Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse Hancock International Airport is doing away with its decades-old policy of awarding exclusive contracts for non-prearranged taxi cab service.
The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, which took over management of the airport from the city in 2013, is implementing a new policy that will allow up to 50 taxis to serve the airport starting June 1.
The move comes seven months after Syracuse Regional Taxi, which had been the official taxi service provider at the airport since July 2011, stopped offering walk-up service at the airport and abandoned its two taxi stands inside the terminal. It has continued to offer prearranged service, in which customers call the company to schedule a pickup.
The taxi company said it took the action after the airport authority refused to give it an exclusive, designated area to pick up and drop off passengers during the airport's $45 million terminal renovation.
The airport has always allowed prearranged drop-off and pick-up service by any taxi service, but it has awarded a contract for the exclusive rights to provide unscheduled service.
Under that contract, the airport allowed a single taxi service to operate customer service stands inside the passenger terminal and line up taxis outside the terminal to pick up anyone hailing a ride. In exchange, the taxi service paid a percentage of its revenue to the airport.
Airport Executive Director Christina Callahan said the airport authority has for some time been looking at opening up non-scheduled taxi service to any taxi that meets certain minimum standards. It decided to implement the change after Syracuse Regional Taxi discontinued providing that service, she said.
"We wanted to open it up to the larger ground transportation community," she said.
The airport will begin accepting applications from taxi owners on May 1. Callahan said it will take about 30 days to process the applications and issue the permits.
As part of the application process, taxi owners much show, among other things, that their vehicles are property registered and insured. Applications and more details about the new taxi service program are available under the "Doing Business" tab on the airport's website.
Taxi owners whose application are approved will have to pay an annual fee of $750 for the permits.
The airport authority has scheduled two informational sessions for taxi operators. They will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, and from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 26. Both sessions will be held on the second level of Terminal A, across from the barber shop.
The new policy does not affect the ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft, which began serving the airport last year. They can pick up and drop off passengers in a lot near Terminal B.
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