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Westchester County Airport (IATA: HPN, ICAO: KHPN, FAA LID: HPN) is a county-owned airport in Westchester County, New York,[1] three miles (6 km) northeast of downtown White Plains,[1] with territory in the towns of North Castle and Harrison, New York, and village of Rye Brook, New York. It is sometimes referred to as the White Plains Airport and is so identified by the Official Airline Guide (OAG).[3]

Westchester County Airport
IATA: HPN ICAO: KHPN FAA LID: HPN
Summary
Airport type	Public-use
Owner	County of Westchester
Operator	AFCO AvPORTS
Serves	White Plains, New York; Hudson Valley; New York metropolitan area; and Western Connecticut
Location	North Castle, Harrison, and Rye Brook, New York
Hub for	Tradewind Aviation Elite Airways
Elevation AMSL	439 ft / 134 m
Coordinates	41°04′01″N 073°42′27″W
Website	airport.WestchesterGov.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
HPN Location Show map of New York HPN HPN (the United States) Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 11/29 4,451 1,357 Asphalt 16/34 6,549 1,996 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2018) 151,368 Fixed-wing based aircraft (2018) 260 Scheduled enplaned arrival/departure revenue passengers (2020) 1,743,000
Source: FAA[1] and official airport website[2]

The airport primarily serves Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut; the New York–Connecticut state border runs along its eastern perimeter. Being approximately 33 miles (53 km) north of Midtown Manhattan, it is also considered a satellite or reliever airport for the New York metropolitan area.

HPN is currently serviced by five airlines, including regional code-sharing affiliates with scheduled flights for their major airline partners, to sixteen destinations throughout the United States. Three scheduled charter airlines also offer flights.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized HPN as a primary commercial service airport.[4] Per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 904,482 passenger enplanements in calendar year 2008,[5] 964,927 in 2009, and 999,831 in 2010.[6]

History

Westchester County Airport was built during World War II in 1942 as a home to an Air National Guard unit to protect New York City and Rye Lake, part of the city's water supply system. In May 1983, with the growth of suburban Westchester, the Guard unit abandoned Westchester Air National Guard Base and moved to Stewart International Airport, in Orange County.

The first scheduled airline flights were by American Airlines in late 1949 with a weekday morning flight from New York LaGuardia Airport to HPN continuing to Syracuse Hancock International Airport and beyond and returning in the evening. Mohawk Airlines replaced American in 1955; Mohawk and successor Allegheny Airlines served HPN until 1979. The first scheduled jet flight was a Mohawk BAC One-Eleven in 1965. Before the federal Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, the airport was served in 1976 by Allegheny Airlines BAC One-Elevens and by several commuter air carriers including Air Speed, Command Airways and Commuter Airlines.[7] Air Florida arrived in 1980 and United Airlines during the mid-1980s. American Airlines also resumed mainline service. On January 5, 2006, the last flight operated by regional carrier Independence Air left HPN for Washington, D.C. at 7:26 pm.[8]

Major airlines that previously served the airport include American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Republic Airlines (1979-1986), United Airlines and USAir (now part of American Airlines). New start up carriers Air Florida, AirTran Airways, Carnival Air Lines and Midway Airlines also served the airport. AirTran Airways began service at the airport in 2006 with flights to Atlanta, Orlando and West Palm Beach. These flights ended on August 11, 2012. Smaller regional and commuter air carriers that previously operated flights included Air North, Altair Airlines, Business Express Airlines, Boston-Maine Airways (operating as Pan Am Clipper Connection), Brockway Air, Command Airways, Commuter Airlines, Continental Express (now United Express), Empire Airlines, Independence Air, Island Air, Mall Airways and USAir Express.[9][10]

These airlines operated the following jets to the airport:[9][10][11]

