Archive: Around Town

Conflicting information from various sources has done a good job of confusing the general public about what the risks of sequestration might be, what impact it might have on our local economy, and specifically how it will affect aviation at our regional airport.

I want to assure you that it is business as usual at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. As always, safety, service and convenience are our goals and even though there is uncertainty about sequestration and what it really means, we will continue to service this community with safety always as our top priority.

There is no reason for travelers who fly into or out of our airport to be alarmed or feel threatened. Nothing has changed in our day to day operations and the Airport strives to make your transit through the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport an exceptional experience.

If, as a result of sequestration, our local air traffic control tower is at risk of closing, it will not happen right away, and it will not threaten air service or safety in the future. The function of our air traffic control will simply transfer to an FAA facility in the region.

The Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport will continue to monitor sequestration as information becomes available and will continue to be transparent and open with the community so that you are as informed and as educated as we are.

In other news, the airport is looking forward to the merger of US Airways and American Airlines, now awaiting approval from the Department of Justice. When it happens it is expected to take at least nine months for the two airlines to be fully integrated. A press release from the two airlines promises no closures of either airline's hub operations or the destinations they serve.

In Ithaca the aircraft will eventually lose the US Airways name in favor of the American Airlines identity but the combined networks should open up a whole new set of possibilities for flights from here.

As always thank you for choosing the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport for your travel needs.

Robert Nicholas, Airport Manager, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport

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