The History of Long Island MacArthur Airport

Introduction

Long Island MacArthur Airport, settled on 1,310 acres in Suffolk County, is the region's only industrial aid factory which has, for most of its existence, struggled with identity and purpose.

Comair Airlines

Its second--and oval-shaped--50,000 square-foot passenger terminal, opened in 1966 and sporting two opposing, ramp-accessing gates, had exuded a small, hometown atmosphere-so much so, in fact, that scenes from the former Out-of-Towners movie had been filmed in it.

Its subsequent expansion, resulting in a one thousand percent increase in passenger terminal area and some two million every year passengers, had been sporadic and cyclic, characterized by new airline establishment which had all the time sparked a sequence of passenger attraction, new nonstop route implementation, and supplementary carriers, before declining conditions had initiated a reverse trend. During cycle peaks, check-in, gate, and ramp space had been at a premium, while During troughs, a pin drop could be heard on the terminal floor.

Its Catch-22 struggle had all the time entailed the circular discussion of carriers reluctant to provide aid to the airport because of a lack of passengers and passengers reluctant to use the airport because of a lack of service.

This, in essence, is the force which shaped its seven-decade history. And this, in essence, is Long Island MacArthur Airport's story.

1. Origins

The 1938 Civil Aeronautics Act, under Section 303, authorized federal fund expenditure for landing areas in case,granted the administrator could guarantee "that such landing areas were reasonably important for use in air commerce or in the interests of national defense."

At the outbreak of World War Ii, Congress appropriated million for the amelioration of Landing Areas for National Defense or "Dland," of which the amelioration Civil Landing Areas (Dcla) had been an extension. Because civil aviation had been initially perceived as an "appendage" of forces aviation, it had been determined a "segment" of the national defense system, thus garnering direct federal government civil airport support. Local governments in case,granted land and subsequently maintained and operated the airports. Building of 200 such airfields began in 1941.

A Long Island regional airport, settled in Islip, had been one of them. On September 16 of that year, the Town of Islip--the intended owner and operator of the initially named Islip Airport--sponsored the task under an legal resolution designated public Law 78-216, providing the land, while the federal government agreed to plan and build the actual airport. The one-year, .5 million Building project, initiated in 1942, resulted in an airfield with three 5,000-foot runways and three ancillary taxiways. Although it had fulfilled its former forces purpose, it had all the time been intended for public utilization.

Despite increased instrument-based flight training after factory of instrument landing ideas (Ils) equipment in 1947, the regional factory failed to fulfill projected expectations of becoming New York's major airport after the recent Building of Idlewild. Losing Lockheed as a major tenant in 1950, the since-renamed MacArthur Airport, in honor of normal Douglas MacArthur, would embark on a long amelioration path before that would occur.

2. Introductory Service

A 5,000-square-foot passenger terminal and restaurant, funded by the federal government, had been constructed in 1949. Infrastructurally equipped, the airport, surrounded by local community growth, sought its first public air aid by petitioning the Civil Aeronautics Board. Islip had attempted to attract scheduled airline aid as far back as 1956, and this finally took the form of Gateway Airlines three years later when it had commenced operations, on an air taxi level, with a fleet of 11-passenger de Havilland Doves and 15-passenger de Havilland Herons to Boston, Newark, and Washington. Inadequate financing, however, had led to its premature termination only eight months later.

The airport, which only had 20 based aircraft at this time, annually fielded some 30,000 movements. Allegheny Airlines subsequently received full scheduled passenger aid route authority from the Cab in 1960 and inaugurated four daily Convair- and Martinliner round-trips to Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington in September, carrying more than 19,000 passengers in 1961, its first full year of operations.

Two years later, the Faa opened a New York Air Route Traffic control center and a seven-floor control tower, and in 1966, a .3 million, 50,000 square-foot oval terminal supplanted the former rectangular facility.

