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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-03-07 Airport Committee Minutes City of Bangor Airport Committee March 7, 2022 Meeting Minutes The following City Councilors attended: Susan Hawes, Gretchen Schaefer, Jonathan Sprague , Dan Tremble and Dina Yacoubagha. Also in attendance were Airport Director Tony Caruso and Marketing and Business Development Manager Aimee Thibodeau. Agenda and Discussion: 1. Request to Apply—Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Airport Terminals Program Airport Director Caruso requested Committee approval of an Order authorizing the Airport to apply for a grant, estimated at$21 million, from the DOT & FAA for the Airport Terminal Program included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These discretionary grants are made available to eligible airports for airport terminal development projects that address criteria to include replacing aging infrastructure, increase passenger access and capacity, improve energy efficiencies, improve airfield safety, and encourage competition. Additional projects are eligible under the same guidance as the Passenger Facility Charge program for airports. The airport will apply for a grant for the Phase 1 terminal improvements, which include expansion and reconfiguring the passenger checkpoint, adding needed passenger hold-room space, building a connector between the domestic and int'I terminals to increase efficiencies, and upgrades to electrical and utilities to more energy efficient systems. Applications must be submitted by March 28, 2022. Motion made, seconded and approved. 2. Airport Master Plan Update—virtual presentation by Heath Marsden, Senior Airport Planner and Jason Homiak Engineer, from Jacobs Heath provided an overview of the process to date and next steps once Airport and FAA approvals are received, including development of a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). CIPs provide the FAA with project sequencing guidance. On the land side, key recommended projects within the Master Plan include a technology corridor(using available land for technology incubators or light industrial manufacturing), consolidated rental car, additional automobile parking, terminal building upgrades to enhance capacity, Airport Fuel Farm relocation, GA Apron, Cargo Hub/GA Hangers & isolated spaces for IROPs. The Master Plan includes a heavy emphasis on sustainability. Our goal is to integrate environmental sustainability into all aspects of airport planning and operations to drive cost savings, reduce environmental impacts and risks while enhancing passenger airport experiences. We will focus on four areas —climate action planning, energy management, solar energy and green infrastructure. 3. Airport Advertising & Marketing Update a. January Statistics Aimee Thibodeau reported we were within 1,000 passengers of having a record month. Looking at load factors for the past three years, we are right where we want to be. Although we didn't have a calendar 2021 record year, we potentially could see a record 2022 fiscal year. Both January Total Operations and Fuel Sales appear lower than January, 2021. This is due to lower military operations this year, over which we have no control. Excluding military numbers, we are actually slightly higher in both categories. We are starting to forecast further out. We have resumed the Canadian advertising campaign. That,plus the in-terminal testing site, have brought Canadian travelers back to the Airport. Airlines are already starting to increase daily flights which is sooner than last year. They are also bringing in larger aircraft. We