SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, MANNION ANNOUNCE $850,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SYRACUSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO REPLACE BAGGAGE CLAIM EQUIPMENT

Current Baggage Claim System Is Decades Old And Cannot Keep Up With Increase In Travelers, Forcing Some Travelers To Spend More Than One Hour Waiting To Pick Up Their Bags

With Micron Coming To Central NY And Syracuse Region In The Middle Of Economic Growth, New Baggage Claim Equipment Is Essential To Ensuring Transportation Infrastructure Can Meet Growing Demand

Schumer, Gillibrand, Mannion: Fed $$ On The Way To Help Syracuse Reach New Heights!

Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman John Mannion announced they are delivering $850,000 in federal funding for Syracuse International Airport (SYR) to replace its baggage claim equipment, which thanks to the senators was included as Congressionally Directed Spending in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill that was just signed into law.

"A modernized Syracuse International Airport means the continued success of the community and all of Central New York. I'm proud to deliver $850,000 in federal funding to replace Syracuse's outdated baggage claim equipment and help the greater Syracuse region reach new heights," said Senator Schumer. "With Micron coming to Syracuse and the region experiencing a boom in economic growth, it is more important than ever to ensure we have the infrastructure we need to keep up with more travelers in the region. I will always fight to ensure our airports have the resources needed to deliver a safe, efficient, and comfortable experience to travelers."

"Travelers in Syracuse deserve modern, reliable airport infrastructure that keeps travel safe and efficient while helping Central New Yorkers reach new heights," said Senator Gillibrand, ranking member of the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Subcommittee. "I'm proud to have secured these federal dollars that will improve efficiency and enhance the passenger experience at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, and I will keep fighting to deliver investments that strengthen our infrastructure and support economic growth across the region."

"I'm committed to help build the world-class airport this region expects, deserves, and needs as a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing and to support our economic growth," said Congressman John Mannion. "This investment at Syracuse Hancock International Airport builds on my long record of securing infrastructure funding for the airport and strengthening traveler safety, including legislation I led to create the Airport Authority Police force. As Central New York continues to grow, our transportation infrastructure has to keep pace. I'm grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their partnership in delivering federal support that improves quality of life for residents and keeps our region competitive."

"This investment is a major win for Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR), and we are incredibly grateful for the support and advocacy of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Mannion," said Jason Terreri, Executive Director of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. "This funding will support a critical baggage system upgrade needed to address capacity demands and continued airport growth. Our current system is outdated and operating at its limits. This project will improve reliability, enhance TSA and airline operations, and provide the capacity necessary to support expanded air service. As Central New York prepares for transformative economic growth, including Micron's historic investment in the region, ensuring our airport can efficiently serve passengers and businesses is essential to the region's long-term success."

The lawmakers explained that the current baggage claim system contains original equipment from the 1980s. The carousels are designed to handle a single flight for smaller aircraft. With the shift of regionalizing air service at SYR, most aircraft operating at SYR have more seats and therefore more bags. Baggage from a single flight can no longer fit on the carousels, requiring Airline staff to remove all luggage after a single pass through the baggage claim area. Additional flights arriving in similar time slots must wait until the baggage claim area is cleared before unloading bags for passenger pick up, often forcing travelers to wait longer than an hour to collect their luggage due to capacity constraints.

The funding secured by the lawmakers will help replace the outdated baggage claim equipment with high-capacity slope-plate conveyors. The new equipment will help fill the capacity gap that exists today by allowing quicker removal of luggage from the baggage carts, minimizing passenger wait times, and reducing the stress on Airline staff. This will better position SYR to meet the demands of the Syracuse region, which is in the midst of economic growth with the recent groundbreaking of Micron and more new businesses coming to the region, resulting in increased air service.

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