Former Military Base Converted into Airport
Published Apr 15, 2008
With its strategic location, intermodal capabilities and outstanding infrastructure, Plattsburgh International Airport is gearing up for growth in all types of aviation-related business.
When the U.S. Air Force closed its Plattsburgh base in 1995, few people expected that in only 12 years the site would evolve into a multi-use business area – complete with a new international airport.
But on June 18, the Plattsburgh International Airport began passenger service. An hour south of Montreal, the airport already has drawn strong interest on both sides of the border, and its operators are busily lining up airlines to service the facility.
A City Within a City
The airport is one-third of the redevelopment plan for the former base, a plan that was expected to take at least 25 years, says Garry Douglas, president and CEO of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce.
“The plan was to first develop the bulk of the former facility as an industrial park and multi-use commercial zone,” Douglas says. “Then we developed an industrial airport to attract private-sector tenants. The plan for the commercial airport was there, but we didn’t expect to hit critical mass in the other two areas so quickly.”
Indeed, redeveloping a city within a city is no small task. The base had, among other things, schools, churches, even a golf course. As the development progressed and the 5,000-acre site was reintegrated into Plattsburgh proper, it became apparent that the airport was necessary.
“It’s an incredible facility,” Douglas says. “We already had a 12,000-foot concrete runway and 12 million square feet of parking apron. And it’s located on Interstate 87, just an hour south of Montreal.”
International Connections
Plattsburgh’s northern neighbor was one of the last major cities in North America without a secondary airport, so Montreal consumers have been truly enthusiastic about the project, with 82 percent saying they would consider flying from Plattsburgh.
“The real champions have been the Clinton County Legislature,” Douglas says. “They had the vision and confidence to close the much smaller county airport down the road and take the lead in developing Plattsburgh International.”
SheltAir out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. has been secured as the FBO, and Allegiant Air and Delta Connection have become the first occupants of the new $12 million passenger terminal. Based on discussions and queries, Plattsburgh is confident that others will follow.
“We have positioned this airport to serve the aviation marketplace in northern New York and southern Quebec,” Douglas says. “It is Montreal’s U.S. airport, as well as a new regional airport for northern Tech Valley.”
And best of all, due to funding from the state and federal governments, the airport is completely debt-free.
“We’re very fortunate,” Douglas says. “We’re going to be moving business people and others in and out of this region in a way that’s never been possible before.”
The airport’s bi-lingual Web site can be visited at www.plattsburghinternationalairport.com/index.asp.
Story by Joe Morris
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