights from a foreign country.
Kreig told The Press-Republican last summer that, around April, he and his counterparts at other user fee airports had contacted CBP about potential cost-saving measures surrounding customs service.
CBP gave these facilities the option to either continue to pay to offer the service, or pause their operations for the last quarter of the federal Fiscal Year 2020, which ran from July to September.
Plattsburgh International opted for the latter, with the intention to resume the service. Kreig said that is exactly what transpired, as customs operations resumed in October.
"They are conducting businesses and we're happy to have them here as a partner at the airport."
VACCINE SITE
Kreig wanted to put out a public service announcement that, though the state Department of Health-run COVID-19 vaccination site is on airport property, it is not at the airport itself.
"We still periodically get folks showing up at the terminal," he said.
The airport terminal is on Airport Lane off of Route 22, while the vaccination site at 213 Connecticut Rd. is off of Arizona Avenue.
Kreig directed those coming from Interstate 87 on Route 22 to drive past the airport entrance and railroad tracks to take a right onto Arizona Avenue. Those coming from Plattsburgh on Route 22 should go through the traffic light at the intersection with Wall Street and find Arizona Avenue on their left.
Additionally, Kreig said flyers should know that mask-wearing in the airport terminal, and in truth on airport property, is now mandated by the federal government through an executive order.
"We would really appreciation cooperation," he said.
Email Cara Chapman:
Twitter: @PPR_carachapman
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