• Air Florida – Boeing 737-200
• AirTran – Boeing 717-200
• Allegheny Airlines – BAC One-Eleven
• American Airlines – Fokker 100
• Carnival Air Lines – Boeing 737-200
• Continental Express – Embraer ERJ-135 (operated by ExpressJet for Continental Airlines)
• Empire Airlines – Fokker F28 Fellowship
• Midway Airlines – Douglas DC-9-10
• Mohawk Airlines – BAC One-Eleven
• Northwest Airlines – McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30
• Northwest Jetlink (operated by Mesaba Airlines on behalf of Northwest Airlines) - Avro RJ85
• Republic Airlines (1979-1986) – McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30
• United Airlines – Boeing 737-200, 737-300 and 737-500
• USAir – Fokker 100

In the summer of 1981 Air Florida's timetable listed international nonstop Boeing 737-200 service to Bermuda from the airport.[12]

In June 2005, a drunken teenager and two of his friends stole a Cessna 172 from nearby Danbury Municipal Airport around 1AM and landed on a taxiway at Westchester County Airport around 4AM. The aircraft was low on fuel and allegedly flying erratically. HPN airport was closed at the time and no runway lights were illuminated. Police arrived on the scene and reported beer bottles falling out of the aircraft as they arrested the teens, all of whom were charged with various felonies relating to the unauthorized use of the aircraft, theft, and alcohol impairment.[13]

JetBlue began service at the airport in 2007 and is currently the airport's largest carrier with 13 daily round-trips to 6 destinations, 5 of which are year-round and in Florida—Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. The 6th is seasonal service to Nantucket.

In June 2009, Cape Air commenced service to Westchester with flights to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Cape Air introduced service to Lebanon Municipal Airport in New Hampshire in early 2010. All Cape Air flights depart and arrive from the Signature Flight Support facility south of the Main Terminal due to a lack of ticket counter space in the main terminal building.

In June 2010, a regional airline affiliate for Air Canada announced it would cease all flights into the airport. Commuter code sharing service with Beechcraft turboprop aircraft was flown on behalf of Air Canada for several years between the airport and Toronto.[10] This ended international flights until service to the Bahamas began in 2011. The airport currently does not have any international nonstop service.

On November 18, 2010, American Airlines ended its American Eagle regional airline service to the airport and instead introduced American Connection flights operated by Chautauqua Airlines as a replacement flying smaller Embraer ERJ-140 regional jet aircraft. Later, the American Connection name was dropped and American Eagle service returned.

In 2013, Delta Air Lines announced that it would begin seasonal service to Orlando starting in December of that year. Delta ceased operation of the route, leaving JetBlue as the only airline that currently serves it.

In December 2015, Tradewind Aviation began service to the Morrisville–Stowe Airport in northern Vermont.[14]

In August 2016, American Airlines announced nonstop service to Miami via its American Eagle subsidiary. Flights would depart twice-daily from HPN at 7 AM and 1:59 PM on Embraer E175 aircraft operated by Republic Airways.[15] Service commenced on December 15, 2016, only to cease in late 2017. This was the first commercial airline service addition since AirTran Airways folded.

Between December 2 and 20, 2017, Delta Air Lines upgauged 1–2 flights on select days to Boeing 717-200 aircraft to test increased payload feasibility to HPN. This was necessitated by the airport's limit of 240 arriving and departing passengers per half-hour; operators who exceed this cap are fined.[16] As of the present time, Delta uses this equipment for flights on the HPN-ATL route on a full-time basis along with the Bombardier CRJ900.

On November 13, 2018, JetBlue announced that it would be offering service to Nantucket from HPN on a seasonal and 5x round-trip flight per week basis on board the Embraer E190 stating in June 2019. JetBlue didn't operate this route in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It currently operates this route 1x daily but still on a seasonal basis.

