Utica, Ny: Airport Accessibility And Travel Options

Utica, New York, does not have its own airport, but there are several airports in the surrounding area. The closest major airport to Utica is Syracuse Hancock International Airport, which is 57 miles from the center of Utica and offers nonstop service to 29 destinations. Oneida County Airport, a former public airport in Whitestown, Oneida County, was also near Utica, about six miles northwest of the city, but it closed in January 2007, with operations transferred to Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York.

Oneida County Airport closed in 2007

Utica, New York does not have its own airport. The closest major airport to Utica is the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, which is 57 miles from the center of Utica. Oneida County Airport, which was the closest airport to Utica, closed in January 2007.

Oneida County Airport was a public airport in Whitestown in Oneida County, New York, six miles (9.7 km) northwest of downtown Utica. The airport covered 1,800 acres (7.3 km2) and had two runways. In its heyday, the airport served as a public airport for the Mohawk Valley. In the early '80s, it flew an average of 58 planes per day, mostly commuter flights to various northeastern cities. The airport had an on-site restaurant and a hotel called the Horizon. The two primary airlines that served the Oneida County Airport were Mohawk Airlines and Empire Airlines, now both defunct.

In 2006, operations from the Oneida County Airport were transferred to Griffiss International Airport, formerly Griffiss Air Force Base, about five miles (8 km) north in Rome, New York. Oneida County then closed the airport in January 2007. The former airport site was purchased from Oneida County by New York State and is now the home of the New York State Preparedness Training Center (SPTC).

Griffiss International Airport took over operations

Utica, New York, does not have its own airport. The closest airport to Utica, NY, is the Griffiss International Airport, formerly known as Griffiss Air Force Base. Oneida County Airport, which was previously the closest airport to Utica, closed in January 2007, and its operations were transferred to Griffiss International Airport.

Griffiss International Airport is located in Rome, Oneida County, New York, approximately one mile (1.6 km) east of the central business district. The airport is publicly owned by the County of Oneida and covers an area of 1,680 acres (680 hectares), featuring a single runway.

The history of Griffiss International Airport dates back to the early 1940s when the War Department began searching for a site to construct an air depot in central New York. Construction commenced in August 1941, under the supervision of Kenneth Nichols of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The facilities were completed in February 1942, and flight operations began on the 18th of that month.

During World War II, the Rome Air Depot, as it was then known, played a crucial role in providing aircraft engine maintenance and repair services. It also trained air depot groups in engine repair. However, with the end of the war, there was a sharp reduction in aircraft operations, and activities at the depot decreased significantly in 1945.

In 1948, the base was named "Griffiss Air Force Base" to honour Lieutenant Colonel Townsend Griffiss, a native of Buffalo and a 1922 West Point graduate. Lieutenant Colonel Griffiss became the first U.S. airman to be killed in the line of duty in the European Theatre of World War II when his plane was shot down by friendly fire over the English Channel in 1942.

Today, Griffiss International Airport caters to a range of aviation needs, including general aviation, military operations, air taxi services, and a small percentage of commercial flights. In the 12 months ending July 31, 2023, the airport recorded 32,880 aircraft operations, averaging 90 per day.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport is the closest major airport

Utica, New York, does have an airport—the Oneida County Airport (IATA: UCA, ICAO: KUCA, FAA LID: UCA). However, this airport closed in January 2007, and operations were transferred to the Griffiss International Airport, about five miles north in Rome, New York.

The closest major airport to Utica, New York, is the Syracuse Hancock International Airport (IATA: SYR, ICAO: KSYR, FAA LID: SYR). This airport is located in Syracuse, New York, and is approximately 57 miles from the centre of Utica.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located about five miles northeast of downtown Syracuse. The airport is operated by the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority and is located off Interstate 81, near Mattydale. The main terminal complex is situated at the east end of Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard, with half of the airport located within the Town of DeWitt and the other half extending into the adjacent towns of Salina and Cicero.

The airport has a rich history, dating back to 1927 when Syracuse mayor Charles Hanna initiated the purchase of land in the nearby town of Camillus for its construction. By 1928, the "Syracuse City Airport at Amboy" was operational, handling airmail services. During World War II, the airport served as a flight training centre for the Army Air Forces, and in 1949, it opened to the public as the Clarence E. Hancock Airport.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport offers nonstop service to 29 destinations and has received recognition for its excellence in snow and ice control, receiving the Balchen/Post Award multiple times. The airport has also undergone various expansion projects to accommodate increasing passenger traffic, including the addition of new parking lots and the expansion of its terminal and concourses.

Utica Municipal Airport was a sod field in the 1940s

Utica, New York, does have an airport, although the closest major airport is Syracuse Hancock International Airport, 57 miles from the center of Utica. Oneida County Airport, a public airport in Whitestown in Oneida County, was six miles from downtown Utica. However, it closed in January 2007, and operations were transferred to Griffiss International Airport.

In the 1940s, the Utica Municipal Airport was a sod field with no paved runways. It was located near the present-day Walmart Distribution Center in Marcy and opened in 1928. The airport was a hub for aviation enthusiasts and was visited several times by Amelia Earhart. The airport was formally dedicated in 1929, although it had actually opened over a year earlier—the area's first airmail arrived on June 1, 1928. Finishing touches to the airstrip and the construction of a hangar meant that a proper celebration could be planned for 1929. Utica American Legion Post 229 and its aviation committee were instrumental in the airport's development, and they hosted a meeting featuring Earhart. The airport was replaced in 1950 by the Oneida County Airport in Oriskany.

Airlines that have serviced Utica include Mohawk, Allegheny, and Empire

Oneida County Airport was a public airport in Whitestown, around six miles from downtown Utica, New York. The airport covered 1,800 acres of land and had two runways. It closed in January 2007, with operations transferred to Griffiss International Airport.

In its heyday, Oneida County Airport served as a public airport for the Mohawk Valley. Airlines that have serviced Utica include Mohawk, Allegheny, and Empire.

Mohawk Airlines was a local service carrier operating in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, mainly in New York and Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1945 as Robinson Airlines and completed its first passenger flight on April 6, 1952. The following year, it carried 2 million passengers between 15 airports. Mohawk Airlines moved its corporate offices to Utica in 1956. In 1957, it became the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant, Ruth Carol Taylor. In 1965, the first jets to service Utica were Mohawk BAC One-Elevens.

Allegheny Airlines acquired Mohawk in 1972 and serviced Utica in the 1970s. Allegheny used Douglas DC-9s and BAC One-Elevens until early 1979 when it abandoned the market to Empire. Allegheny changed its name to USAir in 1979.

Empire Airlines serviced Utica in the 1980s and was, in many ways, a later version of Mohawk. It was established to serve the Empire State of New York. In 1975, scheduled service between Utica and Rome began with 19-passenger Fairchild-Swearingen Metro II turboprops. Empire merged into Piedmont Airlines, which was then taken over by USAir.

Frequently asked questions