Legislators in the capital region demand clarity about the airport

In a letter sent Wednesday to members of the Albany County Airport Authority board, three state lawmakers said the board’s recent decision not to renew the contract of Phil Calderone, the manager of Albany International Airport, has raised concerns about the facility’s future.

Calderone, a longtime deputy mayor of Albany and deputy chief administrative officer of Albany County, will not have his contract renewed when it expires on Dec. 1, the agency’s board of directors said last week, adding that it is hiring a national recruiting firm to find Calderone’s successor.

On Wednesday, Reps. Pat Fahy, John McDonald III and Phil Steck, all Democrats, reminded the agency that the airport is a state-created agency that has received $100 million in federal and state funds under its current leadership, which Calderone has been in office for five years.

“We have heard from many individuals across the Capital Region that they are concerned about what the process to replace the Executive Director will look like and what steps will be taken to ensure a smooth transition,” assembly members wrote. “We would welcome more detailed comments from the Board and/or an opportunity to discuss next steps.”

The letter was released the same day that Albany County Democratic Executive Dan McCoy issued a statement saying he had neither applied for nor sought Calderone’s position.

“There has been a lot of speculation and media coverage over the past few days about my future,” McCoy said, referring to published reports linking him to the job. “I would like to take this opportunity to state that I am committed to continuing my career in public service in Albany County.”

Lawmakers called the airport a critical economic driver and said it was critical that airport operations continue to run smoothly.

“State and federal investments have helped transform the county airport into an international airport that continues to grow with increased flights and airlines to serve people throughout our region. Therefore, it is critical that the agency expeditiously conduct a nationwide search for a new director. This request implies that the agency update the job description to reflect the expanded responsibilities since a director search was conducted in 2019,” their letter concluded.