Portland International Jetport
Encyclopedia
Portland International Jetport is a public airport
located two miles (3 km) west of the central business district
of Portland
, in Cumberland County
, Maine
, United States. It is owned by the city of Portland. A significant portion of the Jetport, including the main runway, is located in the neighboring city of South Portland
.
This regional airport serves much of Maine
and is the busiest airport in the state. In 2007, the airport handled a record 1.6 million passengers, up 17.0% from the previous year, and is on track to handle 1.8 million passengers in 2011. In recent years, the Jetport has benefited from service by low-cost carrier
s such as JetBlue
and AirTran
. A survey conducted in June 2011 found PWM to be the most affordable airport in the region, and the third most affordable in New England. In October 2011, PWM completed a $75 million renovation and expansion of its terminal
to allow more airline
service and more amenities for passengers.
began a flight from Portland to Boston. Two years later, the city of Portland
bought the airfield and changed its name to Portland-Westbrook Municipal Airport. "Westbrook" referred to the location of the last directional light before the airport in the nearby city of Westbrook
.
The current airport started to take shape in the 1950s to '60s. Runway 11/29 was built in 1957 and lengthened to 6800 feet (2,073 m) in 1966. The current terminal was opened in 1968, when jet
service began.
. Another airline emerged in 1962, when Atlantic Airways began service between the airport and Boston's Logan International Airport
. This competition was short lived, however, as there is no other information about the airline other than one timetable. Northeast would be alone at the airport for another eight years, when, in 1970, another regional carrier, Aroostook Airways
, began offering service between Presque Isle
and Portland, with stops in Augusta
and Bangor
. Unfortunately, this airline too faded into obscurity, lasting until 1972.
That same year, regional airline Air New England
began service in Portland, competing with Northeast Airlines with intrastate routes and the route between Portland and Boston.
1972 was a busy year for passenger airlines at the Portland International Jetport. It marked the end of Aroostook Airways, as well as the introduction of two new airlines. In 1972, Northeast Airlines was bought out by Delta Air Lines
, who remain at the Jetport to this day. The airline started out slow in Portland, merely retaining the former Northeast Routes to Bangor
, Boston
, and New York. By 1979, Delta had expanded at the Jetport, adding Burlington, Vermont
as well.
brought many changes to the Jetport. These changes began in 1981, when Air New England
ceased operations and pulled out of the Jetport after 11 years. This departure was followed a year later by the arrival of Air Vermont
, a regional carrier that served a route between Portland and Burlington until about 1983 or 1984, when it too went out of business.
One of the most important events during this period was the arrival of PEOPLExpress Airlines
in 1983. The airline, the first low-cost carrier
to operate out of the Jetport, was well known nationally for its rock-bottom prices. The airline operated a route between Portland and Newark
that is still operated today by Continental Airlines
, which bought out PEOPLExpress in 1987.
In 1984, United Airlines
, in its attempt to be the only airline to serve all 50 states, began operating out of Portland, originally flying the Portland and Burlington route that had been left behind by Air Vermont. This was merely the beginning of United's operations in Portland, as the airline still exists there today.
That same year, small regional carrier Ransome Airlines
, doing business as
Delta Connection
, began a route between Portland and Boston. This route ended in 1986, when Ransome was bought by Pan Am
and renamed Pan Am Express
.
1986 also brought to the Jetport US Airways
(then USAir), who began service from Portland to Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh
. Low-cost carrier Presidential Airways also began service from the Jetport in 1986, flying a route from Portland to Washington's Dulles International Airport. This would be short-lived, however, as Presidential Airways ceased operations by the end of the decade.
1987 saw the arrival of Continental Airlines
, when the airline bought PEOPLExpress and took over their existing route system. It also saw the beginning of Business Express
, a commuter airline offering service from Portland to Boston, New York-LaGuardia, and Presque Isle, originally independently, and then doing business as Delta Connection.
aircraft to smaller regional jet
s or turboprop
s at PWM. In late 2002, American Eagle
stopped flying to the Jetport.
In 2004, Runway 11/29 was lengthened to a total of 7200 feet (2,195 m), to accommodate larger aircraft and to improve safety.
On September 1, 2005, Delta Air Lines
ended mainline service to PWM. Despite the airline's strong history at Portland, serving the Jetport in the past with aircraft as large as the Boeing 727
and 757
, all flights from that date forward were set to be operated by Delta Connection
on Bombardier CRJ series
regional jets.
