Commerce Park, the Port of Waddington, a mediumheavy 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, 309 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 09 OGDENSBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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