Syracuse Hancock International (KSYR), New York: Council may delay airport authority vote

Syracuse common councilors have taken a step back on action to approve a new airport authority to run the city's Hancock Airport. YNN's Bill Carey says the new council caution comes as people at the airport prepare to take the last steps toward a separation from city control.
 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- For years, Syracuse's Hancock Airport has faced challenges as it has battled to attract more airlines and put pressure on for lower fares. It remains the only major Upstate airport operated by a city and not an airport authority. Authorities, with more flexibility, tend to have an easier time with everything from financing to leasing deals.

Now, the city seems on the brink of finally handing over Hancock to a new regional airport authority.

"It's taken a little while to put the pieces together and bring a management team, headed by Chris Callahan on board, so it seems like we're on a nice, comfortable time table, without rushing it and without undue delay," said William Fisher, Syracuse regional Airport Authority Chairman.

"We've definitely been spending the last two years building this business from the ground up. Getting systems into place, whether it's accounting software and a business plan and how are we going to run the airport. At the same time, we've been running the airport," said Syracuse Aviation Commissioner Christina Callahan.

The last major step is FAA approval of the transfer. Once the city approves the transfer deal, the authority hopes to take control at the start of the new year.

To meet that goal of a January 1st handover, the airport authority was hoping for action by the common council sometime in the month of August. But it now looks like that action will be delayed.

Councilors have begun poring over that agreement and say, in many cases, the documents are raising new questions.

"The process here in Syracuse has been extremely lengthy, going back from the original negotiation of the enabling act. So people have changed and they need to be informed about the decisions they're being asked to make," said Airport Authority Consultant Steven Baldwin.

"There's some 2,000 pages of information that we're just now receiving. So it's incumbent upon us, as councilors, to do our fiduciary responsibility to read through this, ask additional questions and have those discussions, so we make an intelligent vote," said Syracuse Common Councilor Nader Maroun.

The authority says there is no cause for panic over any delay. That there is still time to win over lawmakers, file the papers, receive federal approval and begin reaping the benefits of the new system in the new year.

The council is due to meet Monday and again on August 26th. Lawmakers at the review meeting say it is unlikely they would be able to make a final decision at either of those meetings.

Source:   http://centralny.ynn.com