Some service began to return as the airline industry's economics improved in 2005 and 2006. The first step up came with the introduction of the low cost carrier Independence Air
in 2005. On May 1, 2005, Independence added a daily flight to Washington Dulles on an Airbus A319
, making them the first carrier to fly an Airbus out of Portland. Portland was one of the few markets that Independence Air consistently served with its A319s, and at the time of its bankruptcy
Portland was rumored to be one of its few profitable destinations. FedEx Express also began using an Airbus A310
widebody
jet on its cargo
flights to Memphis
later that year, although today the company still primarily uses a 757 or 727 for those flights.
After Independence Air went bankrupt, Portland was left without a low-cost carrier, causing fares to go up, and passenger numbers to once again decline. Capitalizing on the underserved market, JetBlue Airways
began service to Portland on May 23, 2006, with four daily flights to New York-JFK
aboard Airbus A320
jets — currently the largest passenger jets serving Portland. This made them the second-largest air carrier at the Jetport (in terms of available seats) nearly overnight. This addition of service inspired what is known as The Southwest Effect
, where the addition of a large number of low cost seats in a market forces down the price of competing tickets.
On June 7, 2007, AirTran Airways
began seasonal service to Baltimore-Washington
, as well as to Orlando, Florida
. This established AirTran as the second low-cost carrier in Portland, competing with JetBlue. This was the first time that Portland received regularly scheduled non-stop service to a Florida destination. AirTran serves the Jetport with Boeing 717
and 737
jets. At the same time as AirTran's arrival, JetBlue announced that it would be adding a fifth flight of its own to New York, further increasing the number of available low cost seats. On September 26, 2007 JetBlue also announced a daily direct flight to Orlando, using its Embraer 190 aircraft, beginning in January 2008. The year 2007 was a record high for Portland: the added service posted a 17% increase in passengers from the year before.
In 2008, Delta Air Lines resumed mainline service to Portland, with a daily flight to Atlanta on a McDonnell Douglas MD-88 jet. At the same time, a regional startup
, New England Air Transport
(NEAT) began intrastate air service, flying three times weekly to Aroostook County
with a Piper Chieftain
. This was the first intrastate service offered out of Portland in more than a decade. With these increases, 2008 also saw a number of losses of service, with air traffic in an overall decline as the airline industry scaled back due to the Great Recession.
At the onset of 2009, the Jetport saw the return of international service. Starlink Aviation
announced the start of service between Portland and Halifax, Nova Scotia and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
, to begin in February of that year. In fall of 2009, PWM built an official plane spotting
area on Aviation Boulevard in South Portland, allowing aircraft enthusiasts to observe flights arriving and departing. Prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks, plane spotters observed Jetport activity from Jetport Plaza Road and Jetport Access Road, but such activity was subsequently prohibited in the wake of the attacks due to security concerns. The official plane spotting area includes a sign depicting some of the passenger aircraft typically seen at the Jetport.
, began flying between Portland and Yarmouth on a semi-daily basis. This service began on March 15, 2010.
At the same time, Air Canada
announced that it would be launching a number of new routes out of Toronto, including a flight to Portland. The twice-daily Portland-Toronto service began on May 17, 2010, operated by Air Georgian
using Beechcraft 1900D
aircraft.
While these two new airlines began service, the Jetport began construction on its expanded terminal as well as several infrastructure improvements. Major expansion of the airline terminal — which had already been expanded at least twice — took place throughout 2010 and 2011. The expanded terminal opened to the public on October 2, 2011. The $75 million project brought a number of changes, including improvements to the baggage claim
, reconfiguration of the airport access road and terminal roads, and rehabilitation and expansion of the parking garage. The new terminal features a geothermal heating and cooling
system — the largest of its kind in Maine — which is expected to reduce the Jetport's consumption of heating oil
by up to 102,000 gallons per year. Expansion and improvements are also planned for the general aviation
ramp, enlarging the cargo ramp and facilities, reconfiguring the alignment of taxiway
s, improving the airport's deicing
facilities, and eventually lengthening Runway 18/36.
A survey conducted in June 2011 by travel web site Cheapflights
found PWM to be the most affordable airport in the region (beating Manchester
and Logan
), and the third most affordable in New England (behind Bradley
and T. F. Green
).
