Portland International Jetport | PWM

There is value in having eyes in the tower and I personally couldn't imagine the FAA abandoning PWM seeing that it is in the top 100 airports in enplanements and is also classified as a small hub. The tower is unmanned from 11PM to 6AM during a period when the airport has numerous morning departures and overnight aircraft arriving past eleven which is a safety concern in my opinion. Boston cannot visually monitor issues with Portland when it comes to fouled runways, equipment malfunctions, taxiway movement and changing weather conditions from 108 miles away and it will take an unfortunate mishap to expand coverage in the tower. The FAA is placing a lessor priority on the safety of passengers that arrive at midnight in the dark than ones who arrive at noon in the daylight which makes no sense to me.
 
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Portlander said:
Outdated in that the structure itself is over 50 years old and not related to any of its current equipment and technology. It has been many years since I've been in the tower and I always felt that it should have been at least 30' taller which may happen if it gets replaced.
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This newer one at La Guardia is my favorite. It looks kind of futuristic, so the feeling on that is improved safety. I'd go with something like this. With all the Roux people coming to town in the not too distant future, a good first impression. Usually, it's the first impression you get of a city when you land. Dumb tower means dumb people? The little one in the corner here looks too sculptural, like it's doubling as an art piece (and who's looking through all those little porthole windows?).

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Similar tower at ISP when the new one was built in 2008 completed in 2010. The old one was built in 1962. Maybe it was a favorite design back then,,,
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Is the current parking garage the same height as the tower and the Hotel blocking sight lines to the West?
 
Portlander said:
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At last check the short term plan is to fill in the dead space in the center which will provide much needed seating and potential restrooms in the Gate 1 A/B and 2 area. The ground level regional jet boarding bridge will be replaced with an elevated full service jetway. There have also been discussions concerning our outdated ATC tower on whether to renovate or replace so the FAA has a stake in what happens with any expansion plans to the east.
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It's never been totally clear to me whether gates 1A/ 1B can accommodate mainline aircraft. They have a smaller profile than the other gates (120 ft. vs. 140 ft.) but this arrangement plan shows an A321 / 737-9 parked at the RJ gates.

The wingspan of an A320ceo and 737-M is 117 ft. so it's a tight fit but it seems those gates could - technically- handle mainline aircraft.
 
Had a meeting with Paul this morning and here are a few tidbits of interest:

- exterior work of the Gates 11-14 expansion will be completed by the first week in May
- interior work will be completed by June 12th which is a few weeks later than originally planned
- Gates 11, 12 and 14 will be designated as common use initially with Breeze showing strong interest as a signature tenant for #14
- Oshkosh Aero Tech has confirmed that the extended passenger bridge that they designed and manufactured is the longest enclosed airport walkway in the country
- future expansion of the Gate 1 A/B and 2 area will probably only include an extension bridge and two elevated jetways to accommodate mainline aircraft which would result in a minor alteration of the gate numbering sequence
- checked out the preliminary plans for the FIS facility and it appears that it will move forward sooner than later once funding is secured
- there will be another meeting later this month to hopefully resolve the parking issues raised by the Stoudwater Neighborhood Association which has become a study of local lawfare at its finest
- the air handler project is completed and the east end of the concourse is back to normal and awaiting the final push for new carpet
 
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Future FIS facility will take up most of the square footage in this photo and then some! Potential international flights will utilize Gates 4 and 5, or maybe it was 5 and 6? Had a lot of stuff to remember! :)
 
Portlander said:
Had a meeting with Paul this morning and here are a few tidbits of interest:

- exterior work of the Gates 11-14 expansion will be completed by the first week in May
- interior work will be completed by June 12th which is a few weeks later than originally planned
- Gates 11, 12 and 14 will be designated as common use initially with Breeze showing strong interest as a signature tenant for #14
- Oshkosh Aero Tech has confirmed that the extended passenger bridge that they designed and manufactured is the longest enclosed airport walkway in the country
- future expansion of the Gate 1 A/B and 2 area will probably only include an extension bridge and two elevated jetways to accommodate mainline aircraft which would result in a minor alteration of the gate numbering sequence
- checked out the preliminary plans for the FIS facility and it appears that it will move forward sooner than later once funding is secured
- there will be another meeting later this month to hopefully resolve the parking issues raised by the Stoudwater Neighborhood Association which has become a study of local lawfare at its finest
- the air handler project is completed and the east end of the concourse is back to normal and awaiting the final push for new carpet
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Great insights as always!

