Republic Airport, which is authorized to serve aircraft with up to 30 seats, is located in Suffolk County on Long Island. The Airport, which was formerly owned by a private company, was acquired by New York State in order to promote economic development in the Long Island region. We examined the effectiveness of these efforts, which are overseen by the Department of Transportation. We identify a number of factors that have limited the effectiveness of the efforts, such as local concerns about noise if the Airport were allowed to serve commercial jets and local opposition to the use of Airport land for other commercial purposes. We also note that the Airport has generally incurred an operating deficit, which must be subsidized by the State. We raise several questions that are relevant to the continued operation of the Airport.

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For a copy of the 90-day response click here.