Stewart Airport: Cuomo proposes $34M expansion, name change

Under a $34 million proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Stewart International Airport in Orange County would add a permanent federal inspection station, upgrade its airport express system and undergo a name change.

The proposal will be included in Cuomo's 2018 State of the State address, according to a press release from the governor’s office. If it’s approved by the Port Authority, the airport would be renamed New York International at Stewart Field, and add a permanent federal inspection station allowing the airport to screen up to 400 international passengers an hour.

Cuomo said in the release the changes could draw attention to the region and “continue to move the mid-Hudson Valley forward."

“By transforming Stewart Airport into a state-of-the-art transportation destination,” he said, “we are providing an inviting gateway to the region and supercharging an economic engine for the entire mid-Hudson Valley.”

Cuomo announced in February a partnership between the airport and Norwegian Air, which was expected to result in the creation of about 230 jobs per year, $13 million in total wages and $36 million in overall economic activity. Stewart began offering trans-Atlantic flights for the first time in June and July.

The permanent federal inspection station for international passengers would add roughly 20,000 feet to the existing terminal and allow concurrent domestic and international flight arrivals.

Cuomo also proposed installing solar panels over the parking lot outside the main terminal building that could produce most of the electricity the building uses in a year. This project is expected to cost around $7 million and be privately financed.

Cuomo's proposal also includes providing bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan.

Jack Howland: jhowland@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4870, Twitter: @jhowl04