Suddenly, New York Gets a Fourth Airport

 

It’s taken longer than Rip van Winkle’s 20-year sleep for Stewart International Airport (www.stewartintlairport.com/) to rub its eyes, wake up, and become—presto—New York City’s fourth airport, located in the Hudson River Valley that Washington Irving so delightfully popularized in his writings.

 

Despite endless political jostling, local oddities and unfulfilled plans over the decades—it was going to host SSTs when supersonic jets were in style in the early 1970s—Stewart is now coming out of the shadows, awakened by the arrival of two top discount carriers, AirTran and JetBlue. Initially, they won’t have much more than occasional UFO sightings, a specialty of the airport area in the 1980s and 1990s, for serious competition.

 

If space alone matters, as it often does these days, Stewart  has a lot going for it: The former Air Force base on the Hudson’s west bank is larger than La Guardia and Newark combined. Given a shot of development money and still more airline tenants, it could significantly relieve the overcrowding at New York’s trio of airports.

 

The fact that it’s a long 55 miles from the Big Apple shouldn’t be a detriment: The distance puts it in the same league as many other airports worldwide that are an hour-plus commute from the cities they serve. 

 

The NY-Florida Connection

 

The two ambitious, well-run budget airlines that are opening for business at Stewart are flying between New York and Southeast destinations.

 

On January 11 next year AirTran begins service to Atlanta (its base), Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa, while JetBlue will offer flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando on December 19 followed by West Palm Beach on January 5. And on December 13 Allegiant Air, known for its Las Vegas flights, will begin providing service between Stewart and Orlando and Tampa.

 

The startup of the discount newcomers at the Hudson Valley airport highlights the fact that other airlines do serve Stewart, though on limited, low-profile schedules.

 

• American Eagle flies between the airport and Chicago’s O’Hare. 

 

• Northwest Airlink, operated by Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines, has nonstops to Detroit.

 

• US Airways Express uses Air Wisconsin and Piedmont Airlines for flights to Philadelphia. 

 

Bicoastal Rivalry

 

In its own way, Stewart’s debut enlivens the informal rivalry between New York and L.A. as airport super-hubs.

 

People still say that you have to watch what goes on in California to know what’s coming next in the rest of the country. Was Stewart’s arrival foreshadowed on the West Coast?

 

With a California casual attitude, L.A., an avowed exponent of urban sprawl and chaos, has built and upgraded four airports—LAX, John Wayne, Burbank and Ontario (not to mention Long Beach, near many L.A. addresses), and can consider Stewart’s addition to the New York scene as a latecomer to the airport expansion party. 

 

Right now, Stewart services some 400,000 passengers a year. But with the powerful backing of New York’s and New Jersey’s Port Authority, which reigns supreme over airport development, the Hudson Valley field should have the potential of accommodating as many as 10 million passengers a year.

 

If and when Stewart racks up a number that big, it will help even the score between New York and L.A.

 

The Convenience Factor

 

In any case, it would be foolish to predict anything less than substantial year-to-year growth in service at Stewart—with an increasing variety of cities and towns on airline schedules and a steady upswing in exurbanite customers who abhor the long haul to New York City.

 

These days it’s the time-in-traffic factor— “What airport is closest to my home or office?”—that builds a new market. Add in the logistical complications for many suburbanites heading for New York’s closer-in airports—LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Liberty—and Stewart looks like it’s ready for takeoff.

Currently, some travelers located in the residential and office precincts 40 to 60 miles north of Manhattan tend to fly out of Albany International Airport that serves New York State’s capital or Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut (at Windsor Locks) when Stewart would be much more convenient.

Corporate Travelers

 

Among Stewart’s allures is its proximity to one of the nation’s greatest collections of corporate headquarters in southern Westchester (across the border north of New York City) and southern Connecticut (centered around Stamford and Greenwich). The airport isn’t that far away if you’re rolling along the Cross Westchester Expressway (during non-rush hours) and the New York State Thruway. 

 

Several of New York’s secondary airports play a role in servicing business travelers in this forest of mostly blue-chip corporations—but mostly on a for-hire rather than scheduled basis.

