Governor Andrew Cuomo was in town on Tuesday to help break ground on a new expansion project at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, which, if all goes according to plan, will soon be known as the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport.
Included in the additions are:
- An updated and enlarged security checkpoint. The current facility cannot meet post-9/11 standards, while the new one will allow more comprehensive security and a larger baggage screening area.
- Three new passenger bridges for jets and additional air service.
- A new facility for Customs and Border Protection, which will allow international flights to come directly to Ithaca.
- New dining options both before security and at the gates.
- A new outdoor canopy for walkways and outdoor passenger waiting areas.
Over half of the funding for the $24.7 million project came from the State as a part of the “Southern Tier Soaring” initiative. The remaining $10.2 million comes from federal funding, while Tompkins County contributed $260,000.
All across the state, New York is investing in airports big and small. Today we broke ground on the $24.7 million expansion of Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. This expansion will bring more visitors to the Southern Tier and help the upstate economy thrive. pic.twitter.com/hCkEmqxcku
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) October 16, 2018
Ithaca is just one of many upstate airports to get a facelift this year. Syracuse Hancock International is currently in the middle of a $45 million renovation project, and Albany International is scheduled to undergo renovations in the next few years.
The renovations in Ithaca should be completed by the end of 2019.
Michael Pyskaty 