Big Apple Sees Options Increase At Secondary Airports
<B> Big Apple Sees Options Increase At Secondary Airports</B>
By Frank Rosci
In addition to major projects at New York JFK and Newark International, upgrades and increased options at LaGuardia Airport in Queens and Long Island MacArthur Airport, respectively, also are aimed at creating more hassle-free journeys for those traveling to and from the metropolitan New York area.
The goal of US Airways' $10 million LaGuardia plan is to upgrade the shuttle gate area, which now mainly handles domestic flights. Work began this summer and should be completed sometime next year, said an airline spokesperson. Meanwhile, Delta will spend $3.6 million to renovate its shuttle operations and customer service areas at LaGuardia's Marine Air Terminal by October.
US Airways president and CEO Rakesh Gangwal, who described the East Coast flight corridor (Boston, New York, Washington) as "the most important business market in the world," said that in order to expedite its project, US Airways Express has moved operations to another part of the LaGuardia terminal. The move has opened up one gate area that is being developed as a central shuttle checkin, a new snack bar and a cocktail lounge, while expanded restrooms, additional seating and more outlets for laptop computers also are being planned.
Long Island MacArthur Airport also is gradually evolving--into an important regional airport with strong national and international aspirations, albeit against the wishes of many local residents, who are concerned with the additional noise and pollution that expansion may bring. However, eight airlines currently serve the airport--including discount carrier Southwest Airlines--and in 1998 more than 905,000 passengers flew in and out of the airport.
Southwest has taken giant strides at MacArthur, increasing its boardings a full 9 percent in April. The carrier's entrée into the Northeast has been slow (<I>BTN,</I> Nov. 16, 1998), but a month after its March arrival at the airport, it boarded 31,000 passengers, which means its 137-seat aircraft flew with 69 percent of seats occupied, said a Southwest spokesperson. That was a significant increase for the month, but still several percentage points below the airline's systemwide April average of 72 percent, he added.
With a total of nearly 77,000 passengers, Southwest accounted for more than half of the airport's April boardings, which climbed to 161,222 for the month--more than twice as many total boardings as during April 1998.
Based on Southwest's success at MacArthur, American and Spirit airlines have announced small increases in service there, and Continental Express on May 1 began two daily flights aboard 50-seat jets from the airport to Cleveland. Another carrier, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, on Aug. 1 began three daily nonstops from MacArthur to Atlanta. Before that, on March 3 US Airways Express added an eighth daily commuter flight.
There is more good news for air travelers within New York State--more airlines that serve the upstate region are moving to introduce 50-seat junior jets, replacing the small, noisy turboprops common on flights between New York City and Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. However, while the airlines will increase the number of the 50-seaters during the next two years, there is no guarantee the jets will have any effect on the abnormally high airfares from cities upstate to New York City. According to a recent federal analysis, Rochester, for example, has the second highest airfares per mile in the United States.
In a more unique air transportation option, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has launched a commercial helicopter program that allows one helicopter to be shared among several companies or individuals. Under a fractional ownership plan, known as Sikorsky Shares, that provides the helicopter, fuel, maintenance, pilots, scheduling and dispatch, the company's six-seat S-76 aircraft, furnished more in the style of a corporate jet with deluxe cabinetry and upholstery, will be available all day, every day. Sikorsky will begin service in New York, then expand into other major U.S. cities and markets.