Portland International Jetport

Portland International Jetport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner/Operator City of Portland
Serves Portland, Maine
Location Portland, Maine
Elevation AMSL 76 ft / 23 m
Coordinates 43°38′46″N 070°18′33″W / 43.64611°N 70.30917°W / 43.64611; -70.30917Coordinates: 43°38′46″N 070°18′33″W / 43.64611°N 70.30917°W / 43.64611; -70.30917
Website www.portlandjetport.org
Map
Portland International Jetport
Portland International Jetport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 7,200 2,195 Asphalt
18/36 6,100 1,859 Asphalt
Statistics
Total Passengers Served (2016) 1,785,649
Aircraft Operations (2016) 45,472
Based Aircraft (2017) 46
Cargo handled (2016) 20,172,289 lbs.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [1] and Portland Jetport.[2]

Portland International Jetport (IATA: PWM, ICAO: KPWM, FAA LID: PWM) is a public airport two miles (3 km) west of downtown Portland, in Cumberland County, Maine. It is owned and operated by the city of Portland.[3] A portion of the Jetport's property, including the main runway, is in the neighboring city of South Portland.[4]

The airport is the busiest in the state. In 2007 it handled a record 1.6 million passengers, up 17.0% from the previous year, and handled 1.7 million passengers in the years 2008–2011.[5] In recent years, the Jetport has benefited from service by low-cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines and JetBlue. 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.[6] In October 2011, PWM completed a $75 million renovation and expansion of its terminal to allow more airline service and more amenities for passengers.[7]

History

Early years

Postcard view c.1940s

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 Airways began a flight from Portland to Boston.[8] 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 present airport started to take shape in the 1950s. The March 1951 chart shows runway 1 4260 ft long, runway 10 2900 ft, and runway 15 4010 ft. Runway 11/29 was built in 1957 and lengthened to 6,800 feet (2,073 m) in 1966. The current terminal opened in 1968, when jet flights began.[9]

1960s – 1970s

Boston-Maine Airways had a monopoly on passenger air travel at Portland, which continued after the airline was renamed Northeast Airlines.[8] Another airline emerged in 1962, when Atlantic Airways began service to Boston's Logan International Airport.[10] This competition was short lived—there is no other information about the airline other than one timetable.

Jet flights began in 1968, and for the first time, Portland got a nonstop beyond Boston when Northeast DC-9s flew to LaGuardia Airport in New York. Northeast would be alone at the airport until 1970 when Aroostook Airways began flights between Presque Isle and Portland, with stops in Augusta and Bangor.[11] This airline too faded into obscurity, lasting until 1972.

That year regional Air New England began service in Portland, competing with Northeast Airlines intrastate and between Portland and Boston.[12]

In 1972 Northeast Airlines was bought by Delta Air Lines which retained its routes to Bangor, Boston, and New York.[13][14] By 1979 Delta had added Burlington, Vermont.

1980s – 1990s

In 1981 Air New England, after serving Portland for 11 years ceased operations and pulled out of the Jetport. This departure was followed a year later by the arrival of Air Vermont, a regional carrier that flew between Portland and Burlington until expiring about 1983 or 1984.

In 1980 the passenger terminal expanded to the east with the addition of two baggage carousels. The building also expanded to the west by adding three-second-level jetways and a holding room.[15]

In 1982 PWM got its first nonstop beyond New York, when Delta tried a 727 to Cincinnati for a year or so.

Peoplexpress Airlines arrived in 1983, the first jet competitor to Northeast/Delta at PWM. The airline, the first low-cost carrier at the Jetport, was known for rock-bottom prices. The airline flew between Portland and Newark, still operated today by United Airlines who merged with Continental Airlines, which had bought PEOPLExpress in 1987.

In June 1983 United Airlines arrived in Portland, planning to be the only airline to serve 50 states. It originally flew the Burlington route that had been left behind by Air Vermont and later flew nonstop to Chicago.

That same year, regional Ransome Airlines, doing business as Delta Connection, began a route between Portland and Boston. This ended in 1986 when Ransome was bought by Pan Am and renamed Pan Am Express.

1986 also brought US Airways (then USAir), who began flights to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.[16][17] Low-cost carrier Presidential Airways also began service from the Jetport in 1986, flying a route from Portland to Washington's Dulles International Airport.[18] 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 routes. It 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.[17]

In 1995 a terminal building improvement project was undertaken to add two-second-level boarding gates, as well as additional space for ticketing, operations, departure lounge, concessions, and an international customs facility.[15]

2000s

Interior of Car Rental

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, many U.S. airlines cut flights. This furthered the airlines' shift from mainline jets to smaller regional jets or turboprops at PWM. In late 2002 American Eagle stopped flying to the Jetport.

In 2004 Runway 11/29 was lengthened to 7,200 feet (2,195 m).