Mohawk, granted the second Cab route authority that year, inaugurated Fairchild Fh-227 aid to Albany, and the two scheduled airlines carried some 110,000 passengers from the since renamed Islip MacArthur Airport by 1969. The 210 based aircraft recorded 240,000 every year movements.

The runways and taxiways were progressively expanded, partly in response to Eastern and Pan Am's designation of the airport as an "alternate" on their flight plans.

3. First Major Carrier Service

Long envisioned as a reliever airport to Jfk and La Guardia, which would provide limited, but foremost nonstop aid to key Us cities and hubs, such as Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and the major Florida destinations, the Long Island airport urgently needed additional, major-airline service, but this goal remained elusive.

The cycle, however, had been broken on April 26, 1971, when American Airlines had inaugurated 727-100 "Astrojet" aid to Chicago-O'Hare, Islip's first pure-jet and first "trunk" carrier operation, permitting same-day, round-trip firm voyage and eliminating the otherwise required La Guardia commute. Because of American's major-carrier prestige, it had attracted both attentiveness and passengers, indicating that Islip had attained "large airport" status, and the Chicago route, now the longest nonstop one from the air field, had in case,granted a vital lifeline to a primary, Midwestern city and to American's route system, gift numerous flight connections.

The route had been quickly followed in the summer with the inauguration of Allegheny Dc-9-30 aid to Providence and Washington, while Altair had launched Beech B99 and Nord N.262 turboprop flights to Bridgeport and Philadelphia two years later.

American, Allegheny (which had intermittently merged with Mohawk in 1972), and Altair in case,granted the established Long Island air relationship During the 1970s.

In order to reflect its regional location, the factory had, for the fourth time, been renamed, adopting the title of Long Island MacArthur Airport in 1978.

During most of the 1970s, it handled an midpoint of 225,000 every year passengers. Allegheny, the premier operator, had offered nine daily pure-jet Bac-111 and Dc-9-30 departures During 1978.

By March of 1982, Usair, the rebranded Allegheny Airlines, had been its only remaining pure-jet carrier with daily Dc-9-30 aid to Albany and Bac-111-200 aid to Washington-National--perhaps emphasizing its capability to profitably control from small-community airfields with its properly-sized twin-jet equipment.

The early 1980s were characterized by commuter-regional carrier dominance, with operations in case,granted by Pilgrim, New Haven Airlines, Altair, Air North, Mall Airways, and Ransome. The latter, first flying as part of the Allegheny Commuter consortium, later operated independently under its own name in affiliation with Delta Air Lines, gift some 17 daily M-298 and Dhc-7 departures to seven regional cities.

Aside from Ransome, it had often appeared as if the airport's regional airline floodgates had been gappingly opened: Suburban/Allegheny Commuter, Southern Jersey/Allegheny Commuter, Empire, and Henson-The Piedmont Regional Airline had all descended on its runways. Precision, which had inaugurated multiple-daily Dornier Do-228-200 services to both Boston and Philadelphia, operated independently, as Precision-Eastern Express, and as Precision-Northwest Airlink, and had been the only airline to simultaneously offer scheduled aid from neighboring Republic Airport in Farmingdale, primarily a normal aviation field.

4. Northeastern International Airlines

Market studies had long indicated the need for nonstop Long Island-Florida aid because of its attentiveness of traveler attractions and to facilitate visits in the middle of Long Island children and Florida-relocated retiree parents. Deregulation, the very force behind multiple-airline creation, divergent aid and fare concepts, and the relative ease of new shop entry, had spawned Northeastern International, which was founded to provide high-density, low-fare, limited-amenity service, and fulfilled the idealized nonstop, Long Island-Florida relationship when it had inaugurated operations on February 11, 1982 with a old Evergreen International Dc-8-50, initially gift four weekly round-trips to Fort Lauderdale and one to Orlando. After a second aircraft had been acquired, it had been able to record a 150,000-passenger total During its first year of service, with 32,075 having been boarded in December alone.