On April 27, 2020, the airport was closed to general aviation traffic for one week and commercial airlines for about a month so Runway 16/34 could be repaved, a project originally scheduled to span four months with construction only occurring from midnight to 6 AM. This decision was made in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic-related air travel cuts, which drastically reduced commercial airline service to the airport. Some operators were forced to ferry their aircraft to nearby airports where they could continue flights. This was the first total shutdown of a U.S. commercial airport for reasons relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]

On April 20, 2022, Breeze Airways announced several new routes from the airport, including the airport's first-ever commercial transcontinental service, with flights to Las Vegas (since dropped after October 2, 2022), Los Angeles, and San Francisco (since cancelled), on board the airline's Airbus A220-300. Other new service from the airport includes flights to Charleston (SC), Jacksonville (FL), Norfolk, and Savannah.[18]

On August 8, 2022, Delta began selling flights to Boston, with the first flights taking-off on October 6, 2022. This route will operate 3x daily after November 5, 2022, on board their Embraer E170 or E175 operated by Republic Airways.

On August 10, 2022, according to their website, Breeze cancelled planned service from HPN to San Francisco and also dropped planned service to Las Vegas after October 2nd (HPN-LAS will only operate on Sundays and Thursdays from 9/8/22 to 10/2/22). New service also appeared, including flights to Nashville and Sarasota. The former route will commence on November 2, 2022 and operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays using the airline’s Embraer E195. The latter route will commence on November 5, 2022 and operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, also using the E195.

Several capital projects are planned, including a new US Customs and Border Protection facility and a new ARFF Station.

Noise abatement systems and procedures

In its effort to mitigate aircraft noise pollution into neighboring communities, HPN maintains six major noise abatement programs that are in effect daily.

One of them is its Voluntary Restraint from Flying Program (VRFF), sometimes referred to as a voluntary curfew,[19] that helps assuage anti-airport complainants by requesting—not mandating—that operators refrain from flying into the airport between midnight and 6:30 AM. Those that breach the VRFF are reminded of the initiative and notified of any noise complaints that may have resulted from their operations.

The airport's Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System (ANOMS) collects noise data from remote noise-monitoring terminals, and both registered aircraft and community noise levels are published in the Airport Monitor. This system works in conjunction with the High Range Noise Event (HRNE) Program; ANOMS staff can identity any operator who causes a maximum noise level event of 90.0 decibels or higher at any of its remote noise monitor terminals and advise them in order to prevent future noise level transgressions. As of September 2020, there are no fines, penalties, or aircraft restrictions associated with this program.

Additionally, HPN prohibits intersection takeoffs from its runways and restricts maintenance runups and use of reverse thrust. It also employs Advanced Authorization for operations.[20]

Local context

Following several renovations and discussions about the airport's viability,[21] HPN is currently served by seven passenger airlines with flights to sixteen destinations throughout the United States. Although there has long been controversy over the airport and its proposed expansions,[22] concerns have also arisen regarding travelers seeking relief from long delays at the other New York metropolitan area airports, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

More recently, these concerns pertain to flight paths[23] and vehicular congestion. The latter has been addressed by the County of Westchester with Bee-Line Bus System (bus #12 from downtown White Plains)[24] service to the airport and the encouragement of travelers to share rides to the airport.[25]

The airport's environmental management performance is monitored through its ISO 14001 certified Airport Environmental Management System[26] (AEMS). This enables operators to report the airport's impacts on surface water, groundwater, and noise. Airport-wide environmental management practices are also continually revised with this technology, and annual objectives and targets are determined to avoid or mitigate adverse environmental impacts. In addition, airport employees receive environmental training. In 2004, HPN was the third airport in the U.S. to achieve this level of environmental performance.[27]

In May 2011, the New York State Department of Transportation published the "New York Statewide Airport Economic Impact Study," highlighting the economic impacts of public-use airports in New York state for fiscal year 2009. The study noted that HPN was one of only three airports in the state that increased its enplanements, surpassing the U.S. benchmark. It also noted that the cumulative economic activity for the airport was approximately $736 million.[28]

Approaches

The airport can be accessed from I-684's Exit 2 onto New York State Route 120. More directly, the terminals are accessed by NY Route 135.

