After two summers of construction, work on the Buffalo Niagara International Airport’s main runway is complete.
The airport’s operator, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, announced completion of the project on Thursday.
Buffalo Niagara Airport Construction
A Southwest flight takes off from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
“This critical infrastructure project underscores the NFTA’s commitment to maintaining a state-of-the-art facility, prioritizing safety, efficiency, and the long-term operational needs of the airport,” the public agency said in a statement.
Construction involved comprehensive upgrades to the runway’s surface, lighting and navigational aids, enhancing safety and operational resilience to support the increasing demands of both commercial and general aviation, according to the NFTA.
While the main runway was closed, planes had to take off and land on the smaller, backup runway. That led to changes in flight patterns, which were widely noticed by Western New York residents who weren’t used to regularly hearing planes flying overhead.
There will be additional construction at the airport next summer, but it will not affect the main runway, the NFTA said.
With the runway back in service, the airport “stands well-prepared to manage increasing passenger volumes and enhance the travel experience for everyone in the region.”
Buffalo airport to redo terminal roadway with $7.9 million federal infrastructure grant
The roadway, named Luiz Kahl Way, provides access to the airport's terminal through the arrival and departure areas, employee parking spaces, surface parking lots, the multilevel parking garage and rental car counters.
The number of passengers flying in and out of the Buffalo airport is on pace to outperform 2019’s year-end total, returning air travel to pre-Covid levels locally.
Over the past two years, the airport has received $19.3 million in federal grants for a variety of infrastructure improvement projects:
* $7.9 million to update the airport terminal circulatory roadway that provides access to the airport’s terminal through the arrival and departure areas, employee parking spaces, surface parking lots, the multilevel parking garage and rental car counters.
* $7 million to modernize the heating and cooling system in the terminal.
* $4.4 million to replace up to four passenger boarding bridges, including new ground power units and preconditioned air units.
Construction on the terminal roadway project is expected to begin in June, NFTA spokesperson Kelly Khatib previously told The Buffalo News. The goal of the project is to support pedestrian access to the airport with enhanced safety features.
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