The Portland International Jetport will get almost $4 million from the federal government to build a new taxiway and expand an airplane parking apron. The $3.88 million Airport Improvement Program grant was announced Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The funding will help pay for the final phase of ongoing construction to change the main terminal apron from asphalt to concrete, Airport Director Paul Bradbury said in an email.

A concrete apron will handle airplane parking at Gate 1 and part of Gate 2 and allow the jetport to handle larger aircraft, which is important to meeting the needs of the airport’s current fleet, Bradbury said.

The construction is one of the early projects outlined in a 20-year, $312 million expansion master plan for the airport unveiled in 2016. Two more gates, expanded parking and baggage claim, and more terminal space are included in the plan.

If improvements are completed, the airport could reach 2.3 million passengers a year by 2036, according to projections.

The jetport set an all-time passenger record in 2017, with 1.8 million people flying in and out of the airport.

Advertisement

Nineteen Maine airports received about $14 million through the Airport Improvement Program in 2018, according to FAA records. Portland received the most funding, with Machias Valley Airport second, getting around $3 million to reconstruct a runway, and Hancock County-Bar Harbor airport getting about $1.6 million for lighting and safety improvements.

Publicly owned airports receive an amount of entitlement funding from the Airport Improvement Program every year based on how busy the airport is and its projected needs. Money is used for construction or planning that improves airport safety and efficiency.

If a request exceeds the annual entitlement, airports can request supplemental improvement funding. The federal government awarded almost $660 million to 390 airports in almost every state during this funding round.

Peter McGuire can be contacted at 791-6325 or at:

pmcguire@pressherald.com

Twitter: PeteL_McGuire


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.