HORSEHEADS, N.Y. -- Ann Crook has seen many changes at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport since she started working here.
“The building was kind of rundown, the parking lot was, really, made out of potholes and we had some airlines that were leaving, ” Ann Crook, EC Airport’s Director of Aviation.
Fast forward nearly a decade, and the airport has never been busier. It's expecting to break its passenger record for 2015.
“I’m expecting that we will have had about 160,000 passengers flying out of the airport here,“ Ann Crook, EC Airport’s Director of Aviation.
Bigger business, thanks to bigger airlines.
Delta and United are now operating jets at the airport, and Allegiant Air is offering direct flights to Florida, the top destination for travelers here.
“People who are looking for a warm destination, a chance to get away, it’s so nice to be able to just take one flight, not worry about a transfer, and just get right there,” said Ann Crook, EC Airport’s Director of Aviation.
Getting to this airport is also convenient.
“With the airport being right on the interstate, so close here, it makes it very very easy for people to get here compared to some of the other airports in the Southern Tier," said Ann Crook, EC Airport’s Director of Aviation.
And to keep up with the growing popularity, the airport hopes to do things like expand the parking lot, build more airline gates, and add more direct flights.
“We’re looking at those sorts of things and trying to really balance and make sure we don’t overbuild, but make sure that we’ve got the facility that people need.” said Ann Crook, EC Airport’s Director of Aviation.
Crook expects the airport will see even more growth in the next decade.
“More and more people from the larger region are using the airport, so I just see more of that happening,” said Ann Crook, EC Airport’s Director of Aviation.
New jobs have been created over the last few years thanks to the airport’s success. Crooke is expecting construction related jobs to open up in 2016. Elmira Corning Regional Airport offers regular flights to Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando and Detroit.