Watertown International Airport nears completion of expansion
TIMES STAFF WRITER
DEXTER — Incoming passengers at Watertown International Airport soon will be able to rent cars on site.
Once Jefferson County makes a notice of award, an automobile rental company will have a station with cars waiting in an expanded parking lot to the east of the terminal.
“It’s definitely a need for the business customers,” Cynthia M. Sawyer said. “I get many calls about car rental service here and they will be pleased. We are slowly building modes of transportation to get from the airport to wherever passengers need to go.”
Work to expand the terminal is nearly complete. The new secure waiting area for screened passengers, on the west side of the terminal, just needs furniture. And the section where the baggage claim will be is ready for the conveyor belt to be installed.
“The goal is to be in the terminal with complete use in three weeks, with baggage equipment handling,” county Highway Superintendent James L. Lawrence Jr. said. “We will be done with moving the Transportation Security Administration equipment, too, in three or four weeks.”
The $794,750 project includes a new baggage claim conveyor belt and a secure seating area for 49 people. County employees also are creating an expanded gravel parking area and renovating the second-floor offices and conference room. All of the work creates enough room for those using commercial air service through American Eagle Airlines, which began Nov. 17.
American Eagle will receive $3,047,972 annually through a federal Department of Transportation Essential Air Service contract for 12 weekly flights from Jefferson County to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport using 44-seat Embraer 140 jets. American Eagle, Fort Worth, Texas, has 1,700 daily departures from 180 airports. It is the regional service partner of American Airlines.
The county’s 1,600-square-foot expansion will allow American Eagle to have a downstairs office and airport administration to have an upstairs office.
County officials have hoped that larger planes with a connection to a major hub will push the airport over 10,000 boarding passengers, qualifying it for a larger subsidy from the Federal Aviation Administration and making it at least self-sufficient.
Through the holidays the planes were full or mostly full. The second daily flight has started dropping off a little in the past week, Ms. Sawyer said, which is to be expected. But the planes likely will fill again over schools’ winter break week in February.
The airport will add space soon for 40 additional cars in the new parking lot and in the rental lot to the east of the terminal, based on the peak demand.
“Next year, we’re looking at paving the parking lot once the water line is complete,” Mr. Lawrence said.
