Syracuse, NY — (NCC News) Travelers picking up passengers at Syracuse Hancock International Airport will now need to head to Arrivals A, as construction on a new rental car facility forces the closure of the Arrivals B loop.
The move comes just months after the airport completed a major expansion of its North Concourse, part of a broader, multi‑year effort to update infrastructure, streamline operations, and prepare for rising passenger demand across Central New York.
Jason Mehl, chief commercial officer for the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, says the airport acknowledged the immediate congestion challenges that come with switching everything over to the one location.
“You were 50/50. Now you’re consolidating 100 percent of the passenger pickups and all of your ground transportation down to the south side of Arrivals A. So, it’s going to be busy down there,” he said.
Transcript Summary: As construction begins at SYR, changes to passenger take effect
Antonio Dunston, Reporter: The Syracuse Hancock International Airport is entering its next phase of innovation.
In an effort to modernize and update rental car operations, drivers will now need to follow a new route to the terminal.
Fresh off a major expansion and modernization of the North Concourse, the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority has closed the Arrivals B loop to all traffic as construction on a new consolidated rental car facility began on Monday, March 16th.
Jason Mehl: You were 50/50. Now you’re consolidating a 100 percent of the passenger pickups and all of your ground transportation down to the southside of Arrivals A. So it’s going to be busy down there.
Dunston: Officials say the curb once used for pickups will now function strictly as an active pickup zone, meaning no parking or waiting at the terminal.
Instead, drivers will be directed to the free cell phone lot until their passengers are ready, helping reduce congestion.
With companies like Micron moving into the region and Central New York’s winter weather in full force, more people are traveling through the area and the airport says expanding its capacity is essential.
Once completed, the new facility will free up 450 covered parking spaces in the garage currently used by rental companies. Before the changes, taxi drivers were initially allowed to operate on both sides of the airport and many were skeptical of the positive spin the airport was trying to sell them.
But once the airport sent out the text detailing the new pickup placements, drivers like John Adjemiam (a-gem-yan) quickly realized how the changes funneled passengers directly to them and now they’re hoping the setup stays in place for as long as possible.
John Adjemiam: I think it’s a good thing in that everything is now condensed. I think it’s more convenience for people coming into the airport. They’re able to focus on one primary area. I think it’s better for the public and I think it’s better for us.
Dunston: Between the new pickup rules and the ConRAC construction, Syracuse Hancock Airport is clearly building for the future. It may take a little patience now, but the hope is that the long term plan sticks the landing.
Mehl: We’re making all of these changes, moving forward to be the best small hub airport that we can be. Certainly not with the intention of making things more complicated longer term. This is going to be good. Short term. There’s going to be a little bit of, you know, pain, with these changes. But once they’re done, it will provide the airport, to our community that it rightfully deserves.
Dunston: For now, airport officials say the project is expected to last about 18 months, but they’ll provide regular updates — with clear directions to help ease the stress for travelers.Antonio Dunston, N-C-C News.
Under the new system, the curb outside Arrivals A now functions strictly as an active pickup zone. That means no parking, no waiting, and no idling—a rule airport security officers are actively enforcing to prevent gridlock.
Instead, drivers are being directed to the free Cell Phone Lot until their passengers are ready. The airport says the change is essential to reducing backups as construction progresses.
The closure of Arrivals B also coincides with the shutdown of the airport’s overflow parking lot, which sits on the future site of the rental car facility.
Rental car companies currently occupy 446 spaces on the first floor of the parking garage, and once the project is complete, roughly 450 covered spaces will be returned to the public when those operations move into the new facility.
As companies like Micron move into the region and winter weather routinely pushes locals to seek refuge for their cars from the snow, airport leaders say expanding capacity is no longer optional.
With rental demand rising across the airport’s wide catchment area — stretching from the Canadian border down to Pennsylvania — officials say the new facility is essential.
“People drive quite a ways when they fly into Syracuse — they need rental cars to get to where they’re going,” Mehl said, noting that destinations like the Finger Lakes draw travelers from across the country.
The rental car center will centralize operations and free up hundreds of coveted spaces currently used by rental companies.
For taxi drivers, the decision was met with some hesitation. Before the changes, they could operate on both sides of the terminal. Now, they’re funneled into a single line on the south side—a shift many initially viewed with skepticism.
John Adjemiam, a longtime taxi driver, said the airport notified drivers via text message, framing the change as an opportunity for more consistent business.
“And they gave it a very positive spin that there would be… people… that all the flights would be coming in this direction and opportunity for the taxis to get more business. So they said, and I always say, we’ll see,” Adjemiam said.
He added that while the adjustment required patience, the new setup has made it easier for taxis to connect with arriving passengers, and he hopes the arrangement stays in place for as long as possible.
The airport knows that the next 18 months will bring disruptions, but they insist the long-term payoff will be worth it.
“Short term, there’s going to be a little bit of pain with these changes. But once they’re done, it will provide the airport our community rightfully deserves,” Mehl said.
The project is expected to continue over the next 14-to-18 months.