IATA code

The IATA code for Westchester County Airport is HPN. The origins of this code are in dispute. Some believe it is derived from the name of the city, White Plains (IATA codes normally do not begin with W because those are reserved for radio signals), while others maintain the IATA code represents the first letter of the airport's three neighboring communities, Harrison, Purchase, and North Castle.[29] The full ICAO code for Westchester County Airport is KHPN.

Facilities and aircraft

Westchester County Airport covers 702 acres (284 ha) at an elevation of 439 feet (134 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 16/34 is 6,549 by 150 feet (1,996 x 46 m) and 11/29 is 4,451 by 150 feet (1,357 x 46 m).[1] Runway 29's threshold is displaced 1,297 feet (395 m) due to trees obstructing the approach path. The trees (in Connecticut) are 37 ft (11 m) tall and 370 ft (113 m) from the end of the runway.[30]

Westchester County Airport has several fixed-base operators (FBOs), including Signature Flight Support East and West, Ross Aviation East and West, NetJets, and Million Air. Although varied in services offered, the FBOs at Westchester County Airport provide Jet A and 100LL fueling services, repairs and maintenance, aircraft tiedowns, de-icing, United States Customs, and other aircraft services. Some of the FBOs are particularly luxurious, providing limousine transportation services and deluxe surroundings.

There are three flight schools. Performance Flight operates out of the Million Air at Hangar M, while Academy of Aviation operates out of Ross Aviation West at Hangar T. Wings Air offers helicopter flight training out of Hangar T. Additionally, the Westchester Flying Club, a private organization of pilots, is based at the airport as well as the Westchester Aviation Association, a not-for-profit organization that promotes aviation education and understanding on the part of government authorities and the public.

Westchester County Airport is also the home of the New York Wing Civil Air Patrol headquarters, the Lt. Anthony L. Willsea Cadet Squadron (NY-422).

Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) is provided by Airport Operations Crews. The airport owns three ARFF apparatuses (three Oshkosh Striker 1500s), two of which are in service full-time. The ARFF Crews only respond to aircraft emergencies. All structure-related fire and rescue calls are deferred to the local fire departments. The Purchase Fire Department, for example, handles all structure calls on the southern part of the airfield, the Armonk Fire Department handles calls on the northern part and the Rye Brook/Port Chester Fire Department handle all calls on the east end, including the main terminal. EMS calls are handled by Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMS, Harrison EMS and Armonk Fire/EMS depending on location of call.

In 2010, the airport had 191,017 total aircraft operations, an average of 523 per day: 23% commercial aviation, 48% heavy general aviation, and 29% light general aviation. 316 aircraft, including helicopters, are based out of this airport.[31] An aircraft must have a maximum gross weight of 120,000 pounds or less, or permission from the manager, to land at the airport.

Terminal

Westchester County Airport has one small, three-level terminal with six gates, of which only four can be used simultaneously because only four aircraft can be scheduled to use the terminal's ramp at any given time. The $35 million terminal was built in 1995 and designed by Lothrop Associates.[32] Gates A, B, C, and F have jetways. The terminal also has a luggage carousel, a baggage reclaim office and two Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening lanes. Passenger amenities include a gift shop, departure lounge, and food concessions such as a Dunkin' Donuts.[33]

In November 2015, the airport began a $30 million construction project to expand the terminal and ramp areas. The project will expand the terminal by 20% and include additional check-in, screening and passenger waiting areas. The expansion will also include the addition of four new jet bridges. A separate terminal with "lodge-like ambiance"[34] to serve passengers of private jets opened in 2019.[35]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
American Eagle	Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Washington–National
Breeze Airways	Charleston (SC), Jacksonville (FL) (begins October 6, 2022), Los Angeles (begins November 2, 2022), Nashville (begins November 2, 2022), Norfolk, Savannah (begins October 7, 2022), Sarasota (begins November 5, 2022)[36]
Cape Air	Lebanon (NH) Seasonal: Hyannis, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Provincetown
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta
Delta Connection	Atlanta, Boston (begins October 6, 2022),[37] Detroit
Elite Airways	Vero Beach[38]
JetBlue	Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach Seasonal: Nantucket[39]
JSX	Miami[40]
Tradewind Aviation	Charter: Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Newport (RI)
United Express	Chicago–O'Hare

