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Falls airport gets business boost

A group of proponents for the Niagara Falls International Airport have announced the formation of a not-for-profit organization.  It's called the Niagara Falls Airport Stakeholder Group, Incorporated.

State Senator George Maziarz said the  Stakeholders Group and Niagara Falls International Airport would like to attract more charter airlines and passengers to the airport.

"What we're looking at is international charters, bringing people in primarily from the European market. The Stakeholders Group is going to use incentives to do that, incentives at the casino or the Factory Outlet Mall or hotels and motels, but we're going to try to move into incentives in golfing the the Senecas are going to supply," said Maziarz.

There would be incentives for the airlines that use the Niagara Falls Airport, such as subsidizing the cost of seats, or tickets.

Maziarz said the Niagara Falls Airport has something that many airports do not have, particularly those in the northeast.

"We have available and developable land, and Sam Ferraro, Commissioner, Niagara County Economic Development Agency and the Economic Development Department are going to use that as a part of it. And the land is available at a very reasonable cost," said Maziarz.

WBFO News asked Maziarz if the Niagara Falls International Airport might become a niche airport.

"Thank you very much, that's a very good term, I'm going to say that. We want to make this a nice airport, not in competition with the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Really, we want to be on our own here as a regional charter hub and a regional cargo hub," said Maziarz.

WBFO News asked if the Niagara Falls International Airport could maintain a balance with Buffalo-Niagara International?

"Absolutely we can do it. We can do it. Not one of these airlines that flies into here, that last year carried 200 thousand passengers, not one of them would have flown into Buffalo-Niagara International Airport," said Maziarz.

Niagara Region business leaders and members of government agencies are members of the not-for-profit agency's Board of Directors, the board and the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce will work to enhance marketing efforts directed by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the airport.