On September 1, 2005 Delta Air Lines ended mainline service to PWM. Despite the airline's strong history at Portland, serving the Jetport with aircraft as large as the Boeing 727 and 757, Delta briefly downgraded flights subcontracting to smaller aircraft operated by Delta Connection on Bombardier CRJ series. In the late 2000s and continuing today, Delta reinstated mainline service at Portland.

Some service began to return as the 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.[19] FedEx Express also began using an Airbus A310 widebody jet on its cargo flights to Memphis later that year, although today the company primarily uses a 757 for those flights.

After Independence Air went bankrupt Portland had no low-cost carrier, causing fares to go up, and passenger numbers to decline.[20] 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 and Embraer 190 jets. 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, and to Orlando. AirTran was the second low-cost carrier in Portland, competing with JetBlue. This was Portland's first scheduled non-stop flight to Florida. AirTran serves the Jetport with Boeing 717s and 737s. At the same time as AirTran's arrival, JetBlue announced that it would be adding a fifth flight to New York City, further increasing the number of available low-cost seats. On September 26, 2007, JetBlue announced a daily direct flight to Orlando, using it's Embraer 190, 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.[21]

Delta McDonnell Douglas MD-88

In 2008 Delta Air Lines resumed mainline service to Portland, a daily flight to Atlanta on a McDonnell Douglas MD-88. A regional startup, New England Air Transport (NEAT) began intrastate air service, flying three times weekly to Aroostook County with a Piper Chieftain.[22] This was the first intrastate service offered out of Portland in more than a decade.[22] 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 international service resumed. Starlink Aviation announced 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.[23] 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.[23] The official plane spotting area includes a sign depicting some of the passenger aircraft typically seen at the Jetport.[23]

2010s

In 2010 Starlink Aviation ended its service 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 Service, began flying between Portland and Yarmouth on a semi-daily basis. This began on March 15, 2010.[24] Twin Cities ceased its scheduled service out of PWM in December 2012 but continues to offer the route on a charter basis.

Also in 2010, Air Canada announced that it would be launching a number of new routes out of Toronto, Canada including a flight to Portland. The twice-daily Portland-Toronto service began on May 17, 2010, operated by Air Georgian using Beechcraft 1900D aircraft.[25] Air Canada pulled out of Portland on March 1, 2013, once again leaving PWM without scheduled international service.

The Jetport began construction on its expanded terminal as well as several infrastructure improvements in 2010. Major expansion of the airline terminal – which had already been expanded at least twice[26] – took place throughout 2010 and 2011. The expanded terminal opened to the public on October 2, 2011.[7] The $75 million project,[7] designed by Gensler and built by Turner Construction,[27] brought a number of changes, including improvements to the check-in areas and security, 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.[28] Expansion and improvements are also planned or are in-work for the General Aviation ramp, enlarging the cargo ramp and facilities, re-configuring the alignment of taxiways, improving the airport's deicing facilities, and lengthening Runway 18/36.

A survey conducted in June 2011 by travel website Cheapflights found PWM to be an affordable airport in the region compared to (Manchester, Bangor, and Logan), and the third most affordable in New England (behind Bradley and T. F. Green).[6]

New Terminal at PWM
New FBO terminal at PWM

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsRefs
American Airlines Charlotte
Seasonal: Philadelphia 		[29]
American Eagle Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington–National [29]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
Seasonal: Detroit 		[29]
Delta Connection Detroit, New York–JFK (begins September 10, 2017),[30] New York–LaGuardia [29]
Elite Airways Halifax,[31] Orlando/Melbourne, Sarasota
 [29]
JetBlue Airways New York–JFK [29]
Southwest Airlines Baltimore
Seasonal: Orlando 		[29]
United Airlines Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare [29]
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Newark, Washington–Dulles [29]

Cargo

FedEx Express Boeing 757 at Portland Jetport.
AirlinesDestinations
FedEx Express Burlington (VT), Memphis
FedEx Feeder
operated by Wiggins Airways 		Bangor, Hartford, Manchester (NH), Presque Isle

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from PWM (February 2016 – January 2017)[32]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Baltimore, Maryland 133,610 Southwest
2 Atlanta, Georgia 96,280 Delta
3 New York–JFK, New York 94,490 JetBlue
4 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 89,170 American
5 Newark, New Jersey 87,890 United
6 Washington–National, D.C. 78,460 American
7 Charlotte, North Carolina 72,890 American
8 New York–LaGuardia, New York 62,640 Delta
9 Detroit, Michigan 59,090 Delta
10 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 54,250 United