Although its corporate headquarters had been settled in Fort Lauderdale, its operational base had been established at Long Island MacArthur and it finally served Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Miami, Orlando, and St. Petersburgh with the two Dc-8s and two old Pan Am 727-100s with seven daily departures. Incorporating both the rent carrier strategy of operating high-density, single-class, low-fare service, and the major airline strategy of flying large-capacity aircraft, it certainly served a very competitive route-that of New York-to-Florida-without incurring any competition at all by operating directly from Islip.

By 1984, with Northeastern having served as a catalyst to carrier and route inaugurations, eleven airlines had served the airport, inclusive of Allegheny Commuter, American, Eastern, Empire, Henson, NewAir, Northeastern, Pilgrim, Ransome, United, and Usair, relieving Jfk and La Guardia of air traffic, directly serving the Long Island market, and fulfilling the airport's originally envisioned role of becoming New York's secondary industrial facility. Simultaneously providing nonstop aid to Chicago-O'Hare from Islip, American and United both competed for the same passenger base.

By 1986, Long Island MacArthur had, for the first time in its 36-year scheduled history, handled one million passengers in a particular year, a level since equaled or exceeded.

To cater to the explosive quiz, and ease its now-overstrained passenger facilities, the Town of Islip embarked on a progressive terminal factory improvement agenda which had initially encompassed the addition of two commuter aircraft gates, the enclosure of the old curbside front awning, and two glass-enclosed wings-the west for the now-covered baggage carousel and the east for the three relocated rental-car counters and the Austin voyage agency. The internal roadway had been realigned and supplementary parking spaces had been created.

A more ambitious terminal expansion program, occurring in 1990 and costing .2 million, resulted in two jetbridge-lined concourses which extended from the rear portion of the oval terminal, adding 22,700 quadrilateral feet of space. Runway 6-24's 1,000-foot extension, to 7,000 feet, had finally been completed three years later after a decade of primarily local resident resistance due to believed noise increases.

By the end of 1990, the transformation of Long Island MacArthur Airport from a small, hometown airfield served by a join of operators to a major factory served by most of the major carriers had been complete.

Several conclusions could already be drawn from the airport's hitherto 30-year scheduled history.

1. Allegheny-Usair, along with its regional subsidiaries Allegheny Commuter and Usair Express, had in case,granted the Introductory spark which had led to the gift increase explosion and had been the only consistent, anchor carrier During its three-decade, scheduled aid history, in the middle of 1960 and 1990. During this time it had absorbed other Islip operators, inclusive of the former Mohawk and Piedmont, the latter of which had intermittently absorbed Empire and Henson, and had shed still others, such as Ransome Airlines, which, as an independent carrier, had practically established a regional, turboprop hub at MacArthur.

2. Three carriers had been tantamount to its three-decade evolution: (1). Allegheny-Usair, which had reserved the dissimilarity of being Long Island MacArthur's first, largest, and, for a period, only pure-jet operator; American, which had changed its image by associating it with large, trunk-carrier prestige; and Northeastern, whose bold, innovative aid inauguration and low fares had been directly responsible for the latest, unceasing increase cycle.

3. Many airlines, unaware of the facility's traffic potential, never constantly abandoned the air field, along with American and Eastern, which had both suspended operations, but subsequently returned; Northeastern, which had returned after two bankruptcies; United, which had discontinued its own service, yet maintained a presence through two detach regional airline affiliations-Presidential-United Express and Atlantic Coast-United Express-thus persisting to link its Washington-Dulles hub; Continental, which had returned through its own commuter agreement; and Pilgrim, which, despite aid discontinuation, had maintained an autonomous check-in counter where it had handled other carriers until it itself had reinstated service.

4. Of the practically 30 airlines which had served Long Island MacArthur, many had indirectly retained a presence either through name-change, other-carrier absorption, or regional-airline two-letter code-share agreements.

5. The Northeastern-forged air link in the middle of Long Island and Florida had, despite its own final bankruptcy, never been lost, with other carriers all the time filling the void, along with Eastern, Carnival, Braniff, Delta Express, and Spirit Airlines.

