Senator urges FedEx to choose Plattsburgh International Airport as new hub

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has urged FedEx to consider Plattsburgh International Airport as a potential hub for processing and shipping trans-border transactions. Schumer stressed that the Plattsburgh Airport, which is already equipped with state of the art facilities, is strategically positioned along the Canadian border and the Greater Montreal area, making it an ideal site to integrate existing overland trucking services with new transborder air service.

In a letter to FedEx, the senator wrote in support of Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute’s application for the donation of a used FedEx Boeing 727-200 Aircraft, arguing that the aircraft is vital to the Institute’s mission to provide students with the technical training necessary to help them succeed in the aviation industry. FedEx has a long history of donating retired cargo planes to airports, educational institutions and local governments so they can be used to train mechanics, cargo operators and other aeronautic professionals.

“With its location along the Canadian border, Plattsburgh International Airport is a natural choice for FedEx to set up a transborder shipping hub,” said Schumer. “This is a golden opportunity for FedEx to take advantage of the state of the art facilities that the airport has to offer and tap into the skilled aeronautic workforce graduating from the Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute. The addition of a Boeing aircraft that can be used to enhance the training program at PAI will ensure that the institute continues to produce some of the best technicians in the field and ensure that Plattsburgh will be able meet FedEx’s needs.”