Westchester County Airport to expedite airport runway repaving

Westchester County Airport (HPN) has announced it is set to expedite its effort to repave the airport runway amidst the current decline in air travel demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported, “once the airport closes on [27 April 2020], the work will be done during the day and is expected to take about a month.”

Jorge Roberts, CEO of AvPORTS (formerly Pan Am World Services), the operator of Westchester County Airport, said: “Given the reduced flight service to Westchester County Airport at this time, we were able to expedite this capital improvement while effectively utilising our staff who are cross-trained in airport flow and maintenance to supervise this project. AvPORTS realised that the low traffic volume was an opportunity to be productive in other ways. While our other airports are continuing and launching smaller improvement projects and systems such as cleaning protocols, Westchester Airport was able to do such a large project safely because air traffic can be redirected to other area airports as well as huge cooperation from the County.”

Christopher Oswald, the Vice President of Safety and Regulatory Affairs for Airports Council International (ACI), highlighted: “Smaller airports play a valuable role in many parts of the country. They are how you are receiving high-value, perishable cargo in your community or meeting the air-medical needs. It’s the only access some communities have to the rest of the nation.”