Another set of furloughs due to the COVID-19 pandemic has become permanent.
SP+, which operates the parking facilities at Buffalo Niagara International Airport and is the leading provider of professional parking management services throughout North America, has informed the New York State Department of Labor that 90 employees furloughed in March will not be rehired. They include payment collectors, shuttle drivers and maintenance personnel.
An Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority spokeswoman said that passenger levels are as much as 85% below normal and cited the closure of the U.S.-Canadian border as a major factor in the reduction of passenger travel.
Some airport parking facilities have been consolidated. Long-term and economy parking are closed until further notice. However, the NFTA said it has not currently laid off any of its own employees at the airport.