New York's Senator
CHARLES E. SCHUMER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2001

SCHUMER PITCHES STEWART AIRPORT TO NATION'S MAJOR AIRLINE EXECUTIVES

Schumer invites airline CEOs to join him on a tour of Stewart; Pledges to help major carriers land in Hudson Valley

Senator: Stewart is one of New York's best kept secrets

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged the nation's top airline executives to look into establishing service at Stewart Airport and offered to take them on a tour of the facility. In a letter being sent today to CEOs from Southwest, American and other top carriers, Schumer called the airport "one of New York's best kept aviation secrets... With over five million people living within 50 miles of the airport, the time has come for the nation's major airlines to take a serious look at initiating substantial service to Stewart." Schumer argued that the $14 million capital improvement effort currently underway at Stewart coupled with its low operating costs and underutilization present an opportunity for a major carrier to establish service at the facility. He also pointed out that Stewart is surrounded by over five million people whose average household income of $61,000 is 35 percent higher than the national average and that the Hudson Valley home to a number of Fortune 500 companies.

"Stewart is poised to become a major airport facility over the next few years and it's only a matter of time before the major airlines discover it," Schumer said. "I hope this letter will start the process of getting them to take a good look at starting service at the airport."

Schumer offered to take the executives on a personal tour of the airport and to arrange a meeting with local officials for them to learn more about the Stewart and the Hudson Valley's recent economic growth.

In his letter, Schumer emphasized how Stewart's accessibility to major highways makes it attractive to businesses and mentioned that The Gap, Staples, and Home Depot have committed to developing distribution centers in the area. IBM is also going to build a $2.5 billion "chip fab" plant in East Fishkill.

Schumer's letter is the latest part of what has been a growing campaign by him and other local officials to boost air travel at Stewart. Earlier this summer, Schumer urged the Port Authority of

New York & New Jersey (PA) to make increased use of Stewart a "key component" of the final proposal it will submit to the Federal Aviation Administration for relieving congestion at LaGuardia.
In a June letter to PA Executive Director Neil Levin, Schumer stressed that any viable plan to relieve the congestion at LaGuardia needs to include Stewart - something that the PA has not yet done. Schumer also called on the PA to lend its support and assistance to Stewart's efforts to get carriers to run more of their regional operations out of the Hudson Valley.

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