Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station

It is the C-130 aircraft that regularly cruise the skies of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in New York. It's because the Niagara Falls International Airport operated under a joint agreement with the military. The facility handles international air charter and cargo service and functions as the reliever airport for the region. With the natural wonder, Niagara Falls, and casino gambling across the US/Canada border, the airport fits well with Niagara County's robust tourist industry.

There were eleven Air Force Bases that were added to the list being considered for realignment or closure by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission on the 10th of May 1995. The eleven new active-duty and Reserve bases on the list brought the total number of Air Force bases being considered for some type of action to 28. The new bases include: the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, NY; Columbus AFB, Miss.; Vance AFB, Okla.; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Hill AFB, Utah; Homestead ARS, Fla.; O'Hare ARS Ill.; Minneapolis St. Paul ARS, Minn.; Youngstown Warren ARS, Ohio; Carswell ARS, Texas; and General Mitchell ARS, WI

The Niagara Falls International Airport or NFIA has the fourth longest runway in New York State at 9,130 ft, which enables it to accommodate all commercial aircraft. Modern customs and immigration facilities permit for quick processing of international passengers. As a further enhancement at the NFIA, Tech Aviation is the Fixed Base Operator at the airport. Tech Aviation provides aircraft refueling and ground handling 24 hours a day. Non-commercial general aviation operations totals more than 40, 000 flights every year. The NFIA is making an annual economic impact of $ 100 million for Niagara County.

There are other organizations that regularly use Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station facilities by agreement, including:

o US Army Reserve
o US Army Guard
o United States Coast Guard
o United States Border Patrol
o US Naval Reserve
o Civil Air Patrol
o Federal Bureau of Investigation
o United States Immigration Service
o Department of Homeland Security
o US Drug Enforcement Agency
o Niagara County Fire and Police Agencies
o Canadian-American Law Enforcement Organizations or CALEO

To support the continued growth and prosperity of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, the Military Affairs Council (NIMAC) serves as liaison to promote communication between the base, the community, other local military units, business, and government. As part of the campaign to support the airbase which is threatened to be closed, the NIMAC collected over 126, 300 letters for the BRAC Commission the most collected for any affected base in the nation. The letters among the multiple rallies and event held, demonstrated the strong support of the community for the base. And closing the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station will have a 150 million dollar negative impact on the region.
The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is the last U.S. Air Force Installation in the State of New York and the largest federal facility in the region.