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EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - Atlantic City International Airport operators have awarded more than $28.5 million in contracts for a terminal expansion project aimed at attracting more international flights to the facility here.

The 75,000-square-foot addition will hold a full inspection station for use by federal customs and immigration officials.

The station will make the airport more attractive for air carriers looking for a place to expand their international flights, said Bart Mueller, executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, or SJTA, which runs the airport.

Mueller said an airline based at Newark Liberty International Airport was interested in basing its Caribbean flights at Atlantic City International about two years ago. The airline dropped that plan because Atlantic City International lacked the proper facilities, he said.

Currently, Canada-based WestJet is the only air carrier with regular international service. WestJet flies between Atlantic City International and Toronto four times a week, with the service scheduled to go daily Jan. 1.

WestJet operators are heavily advertising Atlantic City's gaming resorts to attract customers. Mueller said casino operators believe they can expand their customer base through more international travel out of Atlantic City International.

Marlene Asselta, president of the Southern New Jersey Development Council, said the international flights could be good for business throughout the region.

"To not view the airport as a reasonable alternative (to airports in Philadelphia and Newark) is just plain silly," Asselta said. "The business community ... winds up with travel alternatives they just don't have right now."

Those travel benefits even reach out to southern New Jersey businesses on the Delaware River side of the state, she added.

"We see that as positive," Asselta said. "I think it's a really good step."

SJTA awarded a $27 million contract to T.N. Ward Construction Co., of Atlantic City. T.N. Ward will handle work related to expanding the existing terminal, adding three boarding gates, relocating some parking and installing equipment ranging from furniture to light fixtures.

The addition also will have three new baggage carousels. Those carousels will replace the existing two baggage carousels, which can't handle the amount of luggage passing through the terminal.

SJTA also awarded a $1.5 million contract to the Philadelphia firm of O'Donnell and Naccarato. The firm will serve as project managers, supervising the terminal expansion work.

SJTA Chief Engineer Sam Donelson said work is expected to begin around the middle of December and take about 18 months to complete. The work can be done with little interruption of business at the existing terminal, he said.

Donelson said this is the second phase of the terminal expansion project. The first was to expand the terminal's apron, which is essentially several acres of concrete and asphalt around the terminal site, he said.

The third phase would upgrade the second floor of the existing terminal to match the upgrades done on the first floor, he said.

Contact Thomas Barlas:

609-272-7201

TBarlas@pressofac.com

6 comments:

• SouthJerseyGirl (67) posts 1:44 pm

  I travel frequently, actually. And I rarely fly out of ACY unless it's to Florida, because it costs more to do so. But that's not the point, which, of course, you missed entirely. The local residents travelling doesn't generate enough business to sustain a larger airport. Period. If it did, there wouldn't have been so many failed attempts to entice and keep other airlines in the terminal. Also, those flying into the area to go to Philadelphia are not going to fly here, rent a car for an even greater expense, and then drive an hour to their hotel...nor are they going to detour into AC for a while. The casino industry in AC is in the toilet, and with the current state of the economy, people aren't chosing to vacation in a resort designed to take their money. In order to make the international terminal successful, it needs to bring people INTO the area, not make it easier for the locals to get OUT. That's not going to happen. This area is too small to generate the kind of tourism needed to sustain a larger air terminal. Take Philadelphia out of the equation...Atlantic County just isn't a hot international tourist spot. There's no guess work or speculation involved...the track record of failure speaks for itself. If local travelers could generate enough business, they would have on any one of many failed attempts. They failed for a reason, and that reason wasn't due to lack of a 28 million dollar expansion.

• Hate PHL (1) posts 11:06 am

  I have to agree with UP TO HERE... Flying out of PHL is **HORRIBLE**. Having better terminal services and options at ACY will be much better for the SJ area, not only for getting tourists IN but getting us OUT. It's very sad to say but I have actually opted to take the drive to Baltimore and fly out of BWI on more than one occasion rather than fly out of PHL. Parking there is horrible and baggage claim leaves much to be desired. I was actually very pleasantly surprised to see that parking at ACY takes EZPass as payment when PHL does not. ACY needs more domestic destination options in addition to the many international destinations offered by WestJet and Spirit. See if we can get AirTran to do more than two flights in and out per day.

• Up_To_Here (98) posts 10:45 am

  SouthJerseyGirl, Obviously you don't travel much. I and many others I know travel quite a bit outside of this country, mostly the caribbean and occasionally europe. While many may not make their destination Atlantic City, many from Atlantic City area do travel and would definitely welcome any foreign destinations to the airport. You need to take a trip from Philadelphia airport sometime!

• SouthJerseyGirl (67) posts 9:21 am

  The only "draw" for this airport is Atlantic City, which isn't exactly booming at the moment. It's not a viable alternative to Philadelphia or Newark, because people flying into those airports are flying in for the cities...Philly and New York. We aren't close enough to either of them to entice people to spend more money to fly here, only to rent a car to drive an hour or 2 to their final destinations when they can fly directly there. It may end up being a stop over for international flights, but those people will not spend money here. They'll just wait until their plane refuels and head out. This may create jobs initially, but as much of the new facility sits idle because it's unnecessary for this area and because the economy can't sustain it, those jobs will be lost again. This is all bells and whistles to try to entice airline carriers. Unfortunately, most of the carriers who try to make a go of it in AC see that it's not worth it and leave. History will only repeat itself and it'll cost these idiots 28 million dollars to learn the lesson.

• acchelsea (0) posts 7:46 am

  I guesss SJTA will have to raise the parking fee once again !

• njdlmkr (426) posts 7:09 am

  Leave it to the SJTA to SPEND that stimulus money! $28 MILLION for .... well ... maybe more jets will land here from other countries??? Wow, how much does that break down to per visitor?

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