Schumer & Gillibrand Deliver $63 Million to Upstate NY Airports

A historic federal investment in aviation infrastructure touches down across Central New York, Mohawk Valley, and beyond

On June 30, 2026, U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $63,692,917 in new federal funding to upgrade airport facilities and equipment across Upstate New York. The money flows through two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs—the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and the Airport Infrastructure Grant Program (AIG)—both of which the senators championed under the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law and the FAA reauthorization law.

The Schumer and Gillibrand airport funding will touch nearly every corner of Upstate New York, from Buffalo to Malone, and from Westchester to Cortland. For Central New York (CNY) and the Mohawk Valley, the announcement means more than $12.7 million combined for regional airports that anchor local economies, support emergency services, and connect rural communities to the national air network.

“Keeping our airports in top-notch shape is crucial to attracting business and tourism to Upstate New York. I’m proud to deliver $63+ million in federal funding to help our airports, from big cities like Buffalo to rural communities like Malone, invest in key safety upgrades and modernization efforts,” said Senator Schumer.

What This Means for Upstate New York

The $63 million represents one of the largest single rounds of FAA airport grants in Upstate New York’s history. The funding will pay for projects that:

• Modernize terminals and replace aging equipment
• Reconstruct taxiways, aprons, and runways that have reached the end of their useful life
• Upgrade airport signage and lighting for safer ground navigation
• Purchase snow removal equipment critical to winter operations
• Build wildlife fencing and clear obstructions near runway approaches
• Acquire land and easements to protect approach surfaces

For a region where harsh winters, rural geography, and an aging aviation infrastructure have long challenged airport operators, these grants are not just line items in a federal budget. They are lifelines.

“This new round of FY26 AIP and AIG funding will contribute to airport and runway updates statewide, enhancing safety and travel efficiency for all New Yorkers. I will always fight to ensure our airports get the funding they need to operate at the highest standard,” said Senator Gillibrand.

Regional Breakdown of the $63 Million

The Schumer Gillibrand airport funding announcement divides the money across eight Upstate New York regions. Here’s how the dollars are distributed:

Western New York takes the largest share, driven by 17.3million∗∗forBuffaloNiagaraInternationalAirportalone—reconstructingTaxiwaysPandQandrehabilitatingthegeneralaviationapron.TheHudsonValley′s∗∗10 million is anchored by Westchester County Airport’s snow removal equipment building expansion.

What It Means for Central New York

Central New York airports will receive $5,327,900\ast \ast inthisround.WhileSyracuseHancockInternationalAirportreceivedaseparate\ast \ast$18.7 million grant in May 2026 to expand its deicing pad, this latest announcement directs funding to smaller CNY airports that often fly under the radar—but whose impact on local commerce, agriculture, and emergency response is enormous.

Cortland County/Chase Field Airport — $5,021,720

The largest CNY award goes to Cortland County/Chase Field Airport, which receives:

• $4,806,270 (AIP) — Phase 2 construction of a new 3,350-foot partial parallel Taxiway A, shifting the existing taxiway by 40 feet to bring the airport into conformity with current FAA standards.
• $215,450 (AIG) — Final phase construction of Taxiway B, shifted by 85 feet to meet current standards.

This project addresses a serious safety issue: taxiways that no longer meet FAA geometry standards for runway separation. Realigning them brings the airport into compliance and reduces the risk of runway incursions.

Hamilton Municipal Airport — $186,370

• $186,370 (AIG) — Phase 1 design to rehabilitate 7,600 square yards of existing apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life.

Oswego County Airport — $119,810

• $119,810 (AIP) — Replacement of existing snow removal equipment, including one carrier vehicle that has reached the end of its useful life.

For these smaller airports, even modest grants make the difference between keeping operations safe and grounded. Snow removal equipment at Oswego County Airport, for example, is essential to keeping the airport open during lake-effect snow events that can dump several feet in hours.

What It Means for the Mohawk Valley

The Mohawk Valley receives $7,388,475—the third-largest regional total in this announcement. The funding is concentrated at two airports, both serving distinct but critical roles in the region’s aviation network.

Albert S. Nader Regional Airport (Oneida County) — $4,149,500

This airport, located in Rome, NY, receives:

• $3,956,522 (AIP) — Phase 2 construction of 1,630 feet of a new 3,350-foot partial parallel Taxiway A, bringing the airport into conformity with current standards.
• $192,978 (AIG) — Phase 1 design to reconstruct 2,500 feet of existing terminal access road that has reached the end of its useful life.

Albert S. Nader Regional Airport serves as a reliever airport for Syracuse Hancock International and supports corporate aviation, military operations at nearby Griffiss Business and Technology Park, and emergency services. A new parallel taxiway reduces congestion on the runway and enhances safety for aircraft exiting the landing surface.

Fulton County Airport — $3,238,975

Fulton County Airport, located in Johnstown, receives three grants:

• $1,742,089 (AIP) — Final phase construction of 300 feet of new wildlife fencing and reconstruction of 11,600 feet of existing wildlife fencing plus 5 existing gates.
• $1,112,356 (AIP) — Phase 2 construction of a new 2,000 square foot snow removal equipment building.
• $384,530 (AIG) — Final phase construction supervision for the snow removal equipment building.

