Augusta could cease airport operations
The city of Augusta is mulling whether to continue operating the Augusta State Airport, citing growing expenses and a lack of state funding.
City officials opted not to sign a new five-year contract to manage the state-owned airport, instead signing a one-year deal, according to the Kennebec Journal. City Manager William Bridgeo told the paper he plans to meet with city councilors to discuss whether the city should continue operating the airport. Since 2008, the state has paid Augusta $550,000 a year to manage the airport, but the city has had to cut staff in order to run the airport with that funding. City officials expect costs, including heating buildings and powering equipment, to rise, and the state has not proposed increasing its funding over the next five years. The future of a federal subsidy that provides $1.36 million annually to Cape Air to provide commercial air service in Augusta is also uncertain as Congress looks to cut spending.
Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Latti said the one-year deal will give the state and the city time to work on funding solutions, and said planned energy-efficiency upgrades at the airport could keep operational costs down.
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