Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Mr. Luiz Kahl, NFTA Chairman

Dear Chairman Kahl:

I am writing to commend the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) on its successful effort to attract interest from a number of firms that seek to operate the Niagara Falls International Airport (NFIA), and to strongly urge you to set a firm timetable, with clear deadlines, in which to select an airport operator.

It has been two years since the proposal put forth by the Cintra Corporation fell apart and all the while this community has continued to hemorrhage jobs. Western New York cannot afford to wait any longer for the benefits it would receive from a revitalized NFIA.

In New York City, it took less than two years for a public process to develop a plan that will allow a phoenix to rise from the ashes of Ground Zero. In what the New York Times called "a maze of intersecting interests," we watched the City, State, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Port Authority, families of the victims of 9/11, and the general public come together to find common ground in a remarkably short period of time. The fruit of their labor is a consensus design for a development project that will rebuild the World Trade Center and transform lower Manhattan.

A significant key to the success in rebuilding Ground Zero is the fact that the stakeholders held themselves to very public and very firm deadlines. We need to apply this lesson to the NFIA bid process. I know the NFTA can work together in a timely fashion with local interested parties and select an operation plan that will take full advantage of the huge potential the NFIA has for the region.

Once the NFIA takes off, it will be a jobs magnet for Western New York, and will put the area on the map as an international air cargo hub. I have met with representatives of the Niagara Airport Development Corporation and have heard several of their ideas for the airport. This plan, along with the three others that were submitted, deserve full and fair consideration. Whichever plan comes out on top, one thing remains clear - time is of the essence. Therefore, I once again strongly urge you to set a timetable for making this important decision and to let the public know when they can expect a new airport operator to be selected.

As always, I stand ready to assist you in any way I can to help turn the NFIA into a vibrant and profitable center of commerce. There is far too much at stake to wait any longer.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator