Portland International Jetport | PWM

Not the first time and probably won't be the last because we're normally on the same page when it comes to this stuff and I always defer to you on anything Westbrook or Rock Row related. (y)

A few PWM improvement updates: The funding request was submitted last month for the two gate (12&14) expansion at the western end of the terminal which will be connected via a very long pedestrian bridge. Included in the package was the addition of new restrooms in the dead space area near Gate 1 and the exit portal. If this request is approved the new changes could begin next year. In addition, three older jetways (4,5,6) will be replaced by new ones that have already been funded and the airport is just waiting for them to be built and delivered. Lastly, the exterior painting project (light blue to dark gray for uniformity) at the front of the terminal will resume this spring in order to complete the baggage claim end.
 
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So, yes, this plan is a possibility. Thank you Portlander and Dr. StrangeHat. Great visuals of this master plan! Amazon would be a great occupant for an expanded cargo area seen in the draw ups I posted and the master plan!
Thanks for the update as well Portlander
 
Any updates on the FIS Facility, baggage claim expansion, and office move to the east wing(deadspace) area?
 
Great question PWMFlyer. The goal is to move the administration offices to the former restaurant space on the second level of the east terminal sometime next year. Walked through that area a few months ago and it's currently being used for maintenance and storage which includes PWM artifacts from the past and Christmas decorations. Once that move is complete the TSA relocation and FIS (will still need to acquire funding) construction can finally move forward. The first phase of the baggage claim makeover is funded and is scheduled for next year. It will involve changing the existing flat plate carousels to modern inclined plate versions with the addition of a fourth carousel coming at a later date in Phase 2. The pandemic had a financial impact on moving some of these projects moving forward due to a full year of limited enplanements which shrunk the amount of passenger fees collected. Fortunately, the $14 million plus for the main runway rebuild, major lighting upgrades and taxiway improvements were already approved and paid for.
 
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Breeze Airways has announced they are entering the Portland market starting in May with direct service to Pittsburgh, Tampa, Norfolk-Virginia Beach and Charleston, SC. That will now give PWM 8 airlines flying to 22 destinations for the summer and fall season. For comparison purposes, MHT will have 4 airlines serving 11 destinations but continues to show growth in the cargo business and is the third busiest in New England behind BOS and BDL.
 
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Some of those routes seem a bit odd...United offered flights from PWM to Pittsburgh for the summer of '21 and it didn't perform very well. Maybe Breeze can do better.

Personally, I'm hopeful the jetport can once again become "international" with a service to Toronto and/or Montreal. I think service west of Denver might also be a possibility (maybe Salt Lake City or Las Vegas on a seaonal basis)

I also doubt the jetport will every develop into an air cargo hub in the same way MHT has. MHT has become the gateway for air cargo operators to expand their capacity in the Boston area since Logan Airport has very limited space for cargo operators to expand...
But as consolation Portland has rail and ocean trade lanes that Manchester could never achieve.
 
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Pittsburgh is currently an untapped market for Portland and used to be a busy destination via USAirways many years ago. Though I love the Norfolk-Virgina Beach area, I would have preferred Savannah but its MSA only has 410K compared to 1.8M for Norfolk. Charleston is a no brainer from PWM and should do very well and the addition of Tampa makes up for Frontier dropping it from its schedule. Manchester has an all weather 9250' runway which put it on the cargo map for northern New England. Portland has maxed out it's primary runway at 7200' due to limitations with the Maine Turnpike and the Fore River on either end so we will probably never be able to bring in larger cargo aircraft than what is currently being used at the jetport.
 
I'd also like to see more service West of Denver.....San Diego and Vegas being my top choices.....year round.
 
Here is PVD's Breeze upcoming service to compare to PWM:
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I could see Sarasota(Seasonal) added which Elite stopped due to lack of service. This is a big snow bird route from Maine.
Will Breeze go head to head with Frontier on the MCO route? Will Frontier leave? They are pulling out of PVD. BDL and BOS are the only 2 stations left in New England other than PWM.
Maybe see a LAX at a later date?
LAS? Seasonal?
RSW?
Overall this is a great option for the Jetport. If Breeze adds more routes, I expect passenger numbers to far exceed 2019 numbers.
 
I'm not sure to what extent Elite stopped Sarasota due to lack of demand, or Elite just falling apart. But at the same time (and never having been there), I think all Sarasota buys you over Tampa is a smaller airport and not having to drive over the Sunshine Skyway.

I'm not sure to what extent Pittsburgh is a destination market for Portland; the prior service (and I flew through there in the late 90's) was because it was a United hub. I don't think that's the case anymore.
 
