MacArthur pushes for international flights

A new campaign to bring international commercial flights to Long Island MacArthur Airport takes off Monday with a unified push from federal and town politicians.

Rep. Steve Israel is spearheading an effort to get the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to work with the Town of Islip to make international service to and from the town-owned airport a reality.

Coincidentally, airport commissioner Teresa Rizzuto heads this week to an airline industry conference to "speed date" a group of carriers in an attempt to woo them to MacArthur.

Rizzuto confirmed Friday that she will meet with representatives of eight airlines, including four that fly international routes, during the two-day Airport Council International conference, starting Wednesday in Cleveland.

"Our hopes would be that the economy is such in the next year that we can work with an airline to seal the deal for more flights in and out of MacArthur," she said.

The support of Israel (D-Dix Hills), who says the time is right for the Ronkonkoma airport to go international, could strengthen Rizzuto's case. Earlier this year, two local business groups -- the Long Island Association and the Association for a Better Long Island -- launched a campaign to make increased air traffic at MacArthur a top priority in acknowledgment of its vital role in stoking the region's economic engine.

Israel echoes that in letters dated Monday to FAA administrator Randy Babbitt and Customs and Border Protection. He notes the airport serves 2 million commercial passengers a year, and has a thriving general aviation sector, with infrastructure in place to increase operations immediately.

"We have to do a full-court press that involves not just the town, but also federal assistance," Israel told Newsday. Long Island needs the jobs and the economic boost that would occur with international status at MacArthur, he said, adding that can't be done without both FAA and Customs approval for expanded air slots and border protection.

"You now have town, business and the federal government working together in a concerted effort to make this happen. That hasn't happened before -- it's not just talk -- this is the start of a plan developed by all levels of government."

Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan said Israel's move was a major boost. "We've been working diligently on this. We have the capacity. Our air service demand study shows there's a market for these airlines here on Long Island, we already have business backing and now the extra impetus of active federal support makes our case stronger than ever."

Israel's letters note the FAA set the stage in January when it designated MacArthur an official metro-area airport. Further, he writes, the Regional Plan Association recommended further study of the facility as a "major reliever" for Kennedy and LaGuardia airports as part of the FAA's regional airspace strategy.

Already, international private charters fly in and out of MacArthur using a limited customs presence at the airport.