Saratoga County Airport Steps Into the Spotlight as Belmont Arrives

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A recently announced $35.2 million construction project at the Saratoga County Airport aims to be done in time for next year’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. But in the meantime, private jets are jockeying for possession of coveted parking spots.

When major sporting events come to town, airports, especially smaller ones, can become overwhelmed by visitors. “There’s limited space,” said Janine Iannarelli, an international broker of private aircraft. “There’s already a base population there. There’s an expectation for a certain amount of incoming traffic, but then you add a significant event and you can ratchet up that traffic by as much as 100, 150 percent.”

With a new terminal building and hangar space in the works, the airport is certainly growing. But it may not be enough. The 20,000-square-foot hangar will be big enough to fit two corporate jets. “That’s really rather small,” Iannarelli said. 

Iannarelli, a horse racing enthusiast who spends her summers in Saratoga, said that although most Belmont visitors flying private will head to the Saratoga or Albany airports, increased plane traffic could also be felt as far north as the Burlington International Airport in Vermont, and as far south as the Stewart International Airport in Newburgh.

“The fact that you see an interest in traveling specifically to a sporting event like this shines new light on the value of the Saratoga County Airport,” Iannarelli said. “The airport is there not just for the pleasure of people, but it’s going to serve a more important purpose as the area develops.”

According to Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett, the current economic impact of the airport exceeds $10 million. Barrett called the airport “a vital gateway to our local economy.”

Prior to the recent construction project, the airport was also working on adding a six bay Tee-hangar for additional aircraft storage. The new terminal and adjoining 20,000-square-foot hangar are expected to be completed by June 2025 when another influx of Belmont attendees is expected.