PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle International Airport will get more than $20 million in federal funding for construction of its new terminal.
A package of $20.46 million in congressionally directed spending now needs to be signed by the president, U.S. Sen. Susan M. Collins announced. The money is included in the 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill.
The airport unveiled plans in June for a new terminal to replace its 70-year-old structure, which no longer meets FAA standards. The new $30 million, two-story terminal will allow the airport to expand accessibility and services, and will accommodate the greater numbers of people who now use it, making the airport a bigger draw to customers.
“PQI plays a critical role in northern Maine’s infrastructure,” Collins said on March 8, adding the new terminal will meet FAA standards and help attract more travelers and business to Aroostook County.
In the past six years, served by United Airlines, the airport has seen passenger boardings grow from 10,000 to nearly 20,000, the highest number seen in two decades, city officials said recently.
Presque Isle is served by carriers under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service, which Congress created in 1978 after airline deregulation to ensure service for smaller communities. United’s two-year contract ends in May, and the U.S. Department of Transportation will choose from four carriers who have bid for services at PQI: United, JetBlue, American Airlines and Boutique Airlines.
Air service in Presque Isle began in 1931 with a small hangar and grass runway, owned by the Presque Isle Airport Company, according to Kim Smith of the Presque Isle Historical Society and the city’s public information officer. Flights became more important as the Presque Isle Air Base served the area during World War II. The base closed in 1961.
The current 10,000-square-foot terminal was built in 1954 and had originally been the base’s fire rescue building, Smith said.
The new terminal will be nearly triple the current building’s size at 25,000 to 30,000 square feet. Features will include expanded baggage and office space, a passenger lounge and a new airport ramp. The Presque Isle Air Museum, currently located in the existing terminal, will have a larger space on the building’s second floor.
Presque Isle Airport Director Scott Wardwell was not immediately available for comment, but said on March 8 the funding is critical to help the airport meet the FAA’s modernization guidelines.
“By implementing the FAA’s recommendations, the new terminal building would not only better serve our current passengers but would also allow for significant growth in the future,” he said in a statement.
The Presque Isle City Council in December voted to spend $900,000 to complete the air terminal design. Designers at that time said plans should be complete by the end of March with construction possibly starting in June or July.
Collins visited the airport last June.
The FAA awarded $7 million toward the new building under its Airport Terminal Program. The Maine Department of Transportation will kick in 2.5 percent, and the Northern Border Regional Commission contributed a $1 million grant.