Statistics

Airline market share

Airline Market Share June 2021 – May 2022

Rank	Airline	Passengers	Market Share
1	JetBlue	726,000	54.87%
2	PSA Airlines	211,000	15.94%
3	Endeavor Air	124,000	9.33%
4	SkyWest	86,800	6.56%
5	Delta Air Lines	68,330	5.16%
-	Other	108,000	8.19%

Top destinations

Top 10 busiest domestic destinations from HPN
(September 2020 – August 2021)[41]

Rank	City	Passengers	Carrier(s)
1	West Palm Beach, Florida	123,700	JetBlue
2	Atlanta, Georgia	98,170	Delta
3	Orlando, Florida	75,470	JetBlue
4	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	71,270	JetBlue
5	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	66,000	American, United
6	Charlotte, North Carolina	63,770	American
7	Fort Myers, Florida	55,990	JetBlue
8	Washington–National, D.C.	40,350	American
9	Tampa, Florida	30,920	JetBlue
10	Detroit, Michigan	13,810	Delta

Controversy

Expansion of the airport has raised concerns over adverse environmental impacts by numerous community advocacy groups and area residents. The facility lies between the Blind Brook watershed and the Rye Lake watershed/Kensico Reservoir. The Citizens for a Responsible County Airport, which count the Sierra Club Lower Hudson and Federated Conservationists of Westchester as supporters, has raised safety concerns about the stormwater runoff directed towards Westchester and New York City's drinking water supply. They are especially alarmed about PFAS discovered in groundwater tests between the Airport and the Kensico watershed.[42]

In popular culture

• The airport was a filming location for The Best Man, Random Hearts, and Meet The Parents.[43]
• In The West Wing episode "Celestial Navigation", Leo tells Toby and Sam to "Fly to Westchester County Airport and rent a car" to get their United States Supreme Court nominee, Roberto Mendoza, out of jail in Connecticut.[44]
• In an episode of The Newsroom, Don Keefer explains to Sloan Sabbith that the most likely airports for out-of-town equity firm executives to use while visiting New York City in their private jets would be either "Teterboro or White Plains."[45]