Annual traffic

Traffic by calendar year[2]
Passengers Change from previous year Aircraft operations Cargo
(pounds)
2004 1,365,078 90,241 33,622,563
2005 1,455,925 Increase6.65% 80,257 34,039,601
2006 1,410,484 Decrease3.12% 77,422 34,895,067
2007 1,650,581 Increase17.02% 72,985 40,257,808
2008 1,762,925 Increase6.81% 73,776 35,295,151
2009 1,736,941 Decrease1.47% 62,160 26,279,198
2010 1,707,426 Decrease1.70% 60,257 22,673,881
2011 1,674,814 Decrease1.91% 57,143 22,011,670
2012 1,671,826 Decrease0.18% 54,566 22,405,912
2013 1,675,978 Increase0.25% 51,568 24,520,880
2014 1,667,734 Decrease0.49% 46,633 24,070,425
2015 1,728,746 Increase3.66% 48,898 25,819,083
2016 1,785,649 Increase3.29% 50,993 20,172,829

Historical service


Historical Service
Airline Year(s) Notes Reference
Boston-Maine Airways 1931–1941 [8]
Northeast Airlines 1941–1972 Boston-Maine Airways rebranded as Northeast Airlines [8]
Atlantic Airways 1962 [10]
Aroostook Airways 1970 [11]
Air New England 1970–1981 [12]
Bar Harbor Airlines 1972–1990 Part of Eastern Express [33]
Delta Air Lines 1972–present [34]
Northeast Express Regional Airlines 1974–1995 Northeast Express Regional Airlines was bought by Northwest Airlines [35]
Air Vermont 1982–1985 [36]
People Express 1983–1987 Bought by Continental Airlines [37]
Ransome Airlines 1984–unknown Operated as Delta Connection [38]
United Airlines 1984–present [39]
Presidential Airways 1986 Bought by Continental Airlines [18]
US Airways 1986–2015 Merged with American to form American Airlines [40]
Continental Airlines 1987–2012 Merged with United to form United Airlines [41]
Business Express 1987–2000 Became part of American Eagle [42]
Canadian Airlines International 1989–unknown Operated by Air Atlantic [43]
Trans World Express 1989–1993 Operated by Metro Airlines Northeast [44]
Northwest Airlines 1999–2010 Merged with Delta to form Delta Air Lines [45]
American Eagle 1999–2002 Original service ended in 2002. Service resumed in 2015 as part of it the American-US Airways merger. [46]
TWA 1999–2000 Bought by American Airlines [47]
Air Nova 1999–2001 Became Air Canada Jazz [48]
Independence Air 2004–2006 Ceased operations [49]
JetBlue Airways 2006–present [50]
AirTran Airways 2007–2013 Acquired by Southwest Airlines, operations converted to Southwest [51]
New England Air Transport 2008–2009 [22]
Starlink Aviation 2009 [52][53]
Twin Cities Air Service 2010–2012 [54]
Air Canada 2010–2013 Operated by Air Georgian [55]
Southwest Airlines 2013–present
Elite Airways 2015–present

Ground transportation

The airport is accessible from I-95 (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.[56] A complimentary cellphone 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.

Accidents and incidents

PWM Fire Department demonstration, 2005.
New Security Area at PWM.

