the region. While some local officials expressed disappointment, others saw NEG as getting out of the airport business entirely to concentrate on its core business in the bus and rail sectors. They hoped at first that another European company with experience running privatized airports would be interested, and industry analysts said the timing was good. Governor Eliot Spitzer promised area leaders that Stewart would be a top priority for his administration, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the New York area's three main airports, expressed interest in assuming NEG's obligations. Allegiant Air pulled out of Stewart in early 2007 but later returned and currently serves the airport. Both AirTran Airways and JetBlue announced plans for service from Stewart in 2007. AirTran, which had previously served Newburgh in 1995, was subsequently acquired by and merged into Southwest Airlines, which in turn currently does not serve the airport. Port Authority takeover and end of privatization On January 25, 2007, the Port Authority voted to buy the lease for Stewart. It took over operating control on November 1, 2007, after New Jersey's acting governor Richard Codey signed a bill the New Jersey Legislature had to pass, changing the law to allow the move. The PA will pay NEG $78.5 million for the remaining 93 years on its lease. The day after the takeover, an opening ceremony was held in which New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer attended and the Port Authority flag was raised. It has set aside $500 million in its ten-year capital improvement plan to expand the airport. After the takeover, law enforcement became the responsibility of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. Airlines and destinations Passenger Cargo Status and expansion Although 2006's bad numbers may have led NEG to pull out, Stewart's commercial service seemed to be on the rise. Shortly after taking over, the PA reported that the airport's traffic for 2007 would be triple that of 2006. It was reported in January 2008 that Stewart had achieved its goal and had handled 970,000 passengers in 2007. A 2007 plan envisioned changing Stewart's image over the next 20 years: major renovations such as a new terminal, a train station next to the new terminal connecting the airport to Metro North via a new spur from the Port Jervis Line, a extension of runway 16–34, new taxiways, and a