(the Maine Turnpike) and I-295
. The jetport provides ample parking space in multiple ground lots
as well as two parking garages, with rates ranging from $10–$12 per day. A complimentary cell phone lot is available just outside the baggage claim area. METRO Bus and taxi
service can be accessed from the ground transportation booth outside the baggage claim
. A shuttle bus service called The Portland Explorer provides access to area hotels and to other local transportation, such as the Amtrak
Downeaster
train service, and Concord Coach Lines
intercity bus service at the Portland Transportation Center.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located two miles (3 km) west of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States. It is owned by the city of Portland. A significant portion of the Jetport, including the main runway, is located in the neighboring city of South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
.
This regional airport serves much of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and is the busiest airport in the state. In 2007, the airport handled a record 1.6 million passengers, up 17.0% from the previous year, and is on track to handle 1.8 million passengers in 2011. In recent years, the Jetport has benefited from service by low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s such as JetBlue
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
and AirTran
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
. A survey conducted in June 2011 found PWM to be the most affordable airport in the region, and the third most affordable in New England. In October 2011, PWM completed a $75 million renovation and expansion of its terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
to allow more airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
service and more amenities for passengers.
Early years
The airfield was founded in the late 1920s by Dr. Clifford “Kip” Strange, who needed space for his JN-4 "Jenny" Biplane. Known as Stroudwater Field, the airport received its first commercial service on August 1, 1931, when Boston-Maine AirwaysNortheast Airlines
Northeast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
began a flight from Portland to Boston. Two years later, the city of Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
bought the airfield and changed its name to Portland-Westbrook Municipal Airport. "Westbrook" referred to the location of the last directional light before the airport in the nearby city of Westbrook
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
.
The current airport started to take shape in the 1950s to '60s. Runway 11/29 was built in 1957 and lengthened to 6800 feet (2,073 m) in 1966. The current terminal was opened in 1968, when jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
service began.
1960s - 1970s
Boston-Maine Airways had a monopoly on passenger air travel out of Portland, which would continue when the airline was renamed Northeast AirlinesNortheast Airlines
Northeast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
. Another airline emerged in 1962, when Atlantic Airways began service between the airport and Boston's Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
. This competition was short lived, however, as there is no other information about the airline other than one timetable. Northeast would be alone at the airport for another eight years, when, in 1970, another regional carrier, Aroostook Airways
Aroostook Airways
Aroostook Airways was an airline based in Presque Isle, Maine, USA, in the 1970s. It offered commuter airline service throughout Maine, Boston, and Hartford's Bradley International Airport...
, began offering service between Presque Isle
Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle
Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle is a city-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile northwest of the central business district of Presque Isle, a city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It serves the residents of Presque Isle, Maine, and a vast area of northern...
and Portland, with stops in Augusta
Augusta State Airport
Augusta State Airport is a public use airport located one nautical mile northwest of the central business district of Augusta, a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. It is owned by the state of Maine, but managed and operated by the city of Augusta. The airport is mostly used for...
and Bangor
Bangor International Airport
Bangor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located west of the city of Bangor, in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Bangor and was formerly a military installation known as Dow Air Force Base. The airport possesses a single...
. Unfortunately, this airline too faded into obscurity, lasting until 1972.
That same year, regional airline Air New England
Air New England
Air New England was an American commuter airline with service to New England communities during the 1970s. It was headquartered at Logan International Airport in the East Boston area of Boston, Massachusetts....
began service in Portland, competing with Northeast Airlines with intrastate routes and the route between Portland and Boston.
1972 was a busy year for passenger airlines at the Portland International Jetport. It marked the end of Aroostook Airways, as well as the introduction of two new airlines. In 1972, Northeast Airlines was bought out by Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, who remain at the Jetport to this day. The airline started out slow in Portland, merely retaining the former Northeast Routes to Bangor
Bangor International Airport
Bangor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located west of the city of Bangor, in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Bangor and was formerly a military installation known as Dow Air Force Base. The airport possesses a single...
, Boston
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
, and New York. By 1979, Delta had expanded at the Jetport, adding Burlington, Vermont
Burlington International Airport
Burlington International Airport is a joint-use public and military airport in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. It is owned by the City of Burlington...
as well.
