Both of the local North Country airports – Massena and Ogdensburg – are changing their flight routes and frequencies this year. These alterations allow for more direct flights, but they only depart from one airport.
Massena airport administration redirected its flight routes to run directly to Boston, rather than Albany. “We changed Massena’s destination to Boston because we felt that was a stronger connection point for Massena passengers than Albany,” said Brian Murphy, an employee with the company who will operate the new line, Boutique Air.
Unlike Massena, Ogdensburg currently offers only indirect flights to Boston with a layover in Albany. However, this connection will be eliminated altogether after May 3, according to an employee at the Massena airport. The Watertown Daily Times said recently that the Ogdensburg Airport administration will soon start offering flights to Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
Although, changes are occurring at both airports, air transportation is vital for the North Country. Both airports have done an excellent job with this form of transportation, and they need to continue to make air travel accessible for North Country residents. “A lot of people are relocating to our community, not only for the business and health industry, but also for an education. They need the outlet of transportation,” said Tina Corcoran, director of Public Relations, Planning and Physician Recruitment at the Massena Memorial Hospital.
Corcoran’s view of the importance of local air transport is, in part, a result of her current profession, understanding how valuable airports are for recruiting physicians. “Commercial transport is very important to get people in and out of here,” she says. “As well as for economic development in the North Country and for industries in Massena.” However, the alteration at Ogdensburg to no longer offer flights to Boston is not beneficial to everyone.
Chase Davies ‘22 lives in Boston, Mass. and now faces challenges when trying to get home. “I fly through Albany to get home because we do not have easy access, as the drive is eight hours long,” she says. Many students, like Davies, have started experiencing similar difficulties in finding a way home since Ogdensburg changed their flight routes.
Davies has flown out of Massena on Boutique Airlines but felt unsafe during the flight, as the planes only have eight seats. “I felt like I was going to die; I will not be getting back on a flight from Massena to Boston ever again,” she said. Restricting students’ access to flights has had negative effects on their travel, since often they do not feel safe on Boutique Air.
Additionally, another student, Fenn Novicki ‘22 described the flight as bumpy and scary, as it was “a little plane with only six seats.” A couple benefits of flying on a small plane include people avoiding a long drive and arriving at their destination faster. However, there are also several drawbacks, such as feeling unsafe and facing difficulty getting to the Massena airport.
Novicki said it was a struggle finding transportation to and from the airport because it is located 40 minutes from St. Lawrence University. “The Massena airport is more inconvenient because it is a lot further from campus than Ogdensburg,” she said.
The cuts and additions the two airports have made and are currently making affect not only the local communities, but also college students. Although Massena’s increase in direct flights to Boston is valuable to the North Country, Ogdensburg’s proposed elimination of their Boston route proves detrimental to the area.