The Presque Isle International Airport will receive $7.3 million in federal funds toward its new $30 million terminal and paving maintenance.
Presque Isle got the bulk of $12 million that has been awarded in the past month to airports in Maine’s 2nd congressional district through the bipartisan infrastructure law. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden announced the funding on Aug. 8.
“In Maine’s most rural communities, air travel helps connect people, goods, emergency services, and more,” Golden said. “Once again, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is ensuring that federal resources are being invested right here at home.”
The airport unveiled plans for its new terminal last year. The existing facility, built in the 1940s, no longer meets Federal Aviation Administration standards and is too small for the numbers of people that currently use the airport. The new two-story structure will be safer, more accessible, and a better fit for the larger planes that will serve the region when JetBlue starts service next month.
Presque Isle’s $6.5 million grant is the largest single award for Maine in this round of funding. The money comes from the airport infrastructure grant and airport terminals programs.
“This grant is 100 percent for the new terminal,” said Scott Wardwell, airport director. “The site work may begin in late fall but more likely will begin in April 2025.”
The award will augment funds already received for the new terminal, including $20.4 million in congressionally directed spending, $7 million from the FAA and a $1 million grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission.
The Presque Isle airport also received three other awards, including $481,117 for a new apron, the paved area where planes load and unload; $130,530 to update its pavement management; and $212,000 to refurbish taxiways under the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program.
The airport netted a $611,647 grant for the apron in July.
The pavement management plan involves inspection of all paved areas used by aircraft, Wardwell said.
“The results of the inspection help guide our decisions on what pavements need to be replaced or upgraded and when that should occur,” he said.
The funds for the taxiway will cover the annual painting of pavement markings on both runways, he said.
Meanwhile, the airport is preparing for the arrival of new service provider JetBlue, which the Department of Transportation selected as its Essential Air Service carrier for the next two years.
JetBlue will use a 100-passenger plane, double the size of the 50-passenger aircraft current provider United Airlines uses. That created a dilemma for the airport because the new terminal is years away, and the current terminal doesn’t have enough seats to meet federal requirements. Staff said in June an addition would be built on to the existing building.
That temporary addition is nearly finished, Wardwell said. It will have space for 80 seats in the secure holding area, which is 80 percent of 100 passengers.
“The 80 percent is the airline industry standard for the seating capacity in the boarding gate area,” Wardwell said. “If necessary, the aircraft boarding process will be modified to reduce the number of occupants in the secure holding area at any one time.”
Employees at the airport, along with United Airlines, JetBlue, Transportation Security Administration staff and emergency personnel are working together to ensure everything is in place for JetBlue, he said.
The airport served 19,254 passengers last year, the largest number since the year 2000, according to Wardwell.