Wildlife fencing may sound mundane, but deer, turkeys, and other animals on runways are a leading cause of aircraft strikes at rural airports. The Fulton County project will dramatically reduce that hazard while the new snow removal equipment building ensures the airport can stay operational during harsh Adirondack foothills winters.

Why This Funding Matters Beyond Runways

Airport infrastructure is often invisible to the public—until something goes wrong. A cracked taxiway, an outdated snow plow, or a wildlife incursion can ground flights, delay emergency medical transport, and strand business travelers. The Schumer Gillibrand airport funding targets exactly these vulnerabilities.

Economic Development

For CNY and the Mohawk Valley, airport upgrades dovetail with broader economic strategies. Syracuse is experiencing a boom tied to Micron’s planned semiconductor megafab. The region’s airports—Syracuse Hancock, Griffiss International, and Albert S. Nader Regional—are critical to moving executives, suppliers, and equipment. Schumer has repeatedly connected airport investments to the Micron project.

“With Micron coming to Syracuse and the region experiencing a boom in economic growth, it is more important than ever to ensure our infrastructure can keep up with the needs of businesses and travelers,” Schumer said in a separate May 2026 announcement.

Rural Connectivity

Airports like Cortland County/Chase Field, Hamilton Municipal, and Fulton County may never host a major airline hub, but they support:

• Medical evacuation flights transporting critically ill patients
• Aerial agricultural operations supporting the region’s farming economy
• Corporate and charter aviation for businesses without easy access to Syracuse or Albany
• Flight training for the next generation of pilots

When the FAA identifies that a taxiway no longer meets safety geometry standards—as is the case at both Cortland and Albert S. Nader Regional—the implication is serious. Without correction, the airport could face operational restrictions that ripple through the local economy.

The Bigger Picture: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at Work

This $63 million round is not an isolated windfall. It is part of a sustained federal investment flow established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA), signed in 2021. Schumer, as Senate Majority Leader at the time, and Gillibrand, as a senior appropriator, played central roles in shaping the legislation.

The law created the Airport Infrastructure Grant Program and dramatically boosted the Airport Improvement Program. Since its passage, New York airports have received hundreds of millions in additional federal support, including:

• August 2025: $66.6 million for 22 New York airports
• May 2026: $19.6 million for airport infrastructure and engineering upgrades
• May 2026: $20.7 million in Airport Infrastructure Grants
• June 2026: This $63 million announcement for Upstate airports

Critics of federal infrastructure spending sometimes argue that the money flows disproportionately to large urban airports. This round rebuts that concern. Of the $63million,morethan\ast \ast$17 million** goes to airports in communities with populations under 50,000, including Malone, Potsdam, Cortland, and Fulton County.

What Happens Next

Most of the announced grants fund either design phases or final construction phases of multi-year projects. That means travelers and airport users will not see overnight transformations, but they will see:

1. Construction activity at Cortland County/Chase Field and Albert S. Nader Regional Airport within the next 12–24 months
2. New snow removal equipment delivered to Fulton County and Oswego County airports
3. Wildlife fencing installed at Fulton County Airport
4. Design contracts awarded for terminal access road reconstruction at Albert S. Nader Regional

For airport directors, the announcement means certainty. Multi-phase projects that have lingered in design or partial construction can now move to completion. For local contractors, it means work. For travelers, it means safer, more reliable airports.

Conclusion

The Schumer Gillibrand announcement of $63 million for Upstate New York airports is more than a press release. It is a down payment on the region’s aviation future. For Central New York, the funding brings Cortland County/Chase Field into compliance with modern safety standards. For the Mohawk Valley, it modernizes Albert S. Nader Regional Airport and hardens Fulton County Airport against winter and wildlife hazards.

These airports are not glamorous. They rarely make the evening news. But they are the connective tissue of Upstate New York’s economy—moving people, goods, and emergency services across a region that depends on aviation more than most residents realize.

If you live in CNY or the Mohawk Valley, the next time you see a corporate jet on approach to Griffiss, or a medical helicopter lifting off from Cortland, remember this: that flight was made safer by a federal grant announced on a summer afternoon in Washington.

Call to action: Want to stay informed on federal infrastructure investments in your community? Sign up for updates from your local airport authority and your congressional representatives’ offices. And if you fly through these airports, thank the local officials and FAA staff who keep them running—often on budgets far smaller than the challenges they face.

Sources: U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer press release, June 30, 2026; WNYT NewsChannel 13; Erie News Now; Finger Lakes Daily News; U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand press releases, May 2026; Rome Sentinel.

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Mohawk Valley Airport Funding 2026: Schumer & Gillibrand Deliver $63M

Mohawk Valley Airport Funding 2026 | Schumer $63M

Schumer & Gillibrand secure $63M for Upstate NY airports. Mohawk Valley gets $7.4M for Albert S. Nader & Fulton County upgrades in 2026.

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