Syracuse Hancock International Airport
There is an airport outside of downtown Syracuse called Syracuse Hancock International Airport. It is over 60 miles from Watertown and just 5 miles from downtown Syracuse. It has been in operation since 1927 and was put in place by the mayor of Syracuse. By 1928, using land that was purchased for $50,000, the airport was constructed and was handling airmail. When World War II was starting, and it was used by the Army Air Forces as a place for flight training. Today, the airport is a busy international airport controlled by an 11 member board, controlled by the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. Here is an overview of this airport which, from its humble beginnings, is now servicing almost 30 cities.
The History Of The Airport
Operating since the 1920s, this airport was once used for training pilots for WW2. As it expanded, runways were put in, at a cost of $16 million. B-24 aircraft flew out of this airport, specifically for bombing missions that were headed to Europe. This airport is also connected to The Boys from Syracuse, the very first airman that was trained for these missions. The airport itself received its name because of a congressman by the name of Hancock who served the 36 districts of Onondaga County. However, it was not until Colonial Airlines flew a flight from the airport to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania that it began to provide commercial flights to the public.
The Growth Of The Airport
The airport continue to grow as more airlines started to fly out of it. This included American Airlines, Robinson Airlines, and many others. Starting with just 30 scheduled flights every day, it has increased that number substantially. Today, the airport has nearly a million passengers going through it. Although this is substantially less than pre-pandemic numbers, those numbers are continuing to increase. It is also the host for the Syracuse Flight School, helping to train future pilots that may use this airport in the future. Today, American Airlines is still flying flights out of this airport, and Southwest Airlines has recently come on board. In addition to this, Breeze Airways and Delta Connection are adding new routes and resuming routes, respectively.
Syracuse Regional Airport Authority
A public benefit corporation by the name of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority is in charge of the safe development and security of this airport in upstate New York. This authority is focused on the success and growth of the airport, as well as managing job creation, regional marketing, and fiscal responsibility. Recently, a master plan update was started in accordance with the FAA Advisory Circular. The purpose of the master plan is to ensure the economic feasibility and practicality of the airport so that it may remain a profitable and useful location now and in the future.
If you are flying into Syracuse, you may land at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport. It currently has many airlines and destinations that fly all over the country. From Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas and even Chicago O’Hare, millions of people have used this airport on their way to Syracuse. New signage, lighting, and the re-pavement of runways have recently occurred, improving this iconic airport. The path forward is looking bright for this airport that is part of the rich history of the Syracuse New York area.