8/9/2000. © Flyer Media, Inc. By Jack Elliott Teterboro Airport, the general aviation gateway to New York, is about to undergo a sweeping change in its operations. The airport's owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has announced that it will begin running the facility itself in late summer or early fall. It marks the first time in more than 30 years that it has brought the field's operations and maintenance activities in house. After purchasing Teterboro (TEB) in 1949 for $3 million from businessman Fred Wehran, the Port Authority ran the airport itself for 20 years. In 1970 it leased the field to Pan American World Services, which operated it until 1989, when Johnson Controls World Services assumed the lease. Under a 30-year lease agreement that expired on Dec. 31, 1999 (it had been extended), Johnson Controls collected all fees, estimated to be about $12 million annually, and paid the Port Authority $1 million. Under the new arrangement, the Port Authority has signed a five-year deal with American Port Services (AmPorts) to handle day-to-day operation of the airport while the Port Authority plays a key role in running it. The Port Authority, which will now collect fees, will pay AmPorts approximately $1 million a year toward operating and maintaining the airport, and for staff salaries. The fee will be renegotiated every year based on equipment needs, snow-removal expenses, etc.
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