New Haven’s Airport Authority has reached a deal with Avports, the operator of Tweed New Haven Airport, on a 43-year lease for the airport property that opens the path to the construction of a new terminal and runway.
The Airport Authority’s board is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 4 p.m to vote on the agreement as part of its regular meeting, to be held on Zoom and open to the public.
The deal is a public-private partnership that requires Avports to pay the Airport Authority $550,000 a year, with an additional $200,000 a year in oversight until the company completes its new terminal.
The new terminal building planned for Tweed’s east side is key to a $100 million revamp planned by Avports, which operates 10 airports nationwide.
If the new lease is approved, the expansion plans will then be subject to an environmental assessment and FAA approval. Approval of the lease would also unlock $5 million in “community benefit” funds to be used for noise abatement and traffic improvements in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Avelo Airlines, the airport’s main tenant, announced in June it would shift flight times, change its taxiing procedures and add off-site parking at New Haven’s Union Station in response to neighborhood concerns. East Haven politicians have expressed concern about the airport’s impact as it grows.
Tweed traffic has boomed since the launch of Avelo service, with more than 100,000 passengers flying to and from New Haven from November to April, compared to 42,000 in all of 2019.
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
