U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Northern Aroostook Regional Airport in Frenchville with $350,000 in grant funding as part of the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The grant funding will go toward implementing the airport’s proposal to support air shuttle service to Portland.
“It is important that Mainers have access to regular, reliable air service,” said Senator Collins. “I am pleased to announce that this grant funding will go to the Northern Aroostook Regional Airport in Frenchville. This funding will greatly improve air access to northern Maine.”
The Small Community Air Service Development Program is designed to help smaller communities enhances their air service and address issues related to higher airfares.
In June, Senator Collins authored a letter in support of Northern Aroostook Regional Airport’s request for grant funding.
A full text of the letter follows:
I am writing in support of the application submitted by the Northern Aroostook Regional Airport Authority (NARAA) for the Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant to promote air access to Aroostook County.
Northern Aroostook County is an attractive area for travelers. The region is home to unique wildlife, wilderness areas such as the Allagash River Waterway, and miles of pristine farmland that showcase the County’s rich agricultural tradition. The area provides many outdoor recreational opportunities – camping, fishing, boating, skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling among them – that attract nature enthusiasts as well as world-class biathletes. Because of the difficulties presented by the region’s geographic isolation, however, these attractions are not readily accessible to travelers.
The NARAA is seeking to greatly enhance and improve access to the region by restoring passenger air service to Northern Aroostook Regional Airport. The NARAA currently is in the process of repaving and refinishing runways and outfitting taxis and taxiways. This initiative has strong support from the surrounding communities of Fort Kent, Madawaska, Frenchville, St. Agatha, and St. John, which are served by the airport and would greatly benefit from increased tourism and commerce. In particular, the manufacturing and business sectors of the St. John Valley would benefit from increased access to financial centers in Portland, Boston, and greater New England. It is with this in mind that I lend my strong support to the NARAA’s application for grant funding to help subsidize air service to one of Maine’s most scenic regions.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.