Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the completion of a $24 million project transforming the Sullivan County International Airport into a modern, energy-efficient travel hub designed to boost tourism and economic growth in the Catskill region.
The project, which began in May 2023, was awarded $18.5 million through the Governor’s $230 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, administered by the New York State Department of Transportation.
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression and we want to make sure that our upstate airports do that for their local communities,” Hochul said in a statement. “The modernization of the Sullivan County International Airport gives one of the fastest growing regions in the state a first-class travel hub, sending an unmistakable signal that the Catskills are open for business and ready for visitors.”
The 15,000-square-foot terminal replaces a mid-20th-century building with a new facility featuring laminated timber beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains. The upgrades include a restaurant and bar, an outdoor deck overlooking the runway, a pilot’s lounge, conference and office space for aviation-related businesses, and a public meeting room.
Energy-efficient improvements include a geothermal HVAC system, upgraded insulation, solar panels, and electric vehicle charging stations. The project also added a repaved parking lot, new furniture and fixtures, a larger septic system, and upgraded fire suppression systems.
Opened in 1969, the airport sits on a 600-acre hilltop near Monticello, about 90 miles from New York City. It serves as a gateway to regional attractions such as the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts — the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival — and generates an estimated $10.1 million in local economic activity.
The Sullivan County project was one of nine airport modernization efforts selected in 2022 for funding under Hochul’s Upstate Airport Competition. Other awardees include Albany International, Watertown International, Syracuse Hancock International, and Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International airports.
Local leaders praised the governor’s investment as a key step in expanding the region’s economic potential.
“With this investment, Sullivan County is taking off,” said Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay. “The new airport terminal will bring visitors, business, and energy to our region.”
Sullivan County Manager Joshua A. Potosek said the project represents “a beautiful, functional terminal of which the entire county and state can be proud,” while Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz added that the new facility “sets a new standard for upstate airports” and positions the county as “a truly competitive player in the corporate jet world.”
Image: The state has completed an upgrade project at Sullivan County International Airport, consisting of $24 million in renovations. (Credit: Sullivan County Government)