Ogdensburg International Airport – St. Lawrence County

October 11, 2024

Ogdensburg International Airport

A hometown airport with real growth potential

Looking forward to a new terminal and a new commercial carrier

The Ogdensburg International Airport sits on 500 acres, about two miles southeast of the city, in the town of Oswegatchie. It is owned and operated by the Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority (OBPA), which also owns and operates the Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge, the Port of Ogdensburg-Marine Terminal Facility, Commerce Park, the Port of Waddington, a medium-heavy industrial park, and two short line railroads.

The airport boasts one asphalt runway, measuring 6,400 by 150 feet, and serves a mix of general aviation and commercial traffic, with scheduled flights between Ogdensburg and Philadelphia, PA, via Contour Airlines’ 30-seat Embraer 135. Operating as its own FBO, the airport also handles transient and charter flights, fuel sales, some military traffic from nearby Fort Drum, and medical helicopter flights.

An airport on the verge

Ogdensburg International is a small airport that may be on the verge of becoming bigger, better, and gaining prominence for the traveling communities on both sides of the border. One reason for its potential growth and development concerns the September expiration of the airport’s contract with Contour, predicting the possible selection of an alternative commercial carrier. “Right now, we’re in the process of working with the USDOT (United States Department of Transportation), and we’re recommending Breeze Airways to continue service,” reports Airport Manager, Charlie Garrelts.

There are a few reasons why the OBPA is leaning towards Breeze. The most significant one is because the airline is proposing flights to and from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C, on 138-passenger Airbus A-200 jets. The Authority believes that this flight plan offers the best opportunity for higher enplanement numbers, which translates to more FAA funding, as well as meshing well with the airport’s plans for its long-term growth. Garrelts thinks that it can also potentially increase traffic between the two country’s capital cities. “Most of our traffic is coming from Ottawa,” he notes. “And currently, Ottawa doesn’t have a direct flight to Washington. We would be the closest airport with a direct flight. I also think it would bring people in from our capital to experience what’s up here.”

Another reason for selecting Breeze is more technical and concerns how the federal government’s Essential Air Service (EAS) program operates. The EAS program was enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which had been served by certificated airlines prior to deregulation in 1978, maintain commercial service. Its aim is to support a minimal level of scheduled air service to those communities that otherwise would not be profitable.

Currently, Contour’s Philadelphia route is subsidized by the AEAS – the Alternate Essential Air Service program — wherein the USDOT gives a stipend to the OBPA, which pays it out to its selected air carrier based on need. OBPA officials want to go back to the regular EAS program with a new carrier, and with the DOT paying the airline directly. Also making pitches for the new contract are Boutique Air, which currently offers service in and out of nearby Massena International Airport, and Contour, which wants to continue its Philadelphia flights. The USDOT has the final say over which company will take over this fall.

A multi-million dollar terminal upgrade

Another reason to strongly believe in Ogdensburg’s potential is because the airport is at the beginning stages of a $21.5 million expansion of its terminal, with $18 million of that sum coming from New York State’s $230 million Upstate Airport Development and Revitalization Competition. Ogdensburg was one of nine regional airports that applied for, and was awarded, funding. According to Governor Kathy Hochul, who championed both the program and the airport, “The Ogdensburg International Airport is an important fabric of the North Country economy and its new and improved airport will be a springboard that attracts new businesses and visitors to this beautiful region.”

The project will include a new, multi-purpose great room to provide much-needed space for civic gatherings, conferences, business meetings, and other public events in a building that hasn’t been updated since the airport’s construction in 1980. Other improvements include: expansion of the lobby for check-in, ticketing, and baggage drop; additional restrooms; expansion of the screening, concession, and baggage claim areas; upgraded security doors and cameras; new water sprinklers; upgraded Wi-Fi; new sanitation and water fill stations; upgraded disinfection treatment within the HVAC system; an extended entrance canopy with an elongated curbside drop-off/pick-up area; an outdoor courtyard with tables, chairs, and planters; solar panels and electrical passenger vehicle/equipment charging stations; safety improvements for passengers walking between the plane and terminal building; and a renovation of the building’s façade.

Garrelts, for one, is enthusiastic about the improvements. “The new canopy for curbside pickup means that nobody has to stand in the rain when they’re getting picked up and dropped off,” he shares. “We added two rental car counters and expanded the lobby for check in and ticketing. Now, nobody has to stand in line. And a new flight display system in the great room, which is large enough to be able to divide into three segments, shows the stages of flights and all the information that you need. So, thanks to Governor Hochul; it’s a project that she helped with to modernize our terminal.”

Garrelts is a firm believer that the new terminal upgrades will attract more people to the airport, and as more people come through Ogdensburg, the more they will grow to appreciate the natural beauty of the North Country. To that end, the airport works closely with the St. Lawrence County and City of Ogdensburg Chambers of Commerce to attract more tourism to the area and travelers to the region.

Educating and serving the community

Another important item on Garrelts’ agenda is educating local school children about future opportunities in the aviation sector. “I have worked with the school districts, going to classrooms to talk about aviation and how it benefits the community,” he relates. “We move people and we move cargo and planes are becoming more frequently used for transportation. There are so many sectors of the aviation industry. For example, people do surveying from aircrafts; helicopter pilots inspect power poles and cut down trees. People are finding more and more ways to surprise me with what you can do with aviation.”

Regarding pilot training and the need for more licensed flyers, Garrelts says that the airport works closely with Potsdam Municipal Airport. “They do have a flight school and they do bring a plane here to do their training pretty frequently,” he shares.

When queried as to why Garrelts loves his job, he answers, “It’s having the mindset that you may make an impact on somebody’s life; that somebody got somewhere safely or somebody came home safely because we did our job correctly. It makes me feel like I’ve done something for the people in this region. We’re your hometown airport. We’re here to accommodate and serve the public. That’s what we do.”