References

  1. ↑ FAA Airport Master Record for PWM (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. effective May 25, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Airport Statistics". Portland International Jetport. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  3. ↑ FAA Airport Master Record for PWM (Form 5010 PDF), effective December 20, 2007
  4. ↑ Billings, Randy (July 11, 2009). "Cities, Trail Groups Stall Jetport Runway Expansion". The Forecaster. Portland, ME. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  5. ↑ Portland International Jetport Airport Statistics
  6. 1 2 "National Survey Finds Portland International Jetport is Region's Most Affordable". Portland International Jetport. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Turkel, Tux (September 30, 2011). "Wheels Up for Jetport's New Terminal". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Larsson, Björn; Zekria, David (March 7, 2010). "Northeast Airlines – Boston-Maine Airways Central Vermont Airways". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  9. ↑ "History". Portland International Jetport. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  10. 1 2 Don, Henchel (March 7, 2010). Larsson, Björn; Zekria, David, eds. "Atlantic Airways". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  11. 1 2 Don, Henchel (March 7, 2010). Larsson, Björn; Zekria, David, eds. "Aroostook Airways". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  12. 1 2 Sloan, Perry A. (August 14, 2006). "Air New England". AirTimes. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  13. ↑ Delta and Northeast Airlines Routemaps and Timetables
  14. ↑ "74intro". Departed Flights. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Airport Master Plan for Portland International Jetport
  16. ↑ "US70186". Departed Flights. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  17. 1 2 "PWM89intro". Departed Flights. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  18. 1 2 "Presidential Timetable 12/18/86". DC-9: Presidential Airways History, Fleet (B737 and BAe-146) and Memorabilia. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Independence Air / Portland Loads". FlyerTalk Forums. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Airport Statistics". City of Portland. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
  21. ↑ Portland Jetport Airport Statistics
  22. 1 2 3 Matuszewski, Kara (September 25, 2008). "New Air Service Connects Aroostook County And Southern Maine". WCSH.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Quimby, Beth (August 20, 2011). "Jetport Spotters". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  24. ↑ Twin Cities Air Service
  25. ↑ Air Canada Announces Service to Seven US Cities – Portland Jetport
  26. ↑ "Executive Summary Report" (PDF) (Press release). Coffman Associates. 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
  27. ↑ Portland International Jetport Takes Flight
  28. ↑ Turkel, Tux (August 18, 2010). "Jetport Project Tapping Earth's Energy". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Passenger Airlines Serving Portland, ME". Portland International Jetport. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  30. ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/272728/delta-adds-new-york-jfk-portland-me-service-from-sep-2017/
  31. ↑ http://www.pressherald.com/2017/05/03/elite-airways-announces-portland-flights-to-halifax/
  32. ↑ "RITA BTS Transtats - PMW". www.transtats.bts.gov. January 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  33. ↑ Sloan, Perry. "Bar Harbor Airlines". AirTimes. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Delta/N East". Airchive.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Northeast Express Regional Airlines". AirTimes. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  36. ↑ Sloan, Perry. "Air Vermont". AirTimes. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  37. ↑ "People Express". AirChive.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  38. ↑ "Ransome Airlines Route Map Circa June 1, 1985". DepartedFlights.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  39. ↑ Sloan, Chris. "1985 – October 31". Airchive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  40. ↑ "USAir Route Map July 1, 1986". DepartedFlights.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  41. ↑ Sloan, Chris. "1987 – February 1". Airchive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  42. ↑ Sloan, Perry. "Business Express/Atlantic Air Routemaps and Timetables". AirTimes. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  43. ↑ "YHZ89intro". Official Airline Guide Flight Schedules. DepartedFlights.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Official Airline Guide Flight Schedules Portland, Maine 1989". DepartedFlights.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Northwest Airlines to Begin Service to Portland, Maine; Three Daily Flights Between Detroit and Portland Start June 2". Northwest Airlines. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  46. ↑ Sloan, Chris. "1998 – April 13". Airchive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  47. ↑ Sloan, Chris. "2000 – December 20". Airchive.com. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  48. ↑ "Nova Scotia-based Businesses Partner to Entice New England Group Meetings to Province.". Air Canada. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  49. ↑ "Independence Air to Begin Service to Portland Tomorrow". Independence Air. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  50. ↑ "JetBlue Gives Four Maine Reasons to Fly to Portland: Four Daily Flights From New York's JFK Begin May 23". JetBlue Corporate Communications. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  51. ↑ Murphy, Edward D. (February 27, 2007). "AirTran to Offer Service at Jetport". Portland Press Herald.
  52. ↑ "Starlink Aviation celebrating new Yarmouth air service with ceremony at Halifax airport Tuesday". The Yarmouth County Vanguard. May 11, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  53. ↑ "Starlink Aviation suspends air service in and out of Yarmouth airport as of Tuesday, Dec. 1". The Yarmouth County Vanguard. November 26, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  54. ↑ Air Service between Portland and Nova Scotia Resumes
  55. ↑ http://aircanada.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=153 Air Canada expands service to seven more American cities
  56. ↑ Parking | Portland International Jetport
  57. ↑ Billings, Randy (April 1, 2010). "Fundraising for South Portland air crash memorial faces June deadline". The Forecaster. Retrieved July 12, 2010. It happened at 4:45 p.m. on July 11, 1944.
  58. ↑ Cornish, Caroline (July 11, 2010). "Long Creek Air Tragedy Memorial is Dedicated". WCSH. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  59. ↑ Billings, Randy (July 1, 2010). "South Portland Air Crash Memorial Takes Shape, Dedication Planned for July 11". The Forecaster. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  60. 1 2 "NTSB Identification: ERA10FA364". Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  61. ↑ "FAA Registry". Federal Aviation Administration.
  62. ↑ "Two confirmed dead in South Portland Plane Crash". Portland Press Herald. July 17, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  63. ↑ The Associated Press. "Small-plane crash in South Portland kills 2". Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  64. ↑ "Two Killed in South Portland Plane Crash". WCSH. July 17, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  65. ↑ Hench, David (July 18, 2010). "Plane Crashes in South Portland". Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  66. ↑ Hench, David; Hoey, Dennis (July 20, 2010). "NTSB: Plane Propeller Had Quit Turning Before Crash". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  67. 1 2 Billings, Randy (July 20, 2010). "Pilot Prepped for Forced Landing in Fatal South Portland Plane Crash". The Forecaster. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  68. ↑ http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20100717X74629&key=1
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