Firms to review car rentals at MacArthur

The Islip Town Board this week authorized officials at Long Island MacArthur Airport to hire a consultant for rental car services, which interim airport commissioner Terry Hennessey said would help maximize the concession’s return to the airport.

According to the resolution, Ricondo & Associates, an aviation consulting firm based in Chicago, would be paid no more than $20,000 from airport funds to conduct a “comprehensive review” of rental car concessions there. The resolution cites some major changes at the airport since the current rental car contract was drawn up five years ago, such as reductions in flights and a redesign of the terminal’s front roadway.

“We want to revisit the whole arrangement we have and see if there is a better way of structuring agreements” so the rental car companies and the airport both benefit, Hennessey said.

The airport currently has five rental car companies, and the contract expires Oct. 31. Hennessey said the current rental car concessions strategy was developed at a time when “it was anticipated Southwest and U.S. Air would have more service than they do now, so the volumes never lived up to it.”

He said airport officials are expected to speak with Ricondo representatives after Labor Day to begin strategizing.