Author: Katie Bliss

I truly hope that the last days of Summer are being spent creating memories with your friends and family. We have been through a lot the last year and a half and we owe it to ourselves to spend time relaxing and recharging. It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the loss of a very good friend and colleague. Our Editor in Chief, Joe Alba, has passed away. Joe lived a very rich life with his family and friends, going back and forth between his homes in Westchester and Florida. He will be missed by…

The much anticipated Pocono Air Show 2021 started off with a tragic event when GEICO Skytyper, Andy Travnicek of Hampton, New Hampshire, was killed during a practice exercise on the Friday before the show at Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton International Airport. Mr. Travnicek was a U.S. Air Force veteran who had deployed to Spain, Qatar and Afghanistan, and worked as a commercial airline pilot. Pocono Raceway expressed “deepest condolences” to the pilot’s family. It said it decided to hold the airshow as scheduled “after much consideration and with the support of the GEICO Skytypers.” The show did go on and there was…

I would like to take a moment and thank all of our advertisers that made our July issue so successful for the charitable organizations that we support. We were able to donate $2,100.00 to the USO of Metropolitan New York. They are an important part of the airport community supporting active and retired military members and their families while traveling through our area. We are proud to stand by them and help support their mission. I am delighted to see so many things happening in our airport community. There are wonderful things happening at all the airport organizations like JFK…

July is always a special month for us here at the Metropolitan Airport News, and for me personally. This year we are celebrating our 5th anniversary providing the airport community with monthly issues of the Metropolitan Airport News. We are a team of aviation enthusiasts and we are committed to the industry and the community. I hope our commitment is evident in the content we provide to our readers and the work we do within the community for those in need. Independence Day is another thing about July that makes this month so special. On July 4th, we celebrate our…

The weather is getting warmer and people are wanting to get those vacation plans going for this summer that they missed last year. Now the question is, where to go? Rome, London, Athens? For many Americans, with restrictions still shifting minute to minute, making long-haul travel plans may not seem like the prudent thing to do. The prediction of the travel experts is that vacations close to home are the way to go.  Last summer may have been the year with no vacations, but this summer is definitely time to get out and explore. The idea of being a tourist…

It’s so nice to fill my mind and my calendar with plans for an amazing summer! It seems like we will get the summer we have been looking forward to for over a year now. As restrictions ease, people get vaccinated and the weather warms up…the people of the New York Metropolitan area are ready to get out and have a great time. While there may still be some apprehension to head overseas for that summer odyssey, the opportunities to stay-cation in our area are really looking up! Whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a great time…

Most countries around the world, as well as companies, industries and local leaders, can agree that we should be doing something to solve the problem of rising temperatures, and the impact that higher temperatures will have on the earth, what is being done varies country by country and industry by industry. The latest figures on emissions as cited by the World Resources Institute has China as the largest producer of Global Green House Gas Emissions at 26.1%, the United States covers the number 2 spot at 12.67% with the U.S. Transportation industry being at 3.71% globally. At the core of…

It is the end of an era for the Aviation Development Council (ADC) and the Air Services Development Offices (ASDO) at JFK, LGA, EWR, TEB. ADC was started 58 years ago as a way for the local airports to be connected with the community in which the airports are located. ADC brought about ASDO 34 years ago as a means to connect local businesses with opportunities within the airport. Both were not-for-profit organizations that were funded by PANYNJ and the airline partners to serve the communities and businesses in the surrounding areas.  ADC administrated community outreach programs spanning education, training,…

I truly hope that this message finds you and your family well. During these very difficult times, the overwhelming messaging from the media can be quite bleak. And in our homes and work places, it may feel that way also. The truth is that these times are unprecedented and we just don’t know what the next few days, weeks and months will look like in our area, our country or the world. We should put faith in our leaders and in ourselves to look through the immediate concerns and to the other side where we will see the prosperity and…

Congratulations to Joe Clabby and his team on the 40th anniversary of CLPA. Joe and his team consistently exhibit deep care and concern for the airport community and beyond. Joe spent many years as the President of the JFK Airport Chamber of Commerce where he took on the massive endeavor of bringing a September 11th Memorial to JFK. While it is still in the works, it is Joe’s leadership and dedication to the project and to the community that lost so many that day that ensures JFK airport will have a memorial. Joe is a generous contributor to civic associations…