Portland Jetport gets $917K for future growth

File Photo / Tim Greenway Portland International Jetport General Manager Paul Bradbury stands in the new wing of the Portland International Jetport in February 2012.

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The Portland International Jetport is receiving a $917,000 federal grant that will help it plan for future growth with a focus on economic and environmental sustainability.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree announced Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration grant will be used to support the creation of the jetport’s new master plan.

"The jetport is a great regional asset and is an important piece of our local economy. We expect a record number of passengers to use the airport in the next year or two, so it’s important and necessary to plan carefully for future growth," Pingree said in a prepared statement. "This investment from the FAA will help the jetport plan for the future in a way that is environmentally and economically sustainable."

Portland Jetport General Manager Paul Bradbury said in the announcement that this will be the jetport’s first master plan that incorporates sustainability measures. About 1.7 million passengers went through the jetport last year, with traffic expected to hit an all-time high within the next two years, according to the announcement.

"The terminal expansion at the jetport was very successful from an energy efficiency point of view," Bradbury said in the statement. "But this new master plan will help us make sustainability a long-term policy throughout the entire jetport."