PWMFlyer, I agree with your future wish list, but runway limitations would make it difficult to reach the west coast. Delta service to SLC may be a possibility someday and I think PHX and LAS would be pushing the distance parameters. PVD, which is further west than PWM had to extend it's main runway (8700') in order to have the ability to reach LAX and other west coast hubs without weight and fuel restrictions.
 
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markhb said:
I'm not sure to what extent Elite stopped Sarasota due to lack of demand, or Elite just falling apart.
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The demand is there, but Elite ran a very...unconventional... business model: Attempting to offer an expensive "premium" service on regional jets notorious for being cramped and uncomfortable (The CRJ-200) operating once or twice a week and starting and stopping routes with almost no publicity. It doesn't surprise me they couldn't fill seats.
 
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Breeze flies the A220 which does not require a long runway. New fuel-efficient aircraft don't require a long runway compared to older 747, 777, A330 models.
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Another example of short runway service to West Coast-DCA runway 01/19 is 7,169 and routes to SFO, SEA, LAX , PDX.
LGA Runway 04/22 and 13/31 are 7,000ft, but this airport functions as a short haul hub from Denver airport east utilizing 737, A320, CRJ700, CRJ900 models.
PVD needed to extend its runway at a time when planes were not efficient and allowing the Pats and visiting teams to utilize the airport for games. PAT 1 is a 767-300 model which requires a MTOW of about 8,000 -9000 ft
 
Thanks for the performance data concerning the A220 and its potential at MTOW. All airlines have a comfort level (minimums) with each aircraft when it comes runway lengths, fuel and weight windows even though a particular aircraft may have the ability to transit the distance and land safely. The other issue is the financial feasibility of the route, can Breeze turn a profit selling $39-59 dollar tickets on a 130 seat aircraft to LAX? I am all for further destinations from PWM, but after numerous discussions concerning our 7200' runway with many airline professionals there are limitations with routes to the west coast.
 
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I spoke to Paul Bradbury years ago when they had the open house for the expansion, and he is thinking the same thing I am: if they can ever get a real CBP facility built, the Jetport could easily handle flights to Iceland with no additional runway. And since the Icelandic airlines use Keflavik as a hub to all of Europe, you get a ton of 1-stop destinations easily.
 
Paul has been a friend of mine for over 25 years and has done an amazing job as PWM's director. Iceland has been on the radar from Portland for a long time an hopefully it will materialize once our FIS facility gets built. Added a screen shot of a Delta charter from PWM to Edinburgh a few years ago.
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Great news for PWM. Runway lengths and demand aren’t as big of problems compared to something I believe the Jetport lacks big time: MARKETING. The Jetport may be the easiest and most convenient mid sized airport in the country and there aren’t commercials, ads, billboards, or anything else promoting it.
The runway can support A321s, B737-9er and MAXs, and for freight, an A300 which is quite large. Runway length is not a problem looking at overseas flights. Boston has flights to Iceland, Ireland, and the UK in the same aircraft types the Jetport sees everyday.
I believe that if the Jetport were to promote these new flights, the convenience of flying PWM, and all the benefits you don’t get at BOS or anywhere else, then demand would go through the roof!!
 
NR2Portland said:
Great news for PWM. Runway lengths and demand aren’t as big of problems compared to something I believe the Jetport lacks big time: MARKETING. The Jetport may be the easiest and most convenient mid sized airport in the country and there aren’t commercials, ads, billboards, or anything else promoting it.
The runway can support A321s, B737-9er and MAXs, and for freight, an A300 which is quite large. Runway length is not a problem looking at overseas flights. Boston has flights to Iceland, Ireland, and the UK in the same aircraft types the Jetport sees everyday.
I believe that if the Jetport were to promote these new flights, the convenience of flying PWM, and all the benefits you don’t get at BOS or anywhere else, then demand would go through the roof!!
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Agreed. I offered to license and donate one of Maine Imaging's hi-rez low aerial shots to present for passengers (up to 16' x 9') to see coming down the escalator to baggage. They never called me back. Most or many airports do this kind of thing, don't they? That first impression? The image I like was taken in the fall of the Portland Head light in the foreground, the downtown skyline in the midground, and the White Mountains with snow on them in the background. Makes Portland look like Shangri-La. It was a telephoto shot so it's all kind of scrunched together but looks fantastic despite. Who will pay for the print and mounting? We could create a GoFundMe page... or do nothing. Currently, the first thing passengers see when they come down the escalator is a life-size soiled taxidermy moose. How many moose do you see walking around Portland and its suburbs? Most Mainers have never seen one. Why is it so important? Portland is a far cry from Greenville.
 
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