Because of its shop fragility, however, the Long Island regional airport was far more vulnerable to economic cycles than the former New York airports had been, recessed conditions often resulting in the exodus of carriers in crusade of more profitable routes. In 1994, for example, three airlines discontinued aid and one ceased operating altogether.

A .2 million expansion agenda of the 32-year old, multiply-renovated oval terminal, funded by passenger factory fee (Pfc)-generated revenue, had been initiated in the spring of 1998 and completed in August of the following year, resulting in a 62,000-square-foot area increase. The enlarged, reconfigured structure included the addition of two wings--the west with four baggage carousels, three rental car counters, and several airline baggage aid offices, and the east with 48 (as opposed to the old 20) passenger check-in positions. The original, oval-shaped structure now housed an enlarged newsstand and gift shop and the relocated central safety checkpoint, but retained the departures level snack bar, the upper level Skyway Café and cocktail lounge, and the twin, jetbridge-provisioned concourses added During the 1990 expansion phase, while the aircraft parking ramp had been progressively increased until the last blade of grass had been transformed into concrete. A realigned entrance road, an prolongation of the existing short-term parking lot, 1,000 supplementary parking spaces, and a quasi-parking lot ideas subdivided into employee, resident, hourly, daily, and cheaper (long-term) sections had completed the renovation. Shuttle bus aid in the middle of the parking lot and the terminal was in case,granted for the first time.

5. Southwest Airlines

An exertion to attract Southwest Airlines had begun in late-1996 when the rapidly-expanding, highly profitable, low-fare carrier had contemplated aid to a third northeast city after Manchester and Providence, inclusive of Newburgh's Stewart International and White Plains' Westchester County in New York; Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut; and Teterboro and Trenton's Mercer County in New Jersey. All had been smaller, secondary airports characteristic of its route system. It had even briefly explored aid to Farmingdale's Republic Airport on Long Island and Teterboro in New Jersey, both of which had been noncommercial, normal aviation fields with firm jet concentrations. Three had offered terminal improvements in exchange for the service. But Long Island MacArthur was finally excellent because of the 1.6 million residents living within a 20-mile radius of the airport, local firm health, and, according to Southwest Chief executive Officer, Herb Kelleher, "underserved, overpriced air service" which was "ripe for competition."

Following Introductory Southwest interest in 1997, then-Town of Islip Supervisor Peter McGowan and other officials flew to Dallas, where Herb Kelleher stated the need for the previously described terminal and parking factory expansions before operations could begin. The meeting had ended with nothing more than a symbolic handshake.

The nearly two-year exertion to entice the airline had culminated in the December 1998 proclamation of Southwest's intended March 14, 1999 aid kick off with 12 daily 737 departures, along with eight to Baltimore, two to Chicago-Midway, one to Nashville, and one to Tampa, all of which would provide through- or connecting-service to 29 other Southwest-served cities. Although the low-fare flights had been predicted to attract some passengers who may otherwise have flown from Jfk or La Guardia Airports, they had been primarily targeted at the Long Island shop and, as a byproduct, had been predicted to attract an increased airport traffic base, supplementary carriers, and generate an estimated 0,000 per year for the Town of Islip. Two Southwest-dedicated gates could adapt up to 20 daily departures-or eight more than the inaugural flight agenda included-before supplementary facilities would have to be obtained. The Islip station, staffed by 44, represented its 53rd destination in 27 states.

Southwest had in case,granted the fourth spark in Long Island MacArthur Airport's airline- and passenger-attraction cycle, traced as follows:

1. The former air taxi Gateway Airlines aid of 1959 and the Introductory scheduled Allegheny Airlines aid of 1960.

2. The first trunk-carrier, pure-jet American Airlines flights of 1971.

3. The first low-fare, nonstop Northeastern International Florida aid of 1982.

4. The first low-fare, high frequency, major-carrier Southwest aid of 1999.

American, the last of the original, major carriers to vacate the airport, left it with three notable types of airlines as the millennium had approached:

1. The turboprop commuter airline serving the nonhub destinations, such as Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Hartford, and Newburgh.

