DOT Secretary Duffy announces $18M investment for Westchester County Airport renovations
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, New York (WABC) -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited the Tri-State area on Monday to announce renovations at Westchester County Airport.
The hundreds of thousands of yearly passengers flying in and out of Westchester County Airport will soon get a smoother, safer ride after receiving $18 million from Congress' Working Families Tax Cut Act that passed last year.
New radar systems, voice switches and controller displays are part of the upgrades in the air traffic control tower.
"It's pushing what... 60-plus years old? And the equipment is old, and I want to be clear, old doesn't mean it's not safe," Duffy said.
The transportation secretary toured the air traffic control tower with Republican Congressman Mike Lawler.
"Over the last 40 years we have seen Americans travel at record levels and certainly our airport infrastructure needs to be upgraded," Lawler said.
"To modernize it's really important. As the congressman mentioned, we have $18 million coming to your airport here and taking what is pretty old technology and building it brand new," Duffy said.
Duffy said that aside from the new technology, the money will help with hiring new air traffic controllers, and make their jobs less stressful.
"Our controllers, if you hear anything about their jobs, they're stressed... they get burnt out. And so, if I can give them the additional tools that can take some of that stress off, the technology can help them better do their job, I want to give it to them," Duffy said.
"We saw in New York, LaGuardia and JFK go through significant renovations and ongoing," Lawler said. "We've seen it at Newark. It needs to happen here at Westchester County as well."
Duffy said all upgrades are expected to be complete by October of 2028.
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