Boardwalk Empire? Port Authority May Acquire Atlantic City Airport

David Samson

With the New York City area’s three major airports plagued by the worst flight delays in the country, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it is looking into taking over the Atlantic City International Airport to try to ease the load on JFK, LaGuardia and Newark. “My sense is that it has some potential for greater utilization, but again there are experts in the field on this,” David Samson, chairman of the Port Authority, said of the Atlantic City airport at a press conference after yesterday’s board meeting. “I don’t consider myself an expert. I consider myself marginally knowledgeable about it, so we’ll see what the expert says after a thorough financial evaluation.” The board authorized up to $3 million to review a takeover, but a consulting firm has not yet been hired. The study follows 2007 legislation that authorized the Port to operate two more airports, one in each state, including Stewart International Airport in New York.