1980s - 1990s
The 1980s and airline deregulationAirline deregulation
Airline deregulation is the process of removing entry and price restrictions on airlines affecting, in particular, the carriers permitted to serve specific routes. In the United States, the term usually applies to the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978...
brought many changes to the Jetport. These changes began in 1981, when Air New England
Air New England
Air New England was an American commuter airline with service to New England communities during the 1970s. It was headquartered at Logan International Airport in the East Boston area of Boston, Massachusetts....
ceased operations and pulled out of the Jetport after 11 years. This departure was followed a year later by the arrival of Air Vermont
Air Vermont
Air Vermont was a commuter airline based in Stowe, Vermont. It was established in 1981 but suspended operations three years later in 1984. It served several airports that are no longer served by scheduled airline service.-Former destinations served:...
, a regional carrier that served a route between Portland and Burlington until about 1983 or 1984, when it too went out of business.
One of the most important events during this period was the arrival of PEOPLExpress Airlines
Peoplexpress Airlines
People Express Airlines, stylized as PEOPLExpress, also known as People Express Travel, was a U.S. no-frills airline that operated from 1981 to 1987, when it merged into Continental Airlines...
in 1983. The airline, the first low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
to operate out of the Jetport, was well known nationally for its rock-bottom prices. The airline operated a route between Portland and Newark
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
that is still operated today by Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, which bought out PEOPLExpress in 1987.
In 1984, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, in its attempt to be the only airline to serve all 50 states, began operating out of Portland, originally flying the Portland and Burlington route that had been left behind by Air Vermont. This was merely the beginning of United's operations in Portland, as the airline still exists there today.
That same year, small regional carrier Ransome Airlines
Ransome Airlines
Ransome Airlines was a commuter airline which was headquartered at Northeast Philadelphia Airport in Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Dawson Ransome, it began operations as an independent carrier in 1967. Ransome was particularly noted for operating the Dash 7 as it...
, doing business as
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
, began a route between Portland and Boston. This route ended in 1986, when Ransome was bought by Pan Am
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
and renamed Pan Am Express
Pan Am Express
Pan Am Express was a regional airline of the United States. Initially a banner carrier brand operated by Ransome Airlines, it later entered a codeshare-like affiliated arrangement with Pan American World Airways....
.
1986 also brought to the Jetport US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
(then USAir), who began service from Portland to Philadelphia
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
. Low-cost carrier Presidential Airways also began service from the Jetport in 1986, flying a route from Portland to Washington's Dulles International Airport. This would be short-lived, however, as Presidential Airways ceased operations by the end of the decade.
1987 saw the arrival of Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, when the airline bought PEOPLExpress and took over their existing route system. It also saw the beginning of Business Express
Business Express Airlines
Business Express Airlines , often referred to simply as Business Express or BizEX was an American regional airline founded as Atlantic Air in 1982. In an effort to appeal with its predominantly business commuter clientele, the airline assumed the Business Express name in 1985...
, a commuter airline offering service from Portland to Boston, New York-LaGuardia, and Presque Isle, originally independently, and then doing business as Delta Connection.
2000s
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, many U.S. airlines began offering fewer flights. This furthered the airlines' shift from mainline jetJet airliner
A jet airliner is an airliner that is powered by jet engines. This term is sometimes contracted to jetliner or jet.In contrast to today's relatively fuel-efficient, turbofan-powered air travel, first generation jet airliner travel was noisy and fuel inefficient...
aircraft to smaller regional jet
Regional jet
A Regional jet , is a class of short to medium-range turbofan powered airliners.-History:The term "Regional jet" describes a range of short to medium-haul turbofan powered aircraft, whose use throughout the world expanded after the advent of Airline Deregulation in the United States in...
s or turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s at PWM. In late 2002, American Eagle
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
stopped flying to the Jetport.
In 2004, Runway 11/29 was lengthened to a total of 7200 feet (2,195 m), to accommodate larger aircraft and to improve safety.
On September 1, 2005, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
ended mainline service to PWM. Despite the airline's strong history at Portland, serving the Jetport in the past with aircraft as large as the Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
and 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
, all flights from that date forward were set to be operated by Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
on Bombardier CRJ series
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
regional jets.
