How Syracuse airport is preparing for Micron’s arrival

U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams has endorsed three projects for the airport through the annual appropriations process, the new vehicle for congressional earmarks. Williams, R-Sennett, is requesting $9 million to fund the upgrades. 

When detailing the purpose of the projects, two mention “planned investments from the CHIPS and Science Act in the area,” a reference to the federal law that is supporting domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. Williams is asking for $3 million to develop a centralized baggage system at the airport. Another $3 million would fund the expansion of the airport’s security checkpoint. 

Jason Terreri, executive director of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, provided more information about the projects in an interview with The Citizen. Regarding the baggage system, he explained that the airport needs more baggage claim and a larger “back of house” area where checked bags are placed and moved to the planes. 

For the security checkpoint, Terreri said the plan is to add an additional lane for the Transportation Security Administration and more queuing space for people waiting to pass through security. 

Both projects are part of the airport’s long-term vision, but are also necessary because of Micron’s arrival in the region. Terreri noted that the airport isn’t expecting a significant increase in air travelers to the region in 2024 and 2025, but may begin seeing an uptick in 2026 — the year Micron expects to begin production in Onondaga County. 

“We’re getting ready for the 2026 timeframe,” Terreri said. “A lot of this was already in the works through our master plan that we’ve been working on — parts of the airport that we’ve known we were going to have to expand.” 

The third project supported by Williams is $3 million to increase the size of the airport’s deicing facility. Terreri said this is necessary because larger planes are flying out of Syracuse. The existing deicing pad was designed for regional jets, not Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s. 

While Micron is a factor, another is the increasing number of air travelers already using the airport. More than 2.2 million passengers have passed through the airport in the current fiscal year — the most recent data available covers a period from July 1, 2022, through April 30. The fiscal year runs through the end of this month. 

Terreri said the airport is above its pre-pandemic numbers. In 2019, the airport had nearly 2.6 million total passengers, a three-decade high. 

“We’re continuing to grow,” he added.