State gives Syracuse Hancock International Airport $20M to expand north concourse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Syracuse Hancock International Airport will see significant changes in the future including an expansion of its north concourse and a new federal inspection station thanks to New York State funding.

On Thursday, March 7, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the Syracuse Airport will receive $20 million to provide additional seating and concession areas in the north concourse and to expand the Federal Inspection Station facility to process 200 passengers per hour.

The Syracuse airport is one of nine upstate airports awarded $230 million in the latest round of the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition funding, announced by Governor Hochul in 2022.

“Central New York is on the cusp of an unprecedented transformation that will bring new energy and economic opportunities to the region and we are ensuring that our vital transportation infrastructure is ready,” Governor Hochul said. “The improvements we are making to Syracuse Hancock International Airport will create a more welcoming experience for residents and visitors to the Salt City and will fuel the generational growth and advancement that is occurring right now.”

The new federal inspection station includes renovating the second floor of the terminal building in the location of gate 15, ensuring the airport retains its international designation. The new concessions include an Einsteins Bagel and Qdoba Mexican Eats.

“In 2019 we kicked off a master plan effort that quickly identified that this airport was growing at a rate much faster than other airports and we needed to expand. One of the areas that we realized we needed to expand quickly was the gate areas and create that opportunity for international flights, cargo to serve Central New York,” said SRAA Executive Director Jason Terreri.

According to the state, the airport awards are intended to promote, revitalize and accelerate investments in upstate commercial passenger service airports.

Syracuse Hancock was built in 1949 and has served as a catchment area stretching from the Canadian border to Pennsylvania and handling several commercial carriers. This new project will build on the terminal renovation project completed in 2018 and bring the airport into the 21st century.

“It is the opportunity to make Syracuse a destination that people want to be. This kind of change requires a significant amount of investment and nobody understands that better than Kathy Hochul,” said Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT). “The northern concourse is fundamentally changing adding gates 22, 23 and 27.”

The total estimated cost for the project is $28.5 million, which includes:

• Adding 4,700 square feet to the North Concourse
• Optimizing natural ventilation for improved air quality
• Installing dynamic window panels to increase natural lighting
• New lighting controls and sensors to reduce non-essential lighting during off-times
• High-efficiency building equipment to improve the airport’s sustainability
• Upgrades to the airport’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Federal Inspection Station (FIS) including installing the latest FIS equipment for international operations
• Replacement of a jet bridge
• Installation of a new elevator tower and baggage carousel
• Creation of an additional hold room and boarding space
• Installation of a wayfinding lighting control system
• Support for hearing-impaired passengers

This major investment means Syracuse Hancock International Airport can break ground on critical renovations and finally takeoff on long-awaited construction to transform the airport into a major hub for all residents, visitor, and travelers. These funds will modernize and expand Hancock to meet the needs of one of the fastest growing airports in the nation and support the increased demand for air service spurred by historic levels of federal and state investment across the region. A modern and well-maintained airport attracts customers, grows the airport, and creates continued success of the entire region. I have been a longtime advocate for delivering much-needed federal dollars to our Upstate NY airports to boost the region’s tourist economy and send our communities to new heights and thank Governor Hochul for her work to get started on much-needed modernization and infrastructure upgrades to help Central NY soar for years to come.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer

These new airport improvements will complement plans by Micron to invest up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years, constructing a cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing campus in Onondaga County.

“We’re growing at more than twice the pace than the rest of the country and with that we need to keep up with the facility, and the growth that we’re seeing today isn’t even really Micron related, so to be able to build these facilities, have these expansions, to be ready is really helpful to our team,” said Terreri.

According to Dominguez, this investment alone will create 260 jobs in the region.

Construction on the northern concourse is set to be completed by Jan. 31, 2025. After that, there’s more to come.

“Starting next year in 2025, we will be starting our new rental car facility which is the first phase of a complete landside redevelopment,” said Jason Terreri, the executive director for the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. “So that’s a new parking deck, new roadways, surface parking lots.”

The renderings of the expansion can be seen below.

The Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition was administered by the NYSDOT and was open to upstate commercial passenger service airports and airports providing specialized service for commercial aircraft and/or corporate jets.

Applicants were encouraged to apply for funding for a single project or a program of projects to help meet the demands of the 21st century. Each project was evaluated based on established criteria, including but not limited to innovation in design, passenger amenities and experience, operational efficiencies, and economic effectiveness for the airport’s region. 

View the full press conference in the video player below.