‘Unfortunately, we can’t land in Syracuse’: Why pilots are finding it harder to land here lately Updated May 07, 8:45 AM; Posted May 07, 8:30 AM An aerial shot of Syracuse Hancock International Airport. The main runway is on the left. The secondary runway is on the right.Syracuse Hancock International Airport Facebook Share Syracuse, N.Y. — Landing gear down, seat trays up and locked, Sandy Williamson’s flight from Detroit was about to touch down in Syracuse when, suddenly, it was not. “We’re coming down, we’re coming down and then all of a sudden, we just went right back up and, swish, it was really fast,” said Williamson. “A few minutes went by and the pilot said, ‘Unfortunately, we can’t land in Syracuse and we don’t know where we’re headed.’ ”