Good to see Breeze is interested in having a dedicated gate. It shows they're committed to growing at PWM.

I'm eager to see a reworking of the east end of the terminal. With new jet bridges for mainline aircraft United could shift eastward (occupying gates 1A/B and 2) and free up a new common gate or create a new gate for WN or F9.

Any juicy gossip from the prince of PWM about potential new service @Portlander ? :p
 
PWMFlyer said:
Is the current parking garage the same height as the tower and the Hotel blocking sight lines to the West?
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The tower appears to be around 25' taller than the garage as viewed from my favorite photo perch on the upper level and the Embassy Suites would not cause any sight line issues with 18/36.
 
Cosakita18 said:
Any juicy gossip from the prince of PWM about potential new service @Portlander ? :p
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I wish and if there were any new destinations Paul was not divulging. He was actually optimistic about Avelo's upcoming service to New Haven and felt it may lead to additional service down the runway. :)
 
Cosakita18 said:
I'm eager to see a reworking of the east end of the terminal. With new jet bridges for mainline aircraft United could shift eastward (occupying gates 1A/B and 2) and free up a new common gate or create a new gate for WN or F9.
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I was a little disappointed because the master plan had that dead space to the east of the concourse filled in to include more gate seating in an already congested area. It now appears to be a repeat of the west end expansion only without the added boarding/restroom space. Adding two more full service jetways is still a win for PWM and would bring the total to 14 which would equal MHT. We now have 12 along with 2 ground level regional jet gates. American will have up to 6 RON aircraft this upcoming summer and fall season and will have to utilize the de-icing pads for parking spaces along with United.
 
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Portlander said:
I was a little disappointed because the master plan had that dead space to the east of the concourse filled in to include more gate seating in an already congested area. It now appears to be a repeat of the west end expansion only without the added boarding/restroom space. Adding two more full service jetways is still a win for PWM and would bring the total to 14 which would equal MHT. We now have 12 along with 2 ground level regional jet gates. American will have up to 6 RON aircraft this upcoming summer and fall season and will have to utilize the de-icing pads for parking spaces along with United.
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I would gladly wait a few years for east side renovations if it meant a concourse expansion was feasible.... even was just a few hundred square feet. Even in the "slow months" that side of the terminal gets very crowded. During the AM departure bank WN and UA both have 737-8/9's boarding at the same time. Tight quarters!
 
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Portlander said:
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Future FIS facility will take up most of the square footage in this photo and then some! Potential international flights will utilize Gates 4 and 5, or maybe it was 5 and 6? Had a lot of stuff to remember! :)
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I hate that pink tile so bad, plus the stairs in pink. Was someone color blind picking this out, or is this Miami International? LOL International service will be a game changer for this airport. Breeze and F9 are itching for international service.
 
The pinkish tile was from the 90's and the wall where the departure and arrivals sign is affixed was Delta's ticket counter where I once worked. Business Express and Northwest Airlines were located further down the wall and USAir and United was to the right of Delta in the "new" addition identified by the seam in the ceiling and floor.
 
Portlander, can you get Paul to okay this? I can have a friend print this out in high quality 5'x10' (adhesive backing) so that everyone can see it before going down the escalator to baggage claim. Cost? Just buy the image. I think it's around $500, though maybe less if Maine Imaging likes the idea of where it is going. Printing and installation I've got covered. I can also have him Photoshop in The Casco. No one would ever know except us.

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