Accidents and incidents

• December 18, 1954: A Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar, aircraft registration number N711SE, clipped trees about 800 ft (240 m) before it struck the ground on a 680 ft (210 m) knoll located on the instrument landing system (ILS) approach path. The ceiling was 300 ft (91 m) with 1 mi (1.6 km) visibility. Both pilots were killed.[46]
• February 11, 1981: A Lockheed Jetstar, registration N520S, crashed 6,000 ft (1,800 m) from the approach end of the runway into a heavily wooded area. The aircraft's electrical system had malfunctioned causing a deviation of the flightpath. The two crew and six passengers died.[47]
• December 24, 1988: A Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, registration N555ST, crashed and was destroyed after departure in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC); the pilot and two passengers were killed. The crash occurred about 35 seconds after the pilot acknowledged an air traffic control (ATC) instruction to change radio frequencies, and witnesses reported that the aircraft was flying in a circle before impact. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to spatial disorientation, pilot distraction, and the pilot's failure to maintain the climb; poor visibility was a contributing factor.[48]
• June 14, 1990: A Cessna 337G Skymaster, registration N72476, went into a stall and crashed after flying through low clouds on approach. The pilot, who did not have an instrument rating nor any documented experience with instrument flight rules (IFR) operations, had been given a special visual flight rules (SVFR) landing clearance after being advised of IMC at the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot and single passenger were killed. The NTSB attributed the accident to the pilot's decision to fly under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions (VFR into IMC) and his subsequent loss of aircraft control. Bad weather and the pilot's lack of IFR experience were contributing factors.[49]
• June 22, 2001: A Piper PA-32R-301, registration N13VH, struck the ground while the pilot was executing a missed approach in low visibility; the crash destroyed the aircraft and killed the pilot, who was the sole aircraft occupant. Immediately prior to the accident, the pilot had failed to respond to ATC, and performed a series of erratic ascents and descents. Post-crash toxicology tests found signs of chlorpheniramine, a sedating antihistamine, in the pilot's blood and urine. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to loss of control and spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were fog and the pilot's use of sedating medication.[50]
• December 31, 2001: A Beechcraft BE-23-B24R Sierra, registration N2173W, lost altitude in a steep turn and crashed in a parking lot while maneuvering to land. The crash and ensuing fire destroyed the aircraft and killed the pilot, who was the sole aircraft occupant. The pilot had diverted to Westchester County Airport after losing radio communications; the cause of the radio failure was not conclusively determined. The NTSB attributed the accident to a loss of aircraft control.[51]
• April 23, 2005: A Cessna 172R, registration N61AF, crashed into trees about 1 mile (1.6 km) short of runway 16 during a practice ILS approach in IMC. The aircraft was destroyed and the student pilot and flight instructor were killed. The NTSB attributed the accident to the pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude. Contributing factors were low ceilings, fog, and gusty wind.[52]
• June 18, 2011: A Cessna T210N, registration N210KW, crashed on approach after the pilot took off from Westchester County Airport, immediately declared an emergency of an unspecified nature, and attempted to return. The aircraft came to rest inverted and was consumed in a post-crash fire, killing the pilot and all three passengers. Witnesses reported that the engine ran poorly before the flight and that the pilot performed an unusually large number of engine runups, while post-crash examination of the engine found evidence of severe detonation and improper timing of one magneto. Furthermore, noise abatement recordings from the airport revealed that the engine was significantly quieter on approach than during departure, suggesting that the pilot had reduced the power setting. The NTSB attributed the accident to "The pilot's decision to depart on the flight with a suspected mechanical deficiency and his subsequent decision to fly the final approach at a reduced power setting. Contributing to the accident was the improper timing of the magneto(s) that resulted in a severe detonation event."[53]
• June 13, 2014: A Piper PA-46-500TP, registration N5335R, crashed into trees at high speed immediately after an IMC takeoff, destroying the aircraft and killing the pilot, who was the sole occupant. Reportedly in a rush, the pilot arrived at the airport 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to his scheduled departure time, demanding that the aircraft be readied immediately; the aircraft departed 23 minutes later. The accident was attributed to "The pilot's failure to maintain a positive climb rate after takeoff due to spatial disorientation (somatogravic illusion). Contributing to the accident was the pilot's self-induced pressure to depart and his decision to depart in low-ceiling and low-visibility conditions."[54]

References

33. https://www.newstimes.com/news/amp/Teens-in-stolen-plane-ask-for-a-break-53653.php

External links

• Westchester County Airport, official site
• "Westchester County Airport (HPN)" (PDF). from New York State DOT
• FAA Airport Diagram for Westchester County (HPN) (PDF), effective August 11, 2022
• FAA Terminal Procedures for Westchester County (HPN), effective August 11, 2022
• Aerial image as of April 1991 from USGS The National Map
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KHPN
  • ASN accident history for HPN
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KHPN
  • FAA current HPN delay information

На других языках

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[de] Westchester County Airport

Der Westchester County Airport (IATA-Code: HPN, ICAO-Code: KHPN; auch White Plains Airport) ist der Verkehrsflughafen der amerikanischen Kleinstadt White Plains im Westchester County im US-Bundesstaat New York.

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- [en] Westchester County Airport

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[fr] Aéroport du comté de Westchester

L'aéroport du comté de Westchester (code IATA : HPN • code OACI : KHPN), ou Westchester County Airport en anglais, est un aéroport régional américain du comté de Westchester, dans l'État de New York.

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