This morning, Senator Charles Schumer(D-NY), announced that discount airline Airtran would be offering service from the Newburgh airport, 55 miles from downtown Manhattan, effective January 11. “The tides are changing,” Schumer commented. “You might even say a new moon is rising. Better low-cost service is something I’ve worked very hard on for upstate New York.” Stewart has been trying to attract a discount carrier for years, and this expansion follows Airtran’s new service to White Plains.
The new service will operate five daily flights from Newburgh by February 15, two to its hub in Atlanta, and one each to Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa.
As the Poughkeepsie Journal reports, this follows National Express, the airport’s operator, announcing that they intend to sell their 99-year operating lease. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a possible purchaser of the operating lease, although other interest has been expressed.
Hopefully, the arrival of Airtran means reasonably priced airfare will be available in the Hudson Valley region, removing the need for suburban travellers to head to the already overcrowded New York area airports, such as LaGuardia and Kennedy for all service. As evidenced by Southwest’s success on Long Island, there is demand for low-fare service from New York’s suburbs.