2. The regional jet operator feeding its major-carrier affiliate at one of its hubs, such as Asa feeding Delta in Atlanta, Comair connecting with Delta in Cincinnati, and Continental Express integrating its flight agenda with Continental in Cleveland.

3. The low-fare, high-density, no-frills carrier operating the leisure-oriented sectors to Florida. As of December 1, 1999, three airlines, inclusive of Delta Express, Southwest, and Spirit, had operated 15 daily departures to five Florida destinations.

Long Island MacArthur's expansion and passenger factory improvements, Southwest's aid inauguration, and the attraction of other carriers had collectively resulted in a 113% increase in passenger boardings in 1999 compared to the year-earlier period. The figure, which had been only shy of the two million mark, had been the top in the Long Island airport's four-decade industrial history. Southwest had carried 34% of this total.

Eleven airlines had in case,granted aid During this time: Asa Atlantic Southeast, American, firm Express, Comair, CommutAir/Us Airways Express, Continental Express, Delta Express, Piedmont/Us Airways Express, Shuttle America, Spirit, and Southwest itself.

Less than two weeks after Southwest had secured a third gate and increased its daily departures to 22, it announced, in a unprecedented move, its intention to self-finance 90-percent of a million expansion of the East Concourse in order to build four additional, dedicated gates and overnight parking positions by the end of 2001, thus addition the airport's current 19-gate total to 23.

The concourse extension, intended to provide it with both increased worker and passenger room, would free up its existing three gates for other-carrier utilization while its new four-gate factory would permit a aid increase to some 30 daily flights based upon hereafter passenger demand, aircraft availability, and Town of Islip-approved departure increases.

The expansion would mark the seventh such amelioration of the former terminal, as follows:

1. The former oval terminal construction.

2. The partially enclosed arrivals baggage belt installation.

3. The Building of two commuter gates.

4. The enclosure of the front awning, which entailed the relocation of the rental car associates and the Austin voyage agency, and the factory of an enlarged, fully enclosed baggage belt.

5. The Building of the jetbridge-equipped east and west concourses.

6. The Building of the West Arrivals Wing and the East Departures Wing, the gift shop expansion, and the central safety checkpoint relocation.

7. The Southwest-financed, quad-gate addition, addition the amount of departure gates from 19 to 23.

Victim, like all airports, to post-September 11 traffic declines, Long Island MacArthur Airport lost eight daily departures operated by American Eagle, Delta Express, and Us Airways Express, although the airport's October 2001 passenger figures had only been six percent below those of the year-earlier period. No nonstop destinations had, however, been severed. With Delta Express's daily 737-200 Florida flight frequency having been progressively reduced from an all-time high of seven to just one--to Fort Lauderdale--its operations could be divided into three categories:

1. Turboprop regional

2. Pure-jet regional

3. Southwest

Nevertheless, in the four years since Southwest had inaugurated service, the airport had handled 8,220,790 passengers, or an every year midpoint of two million. Without Southwest, it would, at best, have handled only half that amount.

On April 30, 2003, for the second time in a five-year period, Long Island MacArthur Airport broke ground on new terminal facilities. Designed by the Baldassano Architectural Group, the Long Island architectural firm which had completed the .2 million airport expansion and modernization agenda in 1999, the new, 154,000-square-foot, four-gate addition was constructed on the north side of the existing east concourse which had housed Southwest's operations. Citing increased space and inherent increase as reasons for the new facility, Southwest claimed that the existing three gates, which had fielded a combined 24 daily departures, had reached their saturation point and that supplementary "breathing room" for both passengers and employees had been needed, particularly During flight delays. The net gain of an supplementary gate, which would be coupled with larger lounges, would finally facilitate eight supplementary flights to new or existing Us destinations, based upon shop demand.

The project, initially pegged at million, but later increased to million, was financed by Southwest, which sought government repayment with the Town of Islip for up to million for the non-airline definite Building aspects, such as airfield drainage, which was determined a common-use utility.