Some service began to return as the airline industry's economics improved in 2005 and 2006. The first step up came with the introduction of the low cost carrier Independence Air
Independence Air
Independence Air was a low-cost airline, owned by FLYi, Inc., headquartered in the Loudoun Gateway Corporate Center in Dulles, unincorporated Loudoun County, Virginia, United States that operated from 1989 until 2006. Its route network focused on the East Coast of the United States, but it also...
in 2005. On May 1, 2005, Independence added a daily flight to Washington Dulles on an Airbus A319
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
, making them the first carrier to fly an Airbus out of Portland. Portland was one of the few markets that Independence Air consistently served with its A319s, and at the time of its bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
Portland was rumored to be one of its few profitable destinations. FedEx Express also began using an Airbus A310
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
widebody
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
jet on its cargo
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
flights to Memphis
Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
later that year, although today the company still primarily uses a 757 or 727 for those flights.
After Independence Air went bankrupt, Portland was left without a low-cost carrier, causing fares to go up, and passenger numbers to once again decline. Capitalizing on the underserved market, JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
began service to Portland on May 23, 2006, with four daily flights to New York-JFK
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
aboard Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
jets — currently the largest passenger jets serving Portland. This made them the second-largest air carrier at the Jetport (in terms of available seats) nearly overnight. This addition of service inspired what is known as The Southwest Effect
The Southwest effect
The Southwest Effect is the increase in airline travel originating from a community after service to and from that community is inaugurated by Southwest Airlines or another airline that improves service or lowers cost.-Lower fares increase demand:...
, where the addition of a large number of low cost seats in a market forces down the price of competing tickets.
On June 7, 2007, AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
began seasonal service to Baltimore-Washington
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is an international airport serving the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area in the United States. It is commonly called BWI, BWI Airport or BWI Marshall, BWI being an initialism for "Baltimore/Washington International" and the...
, as well as to Orlando, Florida
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...
. This established AirTran as the second low-cost carrier in Portland, competing with JetBlue. This was the first time that Portland received regularly scheduled non-stop service to a Florida destination. AirTran serves the Jetport with Boeing 717
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
and 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
jets. At the same time as AirTran's arrival, JetBlue announced that it would be adding a fifth flight of its own to New York, further increasing the number of available low cost seats. On September 26, 2007 JetBlue also announced a daily direct flight to Orlando, using its Embraer 190 aircraft, beginning in January 2008. The year 2007 was a record high for Portland: the added service posted a 17% increase in passengers from the year before.
In 2008, Delta Air Lines resumed mainline service to Portland, with a daily flight to Atlanta on a McDonnell Douglas MD-88 jet. At the same time, a regional startup
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
, New England Air Transport
New England Air Transport
New England Air Transport was an airline based in Maine, launched in August, 2008. The airline, geared towards business travelers, tourists, and those seeking medical treatment, was focused on air service between Aroostook and Cumberland counties, the northernmost and southernmost parts of the...
(NEAT) began intrastate air service, flying three times weekly to Aroostook County
Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 71,870. In land area, it is the largest county in the state and the largest U.S. county east of the Mississippi River. Its seat is Houlton...
with a Piper Chieftain
Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
. This was the first intrastate service offered out of Portland in more than a decade. With these increases, 2008 also saw a number of losses of service, with air traffic in an overall decline as the airline industry scaled back due to the Great Recession.
At the onset of 2009, the Jetport saw the return of international service. Starlink Aviation
Starlink Aviation
Starlink Aviation is a Canadian fixed base operator, passenger and charter airline. It is based at the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal. Starlink is primarily a charter carrier, but also operates a small fleet of turboprop aircraft on scheduled "Corporate Shuttle"...
announced the start of service between Portland and Halifax, Nova Scotia and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
, to begin in February of that year. In fall of 2009, PWM built an official plane spotting
Aircraft spotting
Aircraft spotting or plane spotting is the observation and logging of the registration numbers of aircraft: gliders, powered aircraft, balloons, airships, helicopters, and microlights....
area on Aviation Boulevard in South Portland, allowing aircraft enthusiasts to observe flights arriving and departing. Prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks, plane spotters observed Jetport activity from Jetport Plaza Road and Jetport Access Road, but such activity was subsequently prohibited in the wake of the attacks due to security concerns. The official plane spotting area includes a sign depicting some of the passenger aircraft typically seen at the Jetport.
2010s
With the start of 2010, the Jetport saw a number of changes in service. Starlink Aviation ended its service linking Portland to Yarmouth and Halifax, Nova Scotia, citing the loss of a Canadian subsidy. Soon after Starlink ended their service, a Maine-based company, Twin Cities Air ServiceTwin Cities Air Service
Twin Cities Air Service is an American fixed base operator and charter airline based at Auburn, Maine and operating from Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport and the Portland International Jetport...
