HANGAR EXPANSION

View our Resources page for Coalition statements, news coverage, and other documents related to this issue.

The Coalition urges the Westchester County Board of Legislators and the Latimer administration to continue to reject Million Air’s proposal to replace and expand its Hangar 2. We congratulate the County on its successes against Million Air's 2021 lawsuit seeking to force the County to approve hangar expansion. We urge similar restraint in considering hangar expansion requests from other lessees, like the Net Jets proposal.

We support the position of Legislator Nancy Barr, in whose district the airport is located, to wait for the new Airport Master Plan. The Master Plan will express the county’s vision for the airport facility going forward, providing ground rules for major decisions like this one. 

Further, the Coalition insists on the prior completion of Million Air's delinquent stormwater management system and the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) approval process for Million Air's existing facilities. We join County Legislator Damon Maher in calling on the County to declare Million Air in default of its lease, including provisions that clearly require it to "procure all required...environmental approvals...and...comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations and orders..." (section 5.10). 

Finally, we urge the County to conduct a feasibility study of operating the facility itself, in line with common industry practice and as an alternative to replacing Million Air with another private Fixed Base Operator (FBO).

Million Air's proposed new 80,000 square foot facility (nearly 2 acres!) would bring many more private jets to our County airport in direct violation of longstanding County policy against airport expansion, including "no expansion in the total capacity of the airport's...hangars". The non-expansion policy was established in 2003 by a unanimous vote of the County Legislature. 

The proposed project would have major adverse consequences for the airport and Westchester residents. The County has a legal obligation to treat tenants equally and the approval of an expansion such as the one requested would directly create a precedent for granting other operators the permission to expand. Other operators, like Ross West and Flex Jets, are already seeking a renegotiated lease with the County.

The core of Million Air’s case for an expanded Hangar 2 is that basing new aircraft there will decrease takeoffs and landings at the airport. Million Air made similar claims when it sought county approval to build Hangar 1, which opened in January 2018, so Million Air must permit detailed analysis of whether Hangar 1 has in fact decreased airport operations before Hangar 2 receives consideration. This cannot be done with the incomplete information Million Air has provided. At a minimum, a credible analysis would require (1) detailed information including the tail numbers of all aircraft that have been housed in Hangar 1, and (2) completed Environmental Impact Statements for both hangars. Furthermore, a project like this must have enforceable restrictions on usage to prevent the uncontrolled increase of operations at the airport into the future.

The bottom line with the airport is always this: because air traffic is subject to federal, not County rules, our only way to even indirectly limit flight traffic is the scale of ground facilities. Therefore, nothing should be done on the ground that would enable expanded air traffic. Further, we cannot afford bad actors like Million Air operating at our County airport while disregarding and misrepresenting environmental risks and impacts.

Westchester County Airport is located adjacent to the Kensico Reservoir, the drinking water supply for millions of people. Westchester taxpayers and residents should not have to sacrifice our air quality, water supply, and quality of life for the convenience of private jet owners, whose aircraft emit excessive carbon emissions and contribute disproportionately to the catastrophic dangers of climate change.

Help us stop this project and all airport expansion. Tell the County and your legislators we don't want facilities at the airport expanded.

See below for More Things to Know, and view our Resources page for news coverage and documents related to this issue.

1.  The Airport is NOT in financial trouble and does NOT need increased lease revenue. Nor will increased revenue from the airport benefit county taxpayers since FAA rules prohibit the County from using airport revenues for non-airport purposes.

2. Basing planes at Westchester will produce extra flights that offset any that are eliminated. The Coalition reviewed limited data that Million Air shared previously about its last new hangar, built in 2018. We found evidence of more flights, not fewer, after it opened. 

3. Already, other businesses that lease hangar space at the airport, like Ross West, are clamoring for permission to move forward with their own expansion plans. Given FAA rules mandating equal treatment, another new hangar approval will open the floodgates. Once built, the airport has no way to control increased flights from new hangars.

4. Million Air's existing facilities were built without the legally mandated NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) approvals and without required stormwater management systems, and were completed in violation of an FAA order to put construction on hold.

5.  Million Air has ignored our airport's weight restrictions and voluntary overnight curfew in its advertising. It currently hosts an operator, Blade, that's violating the law we depend on to avoid unlimited commercial airline traffic. The County is currently involved in litigation with Blade as well.

6.  Million Air's proposal also ignores the backlog of small planes seeking hangar space. It would demolish an existing hangar designed for small planes that it permitted to fall into disrepair. Repairing and refurbishing this existing hangar would be the easiest way to generate the new construction jobs Million Air is touting.

7.  Million Air hasn't pledged to give its construction jobs to Westchester residents. Westchester is adding jobs regardless due to improved economic conditions.

8. The Latimer administration to its credit has not embraced Million Air's proposal. It does not accept Million Air's claim that it already has the legal right to build the new hangar and has not buckled under Million Air's threats to sue. The Latimer Administration stated to the Coalition that it will not recommend the project to the County Legislature unless a super-majority of the Legislature comes together to support it.

9.  Million Air has found friends in the County Legislature, starting with Chairman Ben Boykin (Democrat for White Plains, Scarsdale, Harrison).  Chairman Boykin, who orchestrated a weeks-long non-public lobbying campaign of County Legislators in favor of the project, has received large donations from Million Air owner Roger Woolsey. 

We can't allow this proposal to unleash runaway airport expansion. Westchester has come together to stop dangerous hangar expansion proposals over the years and can do so again. 

Make your voice heard on this issue as part of the Master Planning process. Contact your County Legislator and the County Executive directly. Tell them we don't want facilities at the airport expanded.