 

But both of the two best-known fields have important restrictions:

• The long-established Westchester County Airport, packed with corporate jets and providing some commercial service, might have been the “new Stewart,” but the limited runway length and nighttime noise restrictions have inhibited expansion of scheduled flights.
• Teterboro, the New Jersey airport across the George Washington Bridge that spans the Hudson River, is an option only if you’re on a charter, corporate or private flight—and unfazed by its recent rash of accidents.

 

Jack-of-all-Trades

 

Stewart, which was created in the 1930s largely to provide flight training for cadets at nearby West Point, has had a lackluster past as a passenger airport. Its claim to a bit of fame in aviation circles is that it’s about the only privatized airport in the country.

 

With the backing of Ronald Lauder of the cosmetic fortune, National Express Group PLC, which had a successful track record running Britain’s national bus service and East Midlands Airport, took over management of Stewart in 2000. But it has done little to attract business and leisure travelers in the airport’s orbit and, in fact, wants to get out of the remainder of its 99-year lease. “Giving the Port Authority an opportunity to run Stewart Airport could be a win-win for all New Yorkers,” Senator Charles Schumer says.  

 

Even with its past fumbles, Stewart has been a jack-of-all-trades for various air-related services. For instance, it has had a modicum of success shuttling business travelers to mid-town Manhattan heliports at rates competitive with those offered from JFK into the city. What with considerable underutilized space, the airport is a popular parking lot and maintenance base for corporate jets.

 

But there are some surprises as well. Stewart watchers note that Russian Antonov An-124 jets have dropped by from time to time. One important tenant is the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard and a smaller Marine detachment. In 2005 emergency personnel and supplies flew out of Stewart to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And on occasion flights bound for JFK in poor weather choose to land at Stewart if their fuel is running low. 

 

Finding the Field

 

Where’s Stewart—exactly?  Few travelers know where it is, just the way Angelenos only vaguely know Ontario International’s location (an hour’s drive east of downtown L.A.) Well, Stewart International is near the river town of Newburgh.

 

Over the years, just getting to Stewart has been one of its drawbacks (www.stewartintlairport.com/gettingto.html). The airport is close to the junction of I-87, New York State Thruway (which runs out of New York City past Albany to Buffalo), and the east-west I-84, but has not had easy access to either highway until recent reconstruction of an interchange. 

 

Now Stewart touts its “on time” advantage with minimal traffic jams compared to the tie-ups that afflict the bridges and tunnels that lead to New York’s other airports.

 

Here’s how you get to the Cinderella near the Hudson:

 

• From I-84, take Exit 7 South onto Route 300 South for three miles.  Turn right onto Route 207 West. The airport entrance is one mile ahead on the right.
• From I-87, take Exit 17 and follow signs to Route 17K. Then make a left from 17K onto Route 300 South and follow the same directions for I-84 to get to the airport.  
  Various rail connections to make Stewart more accessible to public transportation have been hotly debated.
• There’s a longstanding proposal to link Metro-North’s rail station at Beacon on the east side of the Hudson River with a combined ferry and bus service through Newburgh.
• Senator Charles Schumer has a more ambitious plan approved by the federal government but awaiting appropriations. It calls for building a link to the Metro North Port Jervis line on the west side of the Hudson, which would shuttle passengers between Manhattan and Newark Liberty Airport and Stewart—vaguely similar to the Gatwick Express in London.

Airport Facilities

 

So, what do AirTran and JetBlue have to work with at the airport in what used to be the boonies?

 

Main Terminal: Redesigned in 1998, the terminal is an attractive in-line, two-story building that reflects the Hudson Valley’s architectural style.

 

On the first floor, near passenger curbside drop-offs, are a Hudson newsstand that doubles as a Euro Café and a Quiznos fast-food shop.  There’s broadband Wi-Fi access throughout. A versatile Key Bank ATM machine near baggage claim handles cash withdrawals, balance inquiries, and transfers between accounts as well as PIN changes and postage stamps.

 

Upstairs, you’ll find the seven departure/arrival gates with jetways.