, began flying between Portland and Yarmouth on a semi-daily basis. This service began on March 15, 2010.
At the same time, Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
announced that it would be launching a number of new routes out of Toronto, including a flight to Portland. The twice-daily Portland-Toronto service began on May 17, 2010, operated by Air Georgian
Air Georgian
Air Georgian Limited is an airline based in the Shell Aerocentre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It was established and started operations in 1994 and operates as a charter and airline carrier. It once had a C208 Amphib in the UAE which was the first in the region. It had a long time cargo...
using Beechcraft 1900D
Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
aircraft.
While these two new airlines began service, the Jetport began construction on its expanded terminal as well as several infrastructure improvements. Major expansion of the airline terminal — which had already been expanded at least twice — took place throughout 2010 and 2011. The expanded terminal opened to the public on October 2, 2011. The $75 million project brought a number of changes, including improvements to the baggage claim
Baggage claim
In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage reclaim is used to mean the same thing at many airports outside the USA In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an...
, reconfiguration of the airport access road and terminal roads, and rehabilitation and expansion of the parking garage. The new terminal features a geothermal heating and cooling
Geothermal heating
Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the Paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ of geothermal heating in 2004...
system — the largest of its kind in Maine — which is expected to reduce the Jetport's consumption of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
by up to 102,000 gallons per year. Expansion and improvements are also planned for the general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
ramp, enlarging the cargo ramp and facilities, reconfiguring the alignment of taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
s, improving the airport's deicing
Deicing
For snow and ice control on roadways and similar facilities, see Snow removalDe-icing is defined as removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface...
facilities, and eventually lengthening Runway 18/36.
A survey conducted in June 2011 by travel web site Cheapflights
Cheapflights
Cheapflights Media Ltd. is a private international online media company based in London and Boston that operates travel websites. Cheapflights Media's sites do not sell flights but publish deals online from hundreds of airlines, low cost airlines and travel operators that fly out of the US, the...
found PWM to be the most affordable airport in the region (beating Manchester
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport , commonly referred to simply as "Manchester Airport," is a public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Manchester, New Hampshire on the county line of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties...
and Logan
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
), and the third most affordable in New England (behind Bradley
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
and T. F. Green
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
).
Traffic and statistics
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania... |
104,000 | US Airways |
| 2 |  Atlanta, GeorgiaHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States... |
96,000 | AirTran, Delta |
| 3 |  New York (JFK), New YorkJohn F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North... |
95,000 | JetBlue |
| 4 | New York (LaGuardia), New York LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally... |
81,000 | Delta, US Airways |
| 5 |  Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is an international airport serving the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area in the United States. It is commonly called BWI, BWI Airport or BWI Marshall, BWI being an initialism for "Baltimore/Washington International" and the... |
80,000 | AirTran |
| 6 |  Newark, New JerseyNewark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States... |
72,000 | Continental |
| 7 |  Chicago (O'Hare), IllinoisO'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop... |
67,000 | United |
| 8 |  Washington (National), D.C.Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to... |
58,000 | US Airways |
| 9 |  Detroit, MichiganDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport.... |
55,000 | Delta |
| 10 | Washington (Dulles), D.C. Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of... |
49,000 | United |
Airlines and destinations
Historical service
- 1931-1941: Boston-Maine AirwaysNortheast AirlinesNortheast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
- 1941-1972: Northeast AirlinesNortheast AirlinesNortheast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
(Boston-Maine Airways rebranded as Northeast Airlines) - 1962: Atlantic AirwaysAtlantic AirwaysAtlantic Airways is the national airline of the Faroe Islands, operating domestic helicopter services and international passenger services as well as search and rescue responsibilities from its base at Vágar Airport, on the Faroese island of Vágar...
- 1970: Aroostook AirwaysAroostook AirwaysAroostook Airways was an airline based in Presque Isle, Maine, USA, in the 1970s. It offered commuter airline service throughout Maine, Boston, and Hartford's Bradley International Airport...
- 1970-1981: Air New EnglandAir New EnglandAir New England was an American commuter airline with service to New England communities during the 1970s. It was headquartered at Logan International Airport in the East Boston area of Boston, Massachusetts....
