MAINE DELEGATION RECEIVES ASSURANCE THAT CUSTOMS STAFF WILL REMAIN AT BANGOR AIRPORT

Washington, D.C. -– Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Representative Michael Michaud have received assurances from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that customs staff will remain at the Bangor International Airport (BIA). Asa Hutchinson, the Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security, responded to concerns expressed by the Maine Delegation that customs resources might be diverted from BIA to cover future operations at the Pease International Trade Port in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (BCP) has no intention of any permanent reallocation of resources from the Bangor International Airport to supplement possible increased activity at the Pease Airport," said Under Secretary Hutchinson. "The CBP Boston Field Office, which has jurisdiction over the Maine ports of entry, will continue to assess whether the CBP staffing is commensurate with the workload at all Maine ports, and will address issues in these areas as the need arises."

The Maine Delegation last month wrote to Under Secretary Hutchinson, asking for his "assurance that no BCBP resources currently allocated to Bangor or deployed anywhere else in Maine will be diverted to Pease or any other facility located out of the State."

"Customs officers are vital to ensuring that military and civilian travelers move through BIA in as safe and efficient a manner as possible," said Snowe, Collins, and Michaud in a joint statement. "We are pleased that Homeland Security officials have recognized the importance of maintaining an adequate level of customs staff at the Bangor Airport, one of the first entry points in the U.S. for hundreds of flights coming over the Atlantic."

Last year BIA handled 394 civilian charter flights carrying military personnel, 177 U.S. military aircraft, and 39 foreign military aircraft in addition to other civilian traffic. BIA also served as an emergency landing point for international flights departing and entering the U.S. The facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is currently staffed by 11 BCBP officers.

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