Long Island Airports See Surge in Private Jet Activity, Rewriting Local Business Travel

NEW YORK — Private jet activity on Long Island has surged into the first weeks of 2026, prompting quiet executive terminals on Suffolk and Nassau counties to rewrite how Manhattan finance and tech executives move between the city and the East End. With travelers from Midtown, the Upper East Side and the Financial District increasingly bypassing LaGuardia and JFK, fixed-base operators at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, Long Island MacArthur in Ronkonkoma and smaller fields in Islip and Westhampton are reporting record operations that are reshaping local business travel patterns and the fortunes of nearby neighborhoods.

Long-established FBOs like Suffolk Aero Services and a newer operator, HarborAir Executive, have been retrofitting lounges and expanding ramp space to keep pace. "We used to average three midsize jets in the morning; now it's closer to ten on a weekday," said Marco DeLuca, director of operations at Suffolk Aero Services, which operates an executive terminal off Broadhollow Road in Farmingdale. The terminal has added expedited customs processing for international charters and partnered with car services on Park Avenue and the FDR Drive corridor to move passengers directly into Midtown or Lower Manhattan.

Corporate travel managers and boutique charter brokers describe a steady migration of high-frequency flyers who prize time and predictability. Priya Raman, executive travel manager at Kensington Partners, a midtown advisory firm, said clients base decisions on hours saved: "Our CFOs tell us a 45-minute drive from the Upper East Side to Farmingdale, followed by a direct flight, often beats a two-hour check-in and layover at the big airports." Weekend traffic bound for Southampton and Montauk has also lifted seasonal schedules at Westhampton and Gabreski-area operators, bringing a mix of business and leisure travelers.

Concrete numbers underscore the shift: combined private jet operations at Long Island MacArthur (ISP), Republic (FRG) and Francis S. Gabreski (FOK) rose roughly 42% in the first 11 months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, to about 15,200 takeoffs and landings, according to aggregated counts supplied by three county aviation offices and independent FBO reports. Arrivals grew about 48% to an estimated 9,100 flights, while FBO revenue related to handling and passenger services climbed an average of 36% year over year. Several terminals reported adding a combined 28 parking positions for midsize and light-cabin jets in 2025.

The economic ripple is visible in downtowns and hamlets across Long Island: hotels and restaurants in Patchogue and Huntington report fuller midweek bookings tied to corporate events, and rental car firms on Merrick Road and near the LIE say demand from jet passengers has firmed. East End Executive Terminal in Westhampton recently completed a $2.1 million lounge expansion adjacent to Montauk Highway, while a repaved taxiway at Farmingdale was financed in part with a $6.5 million capital grant from Suffolk County aimed at improving ramp capacity and night operations.

Push factors in New York City are unmistakable. Travelers complain about crowded check-in areas, unpredictable security lines at LaGuardia and JFK, and recent service reductions on several commuter flights. Pull factors on Long Island include faster boarding, easier parking and less-congested airspace for regional hops. "For many of our clients, the calculus is simple: a five-minute drive to a private terminal and no lines is work time reclaimed," said Elena Morales, general manager of the East End Executive Terminal in Westhampton. "We are no longer an exotic luxury; we're becoming a practical tool for firms that value every hour."

The shift has prompted neighborhood pushback in towns near the busier fields. Residents in communities surrounding Ronkonkoma and West Babylon have raised concerns about increased low-altitude traffic, vehicle congestion on Lakeland Avenue and Route 110, and late-night engine runs. Heather Lincoln, president of St. James Residents for Quiet Skies, said at a December meeting in the hamlet's firehouse: "People here moved to St. James for quieter streets; sudden midday surges of business jets and the extra SUVs clogging our roads are changing the character of our town." Local planning boards in Islip and Huntington have scheduled reviews of revised airport use plans for early 2026.

Regulatory attention is following the trend. The Federal Aviation Administration has opened preliminary talks with county aviation officials about updating flight paths and studying noise impacts, while Nassau and Suffolk officials are exploring tougher curfews and stricter idling rules for jet ground equipment. At the same time, several terminals are investing in sustainable aviation fuel storage and electric ground service equipment to address emissions concerns, and at least two operators on the South Shore are in talks with Customs and Border Protection to expand hours of arrival for international private flights.

Back in the city, travel teams and concierge desks are formalizing relationships with Long Island operators and luxury ground carriers that serve the Upper East Side, Chelsea and the Financial District. Brokers in DUMBO and Williamsburg report that tech founders who once booked late-night red-eyes now book point-to-point charters from Farmingdale to Boston and Washington instead. Airlines at LaGuardia and JFK have not seen a material drop in scheduled commercial traffic, but airline route planners say they are monitoring the private-jet trend for its potential to accelerate premium-fee erosion on certain business routes.

Looking ahead, local officials and industry executives say growth is unlikely to slow without new constraints. FBOs are pursuing modest expansions, county governments are weighing infrastructure investments, and aviation regulators are preparing environmental reviews that could shape operations for years. Whether the surge leads to permanent shifts in New York metropolitan travel or a rebalancing once hub congestion eases will be among the key debates of 2026 — and a subject residents and executives alike say they will watch from Ferris Street to the highways that feed Farmingdale's ramps.