Under the guidance of new Eastport Airport Manager Peter Lehmann and the Airport Advisory Committee, the municipal airport is working on a number of fronts to ready for its future, including an update to its 2004 master plan, planning for the recruitment of commuter feeder service and the long term goal of adding cargo and corporate terminals. Building its own terminal will now be in reach with the news that it will be receiving a $1.125 million grant from Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Terminal Grant Program. The news was announced by U.S. Senator Susan Collins on February 12.

New terminal to open options
      Lehmann, on the job since April 2023, explains that the airport has no terminal. It does have a small building on the site that belongs to the airport association, a private group that built it as a place for pilots to use WiFi, rest, have access to a restroom and more. "We're in the process of what it's going to look like," says Lehmann of the terminal, but it will likely be a metal building of about 1,000 square feet. The grant requires a 5% match each from the city and the state, but Lehmann stresses that the airport has most of the funds to pay for the city's match. The city's share "should be a minimal ask," he says.
      The terminal will fulfill three goals, Lehmann notes. It will provide an ADA compliant restroom; it will provide a space for pilots, passengers, volunteers, and patients and family members who use the free services to access urgent medical care through Angel Flight East, LifeFlight and PALS; and the terminal will support the overall mission of attracting grant supported feeder airlines such as Cape Air or Southern Air.
      Lehmann says the terminal "opens options for commuter flights," maybe seasonally at first, but he is optimistic about the possibility of year round service once it is established. The work to recruit a feeder airline is dependent on federal and state rules that govern airports utilizing federal and state funds to subsidize flight fares. "In order to get service, we have to get a subsidy" to help with the cost of airfare. There are some rules that need clarification, explains Lehmann, before the city can proceed with the recruitment effort. "We'll be working the next few months to shape the timeline" of how to proceed. "It's one of the airport's biggest goals," he adds.
      The terminal is just one part of the Airport Advisory Committee's work on updating the airport's master plan since the original was created in 2004. Twenty years later much has advanced in the field. "We need to make sure it's as inclusive as possible for grant purposes," Lehmann explains, meaning that if the plan does not include, for example, the possibility of having a parallel taxi lane, then the airport cannot apply for funding to build one.

Manager takes on job with gusto
      The new airport manager has been involved with airplanes in one way or the other since he was a young teenager. He took his first flight lesson at 14 and received his private pilot license as soon as he could. He worked in the U.S. Army as a Black Hawk helicopter crew chief, and when back in civilian life he became a flight instructor, sold airplanes, was a small aircraft advocate, worked for the FAA and for eight years worked in intelligence for the Civil Aviation Intelligence Analysis Center.
      Lehmann has taken on the task of airport manager with gusto, having found no cost government surplus vehicles that the airport needs, such as a car for visitors to use to reach the downtown, a truck for plowing and other tasks and a self contained trailer as his office. There are more vehicles on his list that he is keeping an eye out for. He's excited about the possibility of holding a workshop for city staff and committee members who could tap into the program as well.
      The job is for 15 hours a week, and Lehmann is paid $20,000 a year. The first year's salary was paid with COVID American Rescue Plan Act funds, but committee member Chester Jenkins explains that the salary "is designed to be paid out of airport revenue fuel farm and solar farm money." The ARPA funds "jump started" the position. Committee volunteers take on tasks as well, with Jenkins and his wife, Victoria Ganz, among many who contribute volunteer hours towards maintenance and other related tasks. Neither Ganz nor Jenkins is a pilot or owns a plane, but Jenkins says, "We feel the airport is essential."

Solar farm, cargo terminal, new hangars
      The solar farm project proposed by Nexamp is on hold while the implications of a state law change are ironed out. Originally the solar farm site was going to be where the former wind blade storage site was located, but if it proceeds it would more likely be located somewhere on the northern half of the undeveloped section of the airport.
      With the blade storage site now open, the airport manager and committee are focusing on what the future could look like for the airport when it comes to other types of terminals, including cargo and corporate. The blade yard, with direct access to Deep Cove Road, "is where we've moved our sights," says Lehmann. Originally the former dog park on Drummond Road was flagged as a potential site for such operations. Lehmann feels that the blade park area makes much more sense. How to make that happen will be a part of the updated master plan.
      In the meantime, the airport has requests to build five new hangars in the pipeline, which all would need access to electricity and the runway. Jenkins says, "We have some new pilots" in the area interested in the airport. In addition, the urgent healthcare access provided by PALS, Angel Flight East and LifeFlight has provided critical care to patients in the region. Since the start of the year, PALS has had four requests and done three so far. LifeFlight "has advocated for us," says Lehmann with appreciation. Over the years they have installed an FAA weather cam and a weather reporting station that in the next few years will be upgraded.
      As for the new terminal, it's early days in the planning stage, but Lehmann is already thinking about where it might be located and what will need to be done in preparation.