The main terminal complex is at the east end of Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard.

[citation needed] With the start of World War II, the airport was pressed into service as a flight training center for the Army Air Forces.

By 1942, it had become apparent that Amboy Airport was not large enough to handle military needs, and as a replacement, the AAF opened Syracuse Army Air Base in the suburb of Mattydale, New York.

In the mid-1970s the airport was dominated by Mohawk's successor Allegheny Airlines, with some competition from Eastern and American.

[6] Utica-based Empire Airlines emerged as a regional competitor to Allegheny's successor USAir by the early 1980s.

[9] After a legal battle with the city, Piedmont agreed to maintain a hub operation at the airport and advance funds for construction of a new terminal concourse.

[10] USAir acquired Piedmont in 1989, becoming the airport's dominant carrier, but dismantled the Syracuse hub in the 1990s, leading to the closure of several gates.

Renovations included larger windows and higher ceilings allowing more natural light, a brand-new flight museum highlighting the history of aviation both locally and globally,[14] renovated passenger bridges connecting the terminal to the parking garage, as well as more "modern" airline check-in areas.

[24] The airport's terminal and its two concourses will see additional boarding bridges and hold room expansions.

With the use of the Century series fighter aircraft by the Air Force, around 1960 the main east–west runway was extended again, to 9,005 feet.

[29][30] OurBus and Trailways serve the airport with several daily trips, connecting to regional cities such as Ithaca and Watertown.

[33] Syracuse receives an average of 124 inches (3,100 mm) of snow annually, most of any major city in the United States.

The airport has received the Balchen/Post Award for Excellence in the Performance of Snow and Ice Control over eight times,[34] most recently in 2018–19.

The Syracuse Flying Club, based out of the MillionAir FBO, offers flight training.