The 114,254-square-foot, Southwest-funded and -named Peter J. McGowan Concourse officially opened at the end of November 2004. Accessed by a new awning-protected entrance from the airport's terminal-fronted curbside, the new wing, associated to the existing passenger check-in area, curved to the left past the flight arrival and departure television monitors to the new, large safety checkpoint from where passengers ascended, via two escalators, to the upper level departures area.

Concurrent with the chance had been the proclamation that Southwest would now gait with Phase Ii of its expansion by Building a second, million addition which would connect the new concourse with the old, altogether replacing the east concourse which had served it since it had inaugurated aid in 1999. The task incorporated four more gates, for a total of eight, enabling up to 80 daily departures to be offered.

6. New Leadership, aid Reductions, and Infrastructure Improvements

The end of the 2000-decade, characterized by new leadership, airline aid reductions, and infrastructure investments, once again signaled a reversal in Long Island MacArthur Airport's increase cycle.

Al Werner, Airport Commission for 53 years, retired on November 16, 2007, passing the torch to Teresa Rizzuto. Acceptable after a three-month, nationwide crusade conducted by Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan, she brought important airline commerce sense with her and was appointed to the position on February 5, 2008 after an Islip Town Board vote, now entrusted with heralding the regional factory into the next decade whose multi-faceted agenda necessarily included the following goals:

1. Devise a marketing plan to increase airport recognition, thereby attracting a larger passenger base.

2. build new, nonstop routes of existing carriers and attract new airlines able to compete with existing, lost-cost Southwest, to provide the required core aid for this enlarged passenger base, yet avoid alienating local residents because of immoderate noise.

3. Invest in infrastructure modernization and development, particularly on the airport's normal aviation west side.

4. increase revenues for the Town of Islip, the airport's owner and operator.

Long Island MacArthur's very existence relied upon its capability to serve its customers' needs, and both destination and airline reductions During the latter part of the decade, coupled with flickering, but quickly extinguished glimmers of new-carrier hope, only obviated its purpose.

Exploratory talks in 2007, with Southwest-modeled, Ireland based-Ryanair, for instance, would have resulted in both the airport's first international and first transatlantic service, hitherto precluded by the absence of customs and immigration facilities, few connecting possibilities, and inadequate runway distance on which heavy, fuel-laden widebody aircraft could take off for intercontinental sectors. But higher thrust engines facilitating shorter-field performance had remedied the latter problem, and pre-departure Us clearance would have been performed in Ireland. Because Southwest and Ryanair maintained the same firm models of operating single-type, 737 fleets from underserved, overpriced, secondary airports whose lower operating costs could be channeled into lower fares, domestic-international traffic feed in the middle of the two had been feasible. Despite existing Islip aid in case,granted by Delta and Us Airways Express, Southwest still carried 92 percent of its passengers. However, the proposed strategy had yet to furnish any concrete results.

Indeed, by the end of the year, the amount of inherent Southwest connecting flights only declined when decreased quiz, had necessitated the cancellation of six daily departures, along with two to Baltimore, three to Chicago, and one to Las Vegas.

Potential aid loss counterbalancing occurred on May 1 of the following year, however, when Spirit Airlines, after an eight-year interval, reinaugurated twice daily, round-trip, A-319 aid to Ft. Lauderdale, with .00 Introductory fares, facilitating 23 Caribbean and Latin American connections through its south Florida hub.

The A-319, the airport's first, ordinarily scheduled airbus operation, touched down at 0954 on Runway 6 on its inaugural flight, taxiing through a dual fire truck-created water arch, before redeparting at 1030 as Flight 833 with a high load factor. The second flight departed in the evening.

The departures were two of Spirit's more than 200 systemwide flights to 43 destinations, but the weak flicker of light they had in case,granted had been practically as quickly doused when, three months later, on July 31, rising fuel prices and declining economic conditions had necessitated their discontinuation, leaving only a promise of return when improved conditions merited their reinstatement.

