The Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA) held a special panel discussion with industry experts on the planned development and construction of New York City’s largest airports.
Held in the officers of Herrick, Feinstein LLP, the event attracted over 60 members and industry stakeholders.
Speakers included Angelo Genova, partner at Genova Burns and Former Commissioner at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; David Hopkins, senior director of aviation at the New York City Economic Development Corporation; Tom Jaske, senior vice president at Faithful+Gould; Mark Leininger, associate director at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP and; Richard Smyth, vice president of corporate real estate at JetBlue.
The panelists discussed capital improvement projects at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports, including proposed rail links and other planned infrastructure enhancements.
They also assessed the ability of airlines to ultimately maximize their capacity and efficiency at New York’s largest airports and reduce delay times through advancements in technology, updated sustainability operations and financing initiatives.
These advances will result in the reemergence of New York as a leader on the global tourism and import/export stages which will feed the growth of the economy in the tri-state and surrounding areas.
One project highlighted by the panel was the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) which will transition air traffic control from a ground-based system to a satellite-based system.
“If NextGen were implemented here, air traffic delay times could be reduced by 40 percent,” said Angelo Genova. This reduction will not only shorten travel routes and save fuel but provide a better overall travel experience for all airline passengers.
