Author: Metropolitan Airport News
Metropolitan Airport News
Produced by a team of aviation professionals and enthusiasts, our mission is to inform and update the more than 68,000 employees who work on the metropolitan New York airport properties, as well as the many others that provide goods and services in the surrounding communities.
2020 may have been a bust, but the year ended on a high note with the opening of a new Penn Station. Through a public-private partnership that included the Port Authority as well as the MTA, Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak, and other public and private entities. The new facility will expand Penn Station in Midtown to 255,000-square-feett, $1.6 billion project transformed the more than 100-year-old James A. Farley Building and increased the existing Penn Station rail complex’s concourse space by 50%. “With the magnificent architectural conversion of the historic Farley Post Office into a 21st century train station, Moynihan…
With travel demand expected to slow in the next few months, the nation’s airlines have pressed the Trump administration to replace sweeping restrictions on inbound international travel with a COVID-19 testing requirement for all visitors arriving from foreign countries. Airlines for America, the trade group for the nation’s largest carriers, expressed its support for the testing of inbound international travelers — as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, saying the change “will provide yet another layer of safety in the travel journey.” Calio said any mandates should consider countries…
A graduate of Pratt Institute with a degree in Industrial Design, Jim Silvester is a registered interior designer in the state of Connecticut and has been certified an Associate DBIA from the Design-Build Institute of America. As the Director of Marketing for VRH Construction since 2010, Jim is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the VRH brand and marketing strategies, public relations, and business development for the firm including VRHRetailBuild and VRHJetworks divisions. In 2018, Jim also became Director of DesignBuild Services applying 35+ years of design and construction experiences for more than 2-million square feet and $800…
The National Restaurant Association has unveiled prominent travel restaurateur HMSHost as the latest signatory of its ServSafe Dining Commitment, a program aimed at bolstering the restaurant and foodservice industry’s recovery. Members of the program assure consumers that the restaurant is dedicated to training staff in safe food handling and establishing new guidelines for safe dining. In a recent press release, HMSHost went on to say; “Today, the National Restaurant Association and its ServSafe division announced that HMSHost has signed on as a participant of the ServSafe Dining Commitment program aimed at bolstering the restaurant and foodservice industry’s recovery.” National Restaurant Association…
A good technician knows how to diagnose and fix a problem. A great technician knows how to identify problems before they arise and take the steps necessary to prevent serious issues. The staff at the Aviation Maintenance Training (AMT) program at Western Suffolk BOCES’ Republic Airport campus proved they are indeed great technicians as the program adapted to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic without any turbulence. Monitoring what was happening globally and locally in March of 2020, AMT Program Manager and FAA Liaison Diana Santiago knew that there would likely be a need to move to a fully remote…
As the year came to an end, Governor Cuomo was busy signing the Healthy Terminals Act. This bill was passed by the NYS Legislature in July 2020 to provide ‘covered airport workers’ supplemental hourly wage increases of at least $4.54 to offset healthcare costs. There are some asking questions about whether the Healthy Terminals Act will lead to an unhealthy airport employer financial statement in the process of lifting up our essential airport workers. In addition to the PANYNJ annual wage increases, adding this additional payroll cost will certainly stress some business owners and airport tenants during this already difficult…
When completed, the JFK solar project will be the largest canopy system in New York State. The Port Authority Board of Commissioners authorized the development, construction and operation of New York State’s largest on-site solar plus storage system at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The JFK solar installation will create a carport canopy with solar panels on top on the southern section of the airport’s long-term parking lot 9, providing covered parking to approximately 3,000 parking spaces. The 12.3-megawatt (mw) solar energy system includes 5 to 7.5 megawatts of battery storage, which will provide enhanced resilience to Airtrain JFK. The…
Last month, JetBlue announced the first major refresh of their Mint service, JetBlue’s premium travel experience including the introduction of new products. As part of their focus on sustainability and JetBlue For Good platform, retiring Mint items will be revitalized in an impactful way. Rather than throwing these items away, JetBlue is providing unused and gently used and cleaned items like blankets, pillows, dishes and cutlery to those who need them most, while also diverting waste from landfills. JetBlue is also providing unused amenity kits and toiletries to homeless shelters, and headphones to some of the JetBlue Foundation’s education partners to…
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the largest publicly accessible fast-charging station for electric vehicles in the Northeast is now operational at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. The ten-port charging station is part of a joint initiative by the New York Power Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that will reduce New York State’s carbon footprint and improve air quality by incorporating electric vehicle technology throughout JFK and LaGuardia airports. The EV charging hub, compatible for all current fast-charging EV models, will help decarbonize the transportation sector and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050, a target…
This Dec. 19, 2020, on National Wreaths Across America Day at 2,557 participating locations, dedicated Americans in every state honored our nation’s heroes by safely placing a total of 1.7 million veterans’ wreaths on their headstones and remembering them, by saying each name out loud. “The 2020 theme for Wreaths Across America has been ‘Be an American worth fighting for,’ and this year I have been blessed to see my fair share,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America. “The determination of the American people and their commitment to the mission to Remember, Honor, Teach, made it possible…