STEWART AIRPORT – Travelers using New York Stewart International Airport fell by 11.5 percent through the first eight months of the year, and while domestic passengers increased in July and August, international flyers fell.
That was because Norwegian Air, which was forced like all airlines to ground its fleet of Boeing 737 Max jets, cut back service to just one European city on a jumbo jet.
Norwegian stopped all European flights to the US using those Boeing Max jets on September 15, Stewart passenger numbers are expected to decline for the remainder of the year.
The Port Authority and Stewart are continuing their efforts to grow service passenger service, Stewart Business Development Director Michael Torelli told the Stewart Airport Commission on Tuesday.
“Right now throughout the world there is a world routes conference in Australia and our air service development team is there meeting with multiple airlines and representing Stewart Airport to try to get people interested in adding service here or bringing new service,” he said.
Cargo tonnage carried through Stewart rose by 52 percent in the first eight months of the year and that is largely due to new Monday through Friday 747 jet flights to Los Angeles on Kalitta Air. Those planes are carrying US mail to the west coast.
