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Two moves taken Wednesday by airport authorities are aimed at trying again to expand Tweed-New Haven Airport’s runway to attract more airline flights.
The first move involved votes by the boards of the Connecticut Airport Authority (which oversees Bradley) and Tweed’s Airport Authority to “explore a deeper partnership.” Both CAA and the Tweed Airport Authority were created by state statute to promote air travel.
The partnership would begin with a “working group” to explore the idea and to combine forces to push state legislators this year to support improvements at Tweed, according to a press release issued Wednesday evening by New Haven City Hall.
The second move involved a decision by Mayor Toni Harp to rip up a 2009 agreement with the town of East Haven (on which some of the airport land sits, and which has opposed expansion) in order to seek state money to expand the runway, an alleged prerequisite to luring new airline service. The New Haven Register’s Mark Zaretsky covered the Tweed vote and the background about the agreement in this article.
Morris Cove airport expansion opponent Sean O’Brien called it “a show of hubris for Mayor Harp to wake up one morning and decide she is not bound by the 2009 agreement.” Harp argued that the state, a party to the 2009 agreement, hadn’t lived up to its obligations, so New Haven is no longer bound by it.
O’Brien told the Independent neighbors will continue fighting airport expansion and “not be bought out.” Neighborhood opponents clashed in Hartford and New Haven hearings last year over New Haven political and business leaders’ attempts to win state approval for airport expansion.
O’Brien also called the possible Tweed-CAA partnership and potential merger “an admission of failure.”
“Tweed is not viable as an independent airport,” he argued, citing persistent deficits.
Following is the text of the city press release announcing the CAA-Tweed plans:
City of New Haven Statement Concerning Tweed New Haven Airport and new working group established to explore the feasibility of a CAA-Tweed partnership
New Haven – Earlier today the Connecticut Airport Authority (“CAA”) approved a process to explore a deeper partnership between CAA and the Tweed Airport Authority. Both authorities were established by state statute in order to advance commercial and general aviation travel in the State of Connecticut.
Today’s resolution calls for the establishment of a working group to explore the feasibility of a CAA-Tweed partnership. Driven by the need for infrastructure improvements at Tweed, along with enhanced commercial air service in New Haven, the working group will study how best to coordinate efforts this legislative session to obtain funds for capital improvements, such as enhancing the main runway and continuing to deliver benefits to residents of the surrounding neighborhood. All these efforts are designed to reach a consensus of all community stakeholders.
The working group’s first task would be to understand the needs of the New Haven business community. The group would then develop a strategy for coordinating efforts during the legislative session to further advance the Tweed development initiative.
“This is a positive sign that state and local leaders are moving toward consensus about the overall importance of Tweed and the need to support the greater New Haven business community with commercial air service,” said New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp. “In the coming months, my administration looks forward to this important dialogue. We all agree a viable commercial airport will help attract and retain world class talent and to grow as a city and as a region.”
“The CAA’s interest in Tweed is indicative of the central role that New Haven plays in driving the economic engine in Connecticut. We look forward to embarking on the next chapter of Tweed’s redevelopment with CAA,” said Michael Piscitelli, City of New Haven interim economic development administrator. “It is in the collective interest of the City, State, and business community that Tweed’s capital improvements and air service development program be overseen by a measured and balanced group of state and local leadership. Today’s actions are the kind of positive collaboration that promises to move New Haven and Connecticut forward.”
The Greater New Haven Region is one of the most underserved air-travel markets in the country. More than 4 million passengers live closer to Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport than any other airport. Half of the air travelers in the region fly out of New York City or New Jersey area airports to travel by air and 38% go to Bradley. These passengers generate much needed tax revenues that could be kept in the State of Connecticut rather than leaking to neighboring states.
The new jet service to Charlotte, North Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania clearly demonstrates American’s confidence in the greater New Haven market, but there is still more work to be done to strengthen Tweed and make it the economic engine that our region so desperately needs. In no uncertain terms, Tweed’s growth is critical to helping businesses stay in Connecticut and to helping attract new businesses from outside of Connecticut.
Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport (airport booking code HVN) is located just 15 minutes from Downtown New Haven. With free Wi-Fi, no waiting, no lines, no hassle and a matter of minutes between parking in front of the terminal and reaching the gate, Tweed is Southern Connecticut’s preferred airport. For more information visit www.flytweed.com.