AirTran blames rising fuel costs for turning tails on Stewart

STEWART AIRPORT – AirTran Airways, one of the two major discount carriers at Stewart Airport announced late Friday that it would cease operations at Stewart Airport on September 3, a spokeswoman for the airline said.

Judy Graham-Weaver said that skyrocketing fuel costs have forced the airline to pull out.

Earlier this year brand new discount airline Skybus, which had only been at Stewart for weeks, shut down completely because of fuel costs.

Port Authority spokesman Pasquale DiFulco said the agency that runs Stewart is disappointed in AirTran’s decision, but he said the airline industry is a “remarkably resilient” one.

“What happens in June is going to impact our plans for the next year, for the next decade, for the next half century. We are committed to investing in Stewart’s future to help grow the airport’s services.”

DiFulco said the Port Authority remains committed to its $500 million, 10-year capital program at the airport. 

Orange County Chamber of Commerce President John D’Ambrosio was disappointed by AirTran’s decision.

This is not great news for the Hudson Valley and for Stewart, but it is indicative of what is going on in the airline business right now.”

Congressman John Hall, meanwhile, has written to AirTran’s President Robert Fornaro urging him to reconsider the plan.

AirTran entered the Hudson Valley market on January 11, 2007 and along with JetBlue, the other discount carrier, became instant successes. Over the last 12 months, AirTran carried over 315,000 passengers at Stewart to its destinations in Orlando, Fr. Lauderdale and Tampa as well as its Atlanta hub.