Federal officials joined Orange County leaders last week at Stewart International Airport to highlight millions of dollars in investments there.
U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, D-Kingston, joined Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus on Friday to host Polly Trottenberg, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, at a roundtable to discuss expanding transportation opportunities in the Hudson Valley.
“I think we are starting to see the industry come back (from the COVID-19 pandemic),” Trottenberg said.
“This is critical for Orange County,” Neuhaus said, adding that COVID was a “devastating time” for the aviation industry.
“We have recovered and we’re on our way to a lot of successes,” he said.
Ryan, a member of the House Committee for Transportation and Infrastructure, last month helped secure $119 million for the construction of 13 new hangars at Stewart, including dedicated space for the Red Tail Flight Academy, a Tuskegee Airmen-inspired program that aims to develop a pipeline for underrepresented people of color into the aviation sector by providing youth aviation and mentor programs.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law unlocked billions of dollars to revitalize our transportation infrastructure and create thousands of good-paying jobs along the way. I’m pushing every day to deliver those dollars and jobs right here, not just to Stewart but across the entire Hudson Valley,” Ryan said. “The impact of these investments doesn’t end at the airport terminal – they stimulate economic growth for the entire region.”
Stewart Airport has already received $8.7 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to $25.6 million in federal funds since 2012 from the DOT’s Airport Improvement Program, nearly $6.5 million in COVID relief funds and $8.7 million in BIL Airport Infrastructure Grants.
Ryan’s roundtable conversation with Deputy Secretary Trottenberg included Stewart Airport representatives, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, leaders from the Orange, Ulster and Dutchess chambers of commerce, the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, the Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, Pattern for Progress, the Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, the offices of state Sen. James Skoufis and Assemblymembers Chris Eachus and Karl Brabanek.