Senator Skoufis Pushes Stewart Airport as Potential Home of President Trump’s New U.S. Space Academy

Yisroel R.

State Senator James Skoufis is urging Governor Kathy Hochul to put New York Stewart International Airport forward as New York’s candidate to host President Donald Trump’s newly established U.S. Space Academy, potentially bringing a major new federal institution to Orange County.

President Trump signed an executive order in August establishing the nation’s first U.S. Space Academy, which is intended to train the next generation of engineers, scientists, technicians, operators, astronauts, and other leaders for America’s expanding space program. NASA is now asking states interested in hosting the academy to submit potential locations.

Skoufis says Stewart offers several major advantages, including one of the longest runways in the country, significant undeveloped land, its proximity to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the existing Stewart Air National Guard Base.

The proposal comes at an interesting time for Stewart, as officials continue working to rebuild commercial passenger service at an airport that has struggled in recent years to attract and retain a broader lineup of flights. Stewart handled approximately 291,000 passengers in 2025, compared with roughly 690,000 in 2018 and more than 913,000 at its peak in 2007.

As previously reported by Daily Monroe, Skoufis has simultaneously been working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and regional economic development officials on a separate effort aimed at attracting additional airlines and routes to Stewart.

That proposal centers around a minimum revenue guarantee program, which would reduce the financial risk for airlines willing to launch new routes from Stewart by helping cover a portion of the difference if a new route initially fails to generate an agreed-upon amount of revenue. Skoufis has said discussions are already underway with at least one major airline about potentially connecting Stewart to a major national hub.

It remains unclear what hosting the U.S. Space Academy would ultimately mean for Stewart’s future as a commercial airport, or if the two efforts would fit together if New York’s bid is successful. Stewart includes significant undeveloped land, potentially allowing an academy and expanded commercial airline service to coexist, while details surrounding the eventual size and footprint of the proposed academy have yet to be finalized.

Either way, the latest proposal puts another major possibility on the table for Stewart as officials continue searching for ways to make greater use of the airport and its surrounding property.

NASA says each state is permitted one submission through its governor or designee, with responses due October 26.