- 1972-1990: Bar Harbor AirlinesBar Harbor AirlinesBar Harbor Airlines was a comparatively large commuter airline headquartered at Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, Maine and later in Houston, Texas.- Early history :...
(Part of Eastern ExpressEastern ExpressThe Eastern Express is an overnight passenger train operated by the Turkish State Railways. The train runs from İstanbul's Haydarpaşa Terminal to Kars Railway Station in Kars. The train was the first overnight service east of Ankara. The Eastern Express stops in 11 provincial capitals: İstanbul,...
) - 1972-today: Delta Air LinesDelta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
(Northeast AirlinesNortheast AirlinesNortheast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
Merged with Delta Air LinesDelta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
) - 1974-1995: Northeast Express Regional AirlinesNortheast Express Regional AirlinesNortheast Express Regional Airlines was a regional airline based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The airline was originally known as Valley Airlines, then they rebranded and became Northeast Express Regional Airlines and became a Northwest Airlines codeshare affiliate dba Northwest Airlink...
(Northeast Express Regional AirlinesNortheast Express Regional AirlinesNortheast Express Regional Airlines was a regional airline based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The airline was originally known as Valley Airlines, then they rebranded and became Northeast Express Regional Airlines and became a Northwest Airlines codeshare affiliate dba Northwest Airlink...
was bought by Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
) - 1982-1985: Air VermontAir VermontAir Vermont was a commuter airline based in Stowe, Vermont. It was established in 1981 but suspended operations three years later in 1984. It served several airports that are no longer served by scheduled airline service.-Former destinations served:...
- 1983-1987: People Express (Bought by Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
) - 1984-unknown: Ransome AirlinesRansome AirlinesRansome Airlines was a commuter airline which was headquartered at Northeast Philadelphia Airport in Northeast Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Dawson Ransome, it began operations as an independent carrier in 1967. Ransome was particularly noted for operating the Dash 7 as it...
(Operated as Delta ConnectionDelta ConnectionDelta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
) - 1984-today: United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
- 1985-unknown: Bangor International Airlines
- 1986: Presidential Airways
- 1986-today: US AirwaysUS AirwaysUS Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
(Originally as USAir) - 1987-today: Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
(People Express was bought by Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
) - 1987-2000: Business Express (Originally its own company, then it became part of Delta ConnectionDelta ConnectionDelta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
who sold it to American EagleAmerican Eagle AirlinesAmerican Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
) - 1989-unknown: Canadian Airlines International (Operated by Air AtlanticAir AtlanticAir Atlantic was a Canadian airline, operating a fleet of BAe 146-200, BAe 4100 and Dash 8-100 aircraft. The airline also operated Dash 7 aircraft at the inception while waiting for their first Dash 8's. The Airline was an Atlantic Provinces feeder airline for Canadian Pacific Airlines, then...
) - 1989-1993: Trans World ExpressTrans World ExpressTrans World Express was the fully owned and certificated, regional carrier for Trans World Airlines and an airline trademark name for TWA's corporation....
(Operated by Metro Airlines Northeast) - 1999-2010: Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
(merged with Delta Air LinesDelta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
) - 1999-2002: American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
- 1999-2001: TWATwaThe Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
(TWATwaThe Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
was bought by American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
) - 1999-2001: Air NovaAir NovaAir Nova was an airline based in Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada that became part of Air Canada Regional in 2001. In 2002 the merger of Air BC, Air Ontario, Air Nova and Canadian Regional Airlines was finalised with the launch of a new name and brand-Air Canada Jazz.- History :Air Nova was...
(Became Air Canada JazzAir Canada JazzJazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
) - 2004-2006: Independence AirIndependence AirIndependence Air was a low-cost airline, owned by FLYi, Inc., headquartered in the Loudoun Gateway Corporate Center in Dulles, unincorporated Loudoun County, Virginia, United States that operated from 1989 until 2006. Its route network focused on the East Coast of the United States, but it also...
(ceased operations) - 2006-today: JetBlue AirwaysJetBlue AirwaysJetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
- 2007-today: AirTran AirwaysAirTran AirwaysAirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
- 2008-2009: New England Air TransportNew England Air TransportNew England Air Transport was an airline based in Maine, launched in August, 2008. The airline, geared towards business travelers, tourists, and those seeking medical treatment, was focused on air service between Aroostook and Cumberland counties, the northernmost and southernmost parts of the...
