(Hartford, Conn. WTIC)-State Senator Cathy OSten (D-Norwich) and the Executive Director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, Kevin Dillion, sparred over the cost of fringe benefits provided to airport employees.
The exchange came during a meeting of the Transportation Committee.
Dillon says the cost is making it difficult for the airport to oprate competitively." If a person is making 100 thousand a year and their a non public safety employee, it's actually costing us 190 thousand dollars. For a public safety employee it's 220 thousand dollars."
But Senator Osten disagreed: "This is not where the cost is. We dropped down the cost of health care two years ago by 100-million dollars. We are paying less for wages in the state than we did ten years ago."
In other developments, Dillon says airport travel is still down 75 percent from before the Pandemic. The airport operates on fees, and no state aid. Dillon says revenue has decreased because of fewer landing fees, concessions and car rentals.