 

Parking: Have you heard of a Credit Card Lot? Stewart has one. 

The first 15 minutes are free. Then, it’s $8 for 16 minutes to 24 hours and $40 weekly. Short term is $1.50 for the first half hour, then $2 for each additional hour, with a $16 daily max. Long term (preferable because it’s also across from the terminal, just like short term) costs $2 an hour after the first free 15 minutes, $11 daily max, and $55 weekly.

Infrastructure: Stewart’s main east-west runway is a long 11,818 feet and 150 feet wide, with 8,818 feet usable for landing but the full length available for takeoffs. (It’s designated as a field for emergency landings of the Space Shuttle.) Though equipped with a sophisticated instrument-landing system, the airport still needs to upgrade certain facilities including approach lighting.

Hotels: If you want to overnight in Newburgh before or after a flight, you have a choice of a Courtyard by Marriott, Clarion, Hampton Inn, Ramada Inn, Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Quality Inn.

 

In Fishkill there’s a Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden Inn, Ramada Inn and ExtendedStay America.

 

One of the popular places in Highland Falls booked by families visiting their cadets at West Point is the Hotel Thayer; another hotel in town is the Palisade West Point.

 

Poughkeepsie has the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and a Residence Inn Poughkeepsie.

 

Safety? In its recent history Stewart has had only two accidents—both a decade ago.

 

On September 5, 1996, a FedEx DC-10 bound from Memphis for Boston made an emergency landing at Stewart to control a fire in its cargo compartment; the five crew members escaped with only minor injuries, but despite help from the National Guard firefighting unit, the plane was destroyed.

 

Then, on December 29, 1997, an American Airlines jet from Chicago skidded off the icy runway while landing—with no injuries to crew or passengers. 

 

Tourist Territory

 

Assuming Stewart makes it—with all the problems of establishing a new major airport—the location puts New York’s trio of well-known airports to shame in terms of scenic tourist attractions. The Hudson Valley, both sides, doesn’t lack for historic credentials (http://www.hudsonvalley.org/) —the federal government has designated some 10 counties as a National Heritage Area and the Hudson River as one of 14 Great American Rivers. To get in the spirit of the area, tour Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate for four generations, that includes a coach barn filled with vintage cars and carriages.

 

Stewart is just north of West Point, well worth a visit. And for notables, who’s on a historic pedestal more than Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his estate at Hyde Park on the Hudson’s eastern bank?

 

Off of the New York Thruway, which angles through the Stewart Airport area, you’ll find the hilltop estate of Averell Harriman, called Arden House, now a conference enclave managed by Columbia University. And in Poughkeepsie there’s Vassar College, the distinguished ivy-coated institution. To the northwest  are the Catskill Mountains with their once-famous borscht circuit of comedians and “acts” and the cliffs of the Shawangunk Ridge used as a training site for cliff climbers.

 

In short, when you land or take off from Stewart, you’re in the historic Hudson Valley with a Victorian assortment of river towns that otherwise snobbish New Yorkers have discovered and claimed as their own—for weekend getaways or more permanent residences.

 

What’s in a Name?

 

With the heightened activity at Stewart, promoters want to tamper with the airport’s name to give it more heft and a better identity.

 

If you hadn’t guessed, the airport has a Scottish lineage—with a Lachlan Stewart, born in Greenock, Scotland, in 1843, arriving as a stowaway in the New World as an 11-year-old. He settled in Newburgh and before long owned a lot of grazing land. Fast forward to the 20th century, and you find the Stewart clan concerned about the inadequacy of rail links with New York and proposing to create a Newburgh airport on the pasture land where cows were feeding.

 

Today, the clan and friends favor Stewart New York International Airport while the British operator prefers New York Hudson Valley International Airport. Quite a mouthful—the latter name—but not much longer than Newark Liberty International Airport.     

 

All things considered, Stewart—just Stewart—sounds like the best shorthand for pinpointing the new air activity up the Hudson. And its airport code, SWF (with the “F” dating from the days when it was Stewart Airfield run by the U.S. Army Air Forces), is likely to have a more familiar ring in the near future.