- 2009: Starlink AviationStarlink AviationStarlink Aviation is a Canadian fixed base operator, passenger and charter airline. It is based at the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal. Starlink is primarily a charter carrier, but also operates a small fleet of turboprop aircraft on scheduled "Corporate Shuttle"...
- 2010-today: Twin Cities Air ServiceTwin Cities Air ServiceTwin Cities Air Service is an American fixed base operator and charter airline based at Auburn, Maine and operating from Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport and the Portland International Jetport...
- 2010-today: Air CanadaAir CanadaAir Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
(Operated by Air GeorgianAir GeorgianAir Georgian Limited is an airline based in the Shell Aerocentre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It was established and started operations in 1994 and operates as a charter and airline carrier. It once had a C208 Amphib in the UAE which was the first in the region. It had a long time cargo...
)
Air cargo operators and destinations
Ground transportation
The airport is accessible from I-95Interstate 95 in Maine
In the U.S. state of Maine, Interstate 95 is a long highway running from the New Hampshire border near Kittery, to the Canadian border near Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine...
(the Maine Turnpike) and I-295
Interstate 295 (Maine)
Interstate 295 is a -long connector in the U.S. state of Maine from I-95 in Scarborough to I-95 in West Gardiner.-Route description:...
. The jetport provides ample parking space in multiple ground lots
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
as well as two parking garages, with rates ranging from $10–$12 per day. A complimentary cell phone lot is available just outside the baggage claim area. METRO Bus and taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
service can be accessed from the ground transportation booth outside the baggage claim
Baggage claim
In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage reclaim is used to mean the same thing at many airports outside the USA In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an...
. A shuttle bus service called The Portland Explorer provides access to area hotels and to other local transportation, such as the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Downeaster
Downeaster
The Downeaster is a 116-mile regional passenger train service managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts, to Portland, Maine...
train service, and Concord Coach Lines
Concord Coach Lines
Concord Coach Lines, Inc., formerly known as Concord Trailways, is an inter-city bus company based in Concord, New Hampshire.The company was founded in 1967, and expanded in 1988 with the purchase of the Trailways franchise. Service to Maine commenced in 1992...
intercity bus service at the Portland Transportation Center.
Accidents
- On July 11, 1944, at 4:45 PM, U.S. ArmyUnited States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Lt. Phillip "Phee" Russell was attempting to land his Douglas A-26 Invader at PWM. For reasons that were never fully determined, Russell lost control of the plane and crashed into a trailer parkTrailer parkA trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
in South Portland's Brick Hill neighborhood. 19 people were killed and 20 people were injured — mostly women and children — making it the worst aviation accident in Maine history. The Long Creek Air Tragedy Memorial was erected in 2010 to honor the victims of this accident.
- On July 17, 2010, at around 3:27 PM, an Aerostar Yak-52 with registration number — a two-person, single-engine aircraft — crashed near a South Portland shopping plaza, a few hundred feet from the Jetport. The plane had just taken off from the Jetport's main runway after making several touch-and-go landings and was apparently trying to return to the Jetport due to a mechanical problem. Both occupants of the plane were killed. There were no injuries on the ground. NTSBNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
investigators say the plane's propeller was not turning at the time of impact. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. The investigation was expected to take up to a year to complete. The owner and pilot of the plane, Mark Haskell, was an air traffic controllerAir traffic controllerAir traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
at PWM. The passenger in the plane, Thomas Casagrande, was a certified flight instructor and retired military test pilotTest pilotA test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
who was conducting Haskell's recertification that day. The sign at the Jetport's plane spotting area is dedicated in memory of Haskell.
Incidents
- The airport was the starting point of Mohamed AttaMohamed AttaMohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta was one of the masterminds and the ringleader of the September 11 attacks who served as the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks.Born in 1968...
and Abdulaziz al-OmariAbdulaziz al-OmariAn airport security guard and Imam, Abdulaziz al-Omari was one of five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11 as part of the September 11 attacks....
's travels on September 11, 2001. The pair flew to Boston, where they boarded American Airlines Flight 11American Airlines Flight 11American Airlines Flight 11 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight from Logan International Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, California...
and later hijacked it and crashed it into One World Trade CenterWorld Trade CenterThe original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. Their rental car was later taken from the Jetport.