Stewart

From the Poughkeepsie Journal:

New Jersey moved another step closer Monday to allowing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to buy the leasehold on Stewart International Airport, New Windsor, to ease congestion in the region’s skies and airports.

The plan was cleared by an Assembly committee Monday and can now be considered by the full Assembly. It was approved by the Senate on Thursday.

The Port Authority plans to acquire a 93-year lease on the airport from National Express Group PLC of United Kingdom. It has an understanding with the company it will pay $78.5 million to acquire the lease.

About 300,000 passengers used Stewart last year, and early signs show passenger traffic could triple this year, but transportation officials said it could handle 1.5 million and ease pressure on LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports.

Those airports handled more than 100 million passengers last year, a total projected to reach 150 million by 2025. Lawmakers also hope the plan could ease corporate jet congestion at Teterboro Airport.

The legislation would match New Jersey law with New York law to authorize the Port Authority to buy or build two new airports — one in each state — outside the agency’s district, which extends 25 miles out from the Statue of Liberty.

Also required for the deal to go through are approvals by the Federal Aviation Administration; New York state, the owner of Stewart; and a formal contract between the authority and National Express. A spokesman for the authority said last week the various approvals need to be in place before the contract can be signed, but the target of October for an actual takeover is still intact.