TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD, New York (WWNY) – Flights into Watertown International Airport are being diverted to Syracuse when it rains, and passengers are being bused back to the airport.
It’s due to ongoing construction on the airport’s main runway.
“That’s the longest runway, the one commercial jets typically use coming in and out of our facility,” said Jefferson County Administrator Ryan Piche.
When weather conditions make the airport’s shorter runway unsuitable for landing, flights are diverted to Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Passengers disembark with their luggage, making the plane lighter for its flight to Watertown.
American Airlines then buses passengers back to Watertown.
“If the runway is not in a condition where pilots and American Airlines feel it’s the best decision to use the shorter runway, they’re going to divert to Syracuse to use the longer runway,” Piche said.
Passenger complaints
The situation is causing delays and frustration among passengers.
One passenger said she wished she had been notified about the construction sooner so she could have made other arrangements or flown out of Syracuse instead.
A Yelp review posted in early May expressed similar frustrations. “Tried to fly in and was told runway is still too short. Had to fly to Syracuse and take a bus to Watertown,” the passenger wrote.
Outbound flights from Watertown are also being delayed while waiting for planes diverted to Syracuse to arrive.
Assemblyman Scott Gray posted on Facebook that he nearly missed his connecting flight to France over the weekend. He went from having an hours-long layover in Philadelphia to nearly missing his flight due to the delay.
Project timeline extended
County lawmakers said the runway rehabilitation was originally scheduled to last only a few weeks, but complications have extended the project.
“As legislators, we are concerned about some of the delays and inconveniences that are happening,” said Jim Nabywaniec, District 8 legislator. “Many of the legislators are business people themselves, running their own businesses, so very sensitive to the customer service issue.”
American Airlines pays to bus passengers back to Watertown. Construction is expected to end in mid-July.
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