Up in the air | Small airports eye change in light of federal funding news
Augusta State Airport officials have recommended switching from commercial flight operator Colgan Air to Cape Air, in order to preserve a subsidy from the U.S. Department of Transportation. A city committee voted unanimously earlier this month to recommend a four-year contract with Cape Air for flights between Maine’s capital and Boston, according to the Kennebec Journal. The U.S. DOT subsidy is available to airlines where the per-passenger cost does not exceed $200 if the airport is fewer than 210 miles from the nearest hub airport. Colgan’s subsidy amounts to $298 per passenger, while Cape Air’s proposal would require a subsidy below the $200-per-passenger limit.
Cape Air is also seeking a four-year deal at the Knox County Regional Airport, where it has provided regular commercial flights to Boston for nearly two years. The company was the only bidder for the essential air services subsidies offered by the feds to ensure airline coverage in rural areas, according to The Herald Gazette. Pending approval from county commissioners, the subsidies — more than $1.4 million under the four-year proposal — would ultimately be decided by the U.S. DOT.
A batch of Maine airports is receiving more than $5 million from the FAA for upgrades, with the largest chunk going to the Portland International Jetport. The Portland airport, which is in the midst of a $75 million terminal expansion, will receive more than $4.2 million for phase two of its runway safety area construction, according to a release from U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.
Jackie Farwell
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