Ogdensburg airport officials weigh demand for flights to major hubs
Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority officials discussed the difficulty of adding flights to major airports after a Clarkson University study found strong demand for expanded North Country air service.
By Jessica Hale, ClickNNY North Country Desk
Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority officials are weighing how to respond to unmet demand for North Country air service after a Clarkson University study found that more than 60% of survey respondents would fly more often if fares were lower and schedules were better.
The discussion took place at the authority’s October meeting. The study surveyed 241 students, faculty members and staff from Clarkson University, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton. Its findings indicated that the region’s travel challenge is tied less to a lack of interest than to barriers such as cost and schedule availability.
Respondents most often identified New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Toronto as desired direct destinations. The students projected that direct service to major hubs such as New York City or Boston could increase travel demand by about 40%.
Ogdensburg airport service
The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority owns the airport, bridge, port and railway. SkyWest ended its Ogdensburg contract in January 2022, after which the authority moved to the Alternate Essential Air Service program.
The authority later awarded Contour Air service to Philadelphia after Boutique Air did not receive a recommendation. The board also voted 4-1 to support Breeze Airways. In 2026, the board chose Breeze over SkyWest; Breeze is expected to drop its Washington route and add daily flights to Raleigh-Durham.
A separate Clarkson marketing-class study of Ogdensburg travelers found that flight availability was the leading reason travelers choose other airports. Many North Country residents drive two to three hours to reach larger airports. Ogdensburg is about five miles from the Prescott, Ontario, crossing.
Passenger traffic at the airport has increased. The airport handled about 33,000 passengers in 2025, while year-to-date passenger numbers through September 2026 were more than 127% higher than during the same period in 2025.
What comes next
Seasonal service to Orlando is expected to return in February, and bookings were open at the authority’s Nov. 1 meeting. Passengers may also be able to connect through Raleigh to Las Vegas beginning in June 2027.
Travelers can find updates through the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. The Clarkson study was completed by four Clarkson MBA students under Professor Krista Larock, with the Village of Potsdam Planning and Development Office and collaboration from SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
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