Republic Airport awarded $6.5 million from feds for runway improvements

Republic Airport will receive more than $6.5 million for runway rehabilitation and other improvement projects as part of newly allocated federal funding for regional airport upgrades around New York State, federal officials said.

The announcement by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, notes the $21 million package will target upgrades for airport facilities and equipment at 16 airports around the state.

The funding is awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program — and, according to a statement issued by Gillibrand and Schumer, will help fund projects "that strengthen safety measures, modernize terminals, and enhance passenger experience" at the airports funded.

The state Department of Transportation runs Republic and said the $6,508,930 in designated funding will go to a major rehabilitation and runway resurfacing project expected to begin on runway 1-19 in 2026, as well as the reconstruction of an existing gate.

The airport in East Farmingdale, once home to Republican Aviation, which built fighter planes there used in World War II, Korea and the Vietnam War, has two runways and several helipads. The runways are 1-19, which is 5,516 feet long, and 14-32, which is 6,833 feet in length. The numbers refer to a runway's magnetic heading.

The airport, which once featured scheduled passenger airline service by carriers that included Cosmopolitan Airlines, Provincetown-Boston Airlines and Northwest Airlink, now is used mostly by charter and executive air flights, as well as private pilots.

The airport is home to the American Airpower Museum, which offers visitors the chance to see historic aircraft, mostly from the World War II era, in flight. It also features planes and museum exhibits housed in a hangar complex at the airport.

The runway rehabilitation at Republic includes resurfacing, new markings and improved drainage, said Stephen Canzoneri, a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation Region 10, in an emailed statement, adding: "We are grateful for our federal partners in their assistance to facilitate this project."

The funding for Republic is the largest award among the 16 airport improvement projects funded by the initiative. Officials said Buffalo Niagara International will receive $5,680,000 to rehabilitate existing taxiway pavement and lighting, while Binghamton will receive $1.3 million to reconstruct an existing terminal building and its electrical system, among other upgrades. Plattsburgh will receive $1,110,797 and Ithaca Tompkins will receive $1,091,037 — to acquire and/or replace snow removal equipment.

Funding for other airports will be used for a wide range of projects, from terminal expansions to upgrades in firefighting and snow removal equipment, and the removal of trees identified as hazards by the FAA, officials said.

"It's vital that every airport has the resources it needs to provide a safe and comfortable experience for anyone who travels through our state," Gillibrand said in a statement.

Schumer said, "The significant federal investment will help make much-needed improvements so our local economies can take off."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”