Further tipping the scales to the aid loss side had been Delta Air Line's decision to desist its only remaining, particular daily regional jet aid operated by its Comair counterpart to Atlanta, severing feed to the world's largest airport in terms of enplanements and to Delta's largest connecting hub, and ending the Long Island presence established as far back as 1984. Delta had cited the speculate for the discontinuation, along with that in other markets, as an exertion to "optimize...financial performance."

The second carrier loss, leaving only Southwest and Us Airways Express, had resulted in a 10.2-percent passenger decline in 2008 compared to the year-earlier period.

Another attempted, but mostly unsuccessful airline aid had occurred in June of 2009 with the appearance of PublicCharters.com, which had intended to link Islip with Groton, Connecticut, and Nantucket, Massachusetts, During the summer.

In order to remedy Long Island MacArthur Airport's identity recognition deficiency, a study completed by a Phil Nolan-assembled task force strongly finished that the crusade for and attraction of new airline aid "should be a major focus of management," a function up until now mostly ignored. The airport's lack of recognition, coupled with Jfk's and La Guardia's close presence to Manhattan and their dizzying array of nonstop services, supplementary urged the need for the study.

A 0,000 federal grant, aimed at answering the elusive quiz, of why Long Islanders still chose to use New York airports when Islip itself offered a nonstop flight, attempted to rule local resident voyage patterns and then attract carrier-providing service.

A partial remedy had been the implementation of a 0,000 shop campaign, in conjunction with the Long Island compel and Southwest Airlines, to increase airport awareness by the eastern Nassau and Suffolk County population, featuring the slogan, "We make flying a breeze."

Significant attentiveness to airport infrastructure improvement and a associated masterplan had also been given.

Long-awaited ramp repairs, for instance, had been made. One year after the .4 million apron surface gates five through eight had been laid in 2004, cracks, in which engine-digestible debris could potentially collect, appeared, and were traceable to an inadequate, six-inch-thick subbase which failed to rise above the ground level, and was therefore susceptible to frost. Water, seeping into the subbase, was subjected to freezing-thawing cycles which wide the concrete, loosened its gravel, and propagated the cracks.

In order to replace the decaying, 105-foot control tower constructed in 1962, the Faa awarded J. Kokolakis Constructing, Inc., of Rocky Point, a .4 million compact to build a new, 157-foot, cylindrical tower next to it in January of 2008, a task completed in November of the following year, at which time internal equipment, costing an additional one .8 million, was installed.

Instrumental in the airport's modernization had been the redevelopment of its 45-acre west side, which currently houses rent companies, flying schools, and airport maintenance in mostly dilapidated hangars and buildings, but could potentially be supplanted with new vigor productive and conservation compliant structures optimally used by educational institutions gift air traffic control curriculums.

During the latter portion of the decade, Long Island MacArthur Airport once again rode the descending side of the revenue curve, but remains a vital air link and economic engine to eastern Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Between 1996 and 2003, it had experienced an midpoint every year economic impact increase rate of 6.85 percent and in the middle of 2001 and 2007 more than 900,000 quadrilateral feet of industrial space was industrialized along Veterans Highway, its access roadway, as a follow of it. according to Hofstra University's center for Suburban Studies, its 2003 economic impact was pegged at 2 million and was projected to increase by 68 percent, or to 0 million, by the end of the decade without any supplementary expansion, indicating that, as a revenue generator, that its inherent had hardly begun to be tapped. The aid reductions, increases in Homeland safety costs, and eroding cheaper had all reversed that potential, but its infrastructure improvements, more than 500,000-square-foot passenger terminal, four runways, easy access, uncongested environment, two-mile presence to the Long Island Railroad's Ronkonkoma station, and four-mile presence to the Long Island Expressway places it squarely on the threshold of increase in the next decade, when conditions improve. according to newly appointed Airport Commissioner Teresa Rizzuto, "We're ready" for new carriers at that time.

The History of Long Island MacArthur Airport