New York to Receive Airstrip for UAS Testing
The state of New York will build a $30 million airstrip for testing unmanned aircraft, with funding to come from money awarded through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative.
It’s expected to be built in central New York by 2018. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement last week at the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management Convention in Syracuse, and he spoke about the draw that the airstrip will provide for companies attending the conference, and others, to work in the state.
“We believe that’s going to be very effective in luring these companies, because they need that facility,” Cuomo said via WRVO Public News. “There’s not a lot of places you can find a 50-mile airstrip to test drones. You don’t run across them every day.”
According to Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development, the airstrip is just another sign that New York can be a major player in the world of unmanned systems. The fact that the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management Convention was held in New York proves that the industry is ready to make New York its next place for testing and innovation, he said.
