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.
GatewayJFK is proud to announce the appointment of James Johnson as its Executive Director, a move signaling a significant shift in the organization’s trajectory and commitment to community development. Johnson’s extensive background in grassroots organizing, public service, and strategic leadership positions him as a visionary poised to drive positive change in Southeast Queens. With a legacy rooted in purposeful leadership and a deep understanding of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Johnson’s appointment marks a new chapter in GatewayJFK’s journey. His experience as a voting member on Southeast Queens’ BIDs and his tenure in various governmental roles uniquely position him to amplify…
As students prepare to return to the classroom this fall, the American Airlines Education Foundation is helping ease the cost of higher education by providing nearly $1 million in scholarship funds to 340 students who are dependents of the airline’s team members. Scholarships fund full-time undergraduate study at any accredited college, university, or vocational program worldwide. Each recipient was awarded a $2,500 scholarship, and 100 first-generation college students received an additional $1,000 for the 2023–2024 school year. “This year, our scholarship recipients continue to raise the bar — consistently establishing ambitious goals and striving to excel in their chosen fields…
The JFK Airport Rotary Club held its annual Ladies Golf & Spa event at the Brookville Country Club. The ladies hit the links or settled in for some pampering back at the clubhouse. Both event programs delivered a much-needed day away from the office and the airport. The event honored long-time Rotarian Denise Erickson, Vice President of the Airport Division at Duty Free Americas, for her contributions to the airport community and beyond. The event proceeds will benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, as selected by this year’s event honoree.As expected, the JFK Rotary Club delivered a fun event that…
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $27,348,437 in federal funding for 13 airports across New York State. This federal funding was administered through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and will be used to revitalize airports and enhance airfield safety at airports in Western New York, the Southern Tier, the North Country, the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, and the Capital Region. “From the North Country to the Hudson Valley to Western NY, air travel is vital to the connectivity and success of the Upstate economy, and it is…
Nelson Camacho becomes CEO for the region. He will be driving Swissport’s development in one of its largest, most important markets. Stacey Brown starts as regional Chief People Officer. Nelson Camacho, formerly the company’s Chief Operating Officer for Swissport in the US and Canada, assumed the role of CEO for the region at the start of July. He took over from Frank Mena, who has retired after a 45-year career in the aviation industry, with 32 years dedicated to Swissport and its predecessor in the US. Camacho will be driving the company’s development in one of Swissport’s largest and most…
The local airport community has always been generous when donating time, money, and resources to worthy causes at our airports and surrounding communities. The Airport Community Golf Classic (ACGC) was founded to assist these local airport and aviation-related associations with fundraising efforts to continue the essential work they provide on behalf of the aviation industry. This year, the Airport Community Golf Classic will be held on September 21, 2023, at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club. The proceeds from the ACGC will be distributed to three partner associations; the JFK Air Cargo Association, the Aviation High School Education Foundation (AHSEF),…
United became the first U.S. airline to add Braille to aircraft interiors, helping millions of travelers with visual disabilities more easily navigate the cabin independently. According to the Department of Transportation, about 27 million people with disabilities traveled by air in 2019. The airline currently has equipped about a dozen aircraft with Braille markings for individual rows and seat numbers as well as inside and outside the lavatories. United expects to outfit its entire mainline fleet with Braille by the end of 2026. “Finding your seat on a plane or getting to the restroom is something most of us take for granted,…
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced today the launch of a new specialized training program to be called the Institute of Concessions (IOC), offering extensive training and mentoring intended to increase the number of local and diverse airport concessionaires included in the Port Authority’s $19 billion transformation project of John F. Kennedy International Airport. The IOC is part of the agency’s community development program that is the centerpiece of the Port Authority’s redevelopment of JFK. Applications are now being accepted. “With the $19 billion transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class global gateway fully underway, we…
UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union representing about 330,000 UPS employees in the U.S., have reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement. “Together, we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers,” said Carol Tomé, UPS chief executive officer. “This agreement continues to reward UPS’s full- and part-time employees with industry-leading pay and benefits while retaining the flexibility we need to stay competitive, serve our customers and keep our business strong.” The five-year agreement covers U.S. Teamsters-represented employees in small-package roles and is subject to…
After more than 27 years of service with Swissair and SWISS, the Airbus A321 HB-IOC, the oldest member of the SWISS fleet, has made its final flight. The aircraft, which was widely known as the ‘Olympic Plane’ in view of its IOC (International Olympic Committee) registration, was flown to Castellón in Spain, where it was subsequently dismantled. As part of this phase-out process, SWISS has also been trialing a pilot project to see how various parts and components can be reused and recycled more sustainably in ecological and economic terms. So aviation fans and design enthusiasts can look forward to…