The Millinocket Municipal Airport will get a $600,000 federal grant to fund improvements that local officials say will shorten the time it takes for the airport to turn a profit for the town.
The Bangor Daily News reported the grant will fund resurfacing of a third of the tarmac and other parking areas and taxiways at the airport that the town took over in 2007.
Millinocket Town Manager Peggy Daigle told the paper that the improvements will allow larger planes to land at the airport, which she expects will boost the local economy in a variety of ways, from hotel stays to car rentals and recreational activities in the area.
The paper reported that the airport generated $105,000 for the town last year, against annual operating expenses of $120,000.
The work funded by the latest grant from the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to begin in June.
