Stewart International Airport

SWF originated in 1930, as Thomas "Archie" Stewart convinced his uncle to donate land for an airport. However, with the city low on funding due to the Great Depression, an airport could not be developed at the time. In 1934, the U.S. Military Academy proposed using the airport land to train cadets. As such, the land was sold by the city to the academy. A small dirt airstrip was cleared, and a runway was built. During WWII, the airport was upgraded, including many barracks and other buildings. At the culmination of WWII, the Army airfield was converted into an Air Force Base (with the U.S. Air Force having recently been formed) while still being used to train West Point cadets. SWF continued to be used for this purpose until 1970 when the Air Force Base was deactivated. In 1983, the Air Force returned, with the 105th Airlift Wing and the 213th Engineer Installation Squadron of the New York Air National Guard taking up quarters in this area of the airport, now called Stewart Air National Guard Base. In the early 1970s, SWF's potential as an airport that could support the metropolitan area became apparent, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority attempted to convert it into New York's fourth major airport. The airport's territory was tripled, and the government used the power of eminent domain to take 7,500 acres for terminals, runways, and a buffer zone.
However, residents, already fighting against a proposed power plant, fought the expansion tooth and nail. When the land was ready for development, various new obstacles arose, including the skyrocketing prices of jet fuel. As such, the development never came to pass. In 1982, control of the airport was transferred from the Metropolitan Authority to the New York State Department of Transportation, with a mandate to develop the airport. However, throughout the 80s, disputes continued with local residents, who viewed the lands as a buffer that was better off being left as a park for nature enthusiasts.
Nonetheless, airline service began in 1990, with American Airlines being the first airline to service the airport. In the mid-90s the U.S. Congress passed legislation allowing five airports to be privatized as part of a pilot program, so long as it was approved by the FAA and carriers representing at least two-thirds of the airport flights. In 1999, a 99-year lease was awarded to UK-based National Express PLC, which paid $35 million for the lease. Moreover, National Express had yet to make plans for the lands west of the airport, now known as Stewart State Forest. As the airport was known for having access problems, the state built a new interchange on Interstate 84 at Drury Lane at a convenient cost of $35 million. Construction was completed in 2007, as there were delays tied to a federal lawsuit alleging that required environmental reviews were not done or were done improperly. In the end, a compromise was reached whereby the exit and access road could be completed in exchange for the addition of 1,700 acres of the remaining buffer lands to the forest (with a restriction placed on the development of the remaining 400 acres of land). There were various issues between National Express and New York State, and the National Express company had gone through some internal shuffles as well. As such, on January 25th, 2007, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted to buy the lease for SWF. The Port Authority was to pay $78.5 million for the remaining 93 years on the lease. At the time, the Port Authority set aside $500 million to expand the airport. In 2006 and 2007, the number of passengers handled by SWF tripled, and a 2007 plan envisioned major renovations at the airport over the next 20 years, including a new passenger terminal, a train station, a 2000-foot extension of Runway 16/34, new taxiways, and a major expansion of cargo facilities. Furthermore, a new air traffic control tower has been built. In September 2010, Apple Vacations announced that non-stop charter service to Cancún would begin, operated by Allegiant Air. Although there have been several transatlantic routes over the years, none has lasted. Most recently, Icelandic airline Play began daily service to Keflavik on June 9th, 2022, with connections to other European destinations.

The airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, south of Kingston, and southwest of Poughkeepsie, approximately 60 miles north of Manhattan, New York City. 

• In 1981, the 52 hostages held at the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, returned to U.S. soil on SWF following 444 days of captivity. Their route from captivity to West Point was known as the "Freedom Road." 
• The privatization of SWF by National Express was the first such occurrence in the U.S. 
• Although Runway 9/27 is 11,817 feet long, the landing threshold is displaced by 2,000 feet. As such, only 9,817 feet are available for landing (although the entire runway length is available for takeoff).