Albany counting on tech-surge air travel

When delegations from China visit the University at Albany, they often fly to New York City, where they board chartered buses for the trip.

Many Capital Region residents, meanwhile, think nothing of driving to New York City or Boston to catch a flight.

This "leakage," as it's called, has airport and economic development officials deeply concerned. After all, it's hard to persuade airlines to add service at Albany if travelers choose other airports.

And more flights will be needed as Albany International Airport takes on new importance in the region's economic development, which is being spurred by a technology sector that's increasingly international in scope.

While General Electric Co. has long depended on the airport for both domestic and international travel, other major companies, from IBM to GlobalFoundries, are also expanding here and need strong global air connections for their senior executives.

But many of the suppliers involved in this tech surge are doing as the Chinese do: they fly to New York City, Hartford or other cities and then drive to Albany.

Local airport and economic development officials are seeking to change that.

They're working to get better connections to cities such as Austin and San Jose, both technology hubs. The airport has set aside $1.5 million in incentives for new or expanded service, and chamber of commerce officials are contacting local companies to get commitments to use new services.

There's also an awareness campaign targeted at companies new to the area, seeking to get them to fly directly into Albany.

And efforts are under way to improve service to other important hubs, such as Los Angeles, Denver and perhaps Dallas/Fort Worth.

Mark Eagan, president of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, believes these cities are key to upgrading connections at the airport.

Albany's airport, believed to be the oldest municipal airport in the country, completed a massive project a decade ago to rebuild the main terminal and gates. A new control tower, cargo handling facility and longer runways further enhanced its capabilities.