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NFTA is attracting Transatlantic flights out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport

Posted at 11:18 PM, Aug 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-07 18:26:53-04

There is now a push for Transatlantic flights right out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

“Most of my international flights, particularly to Europe, out of Toronto and then if I'm going to Asia, I generally have to connect through Chicago, New York, or Atlanta,” Kelley Brannen said.

Brannen travels overseas frequently for work and say the extra time driving to Toronto or flying to a major airport like John F. Kennedy International Airport could take several hours.  The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority says it thinks the airport could attract non-stop flights from Buffalo Airport to Western Europe.

William Vanecek, NFTA Director of Aviation, says it is never an easy process to get a carrier to come to a new airport. “We’re Buffalo Niagara International Airport right, that’s in our name and so we do have some Caribbean flights that we run seasonally here, but one of our big goals is always to get truly scheduled international service," he said. The only international service from Buffalo is Sunwing Airlines to Mexico and the Dominican Republic in the winter months. The NFTA says attracting flights to Europe is a priority and it will continue to pursue new airlines. 

“Even if it was just to London a major city that could be a spring board to other places in Europe,” Amy Jorrisch, an air traveler, said.

The NFTA says the airport can handle aircraft that fly internationally with its’ nearly nine thousand foot runway and it’s constantly in contact with overseas carriers pushing Buffalo. The NFTA says Aerlingus, Norwegian, and XL Airways from France are just a few of the airlines that it has been in contact with over the years. According to Vanecek, The NFTA has talked to 24 domestic and international airlines within the past two years for an on going effort to develop international services right hew out of Buffalo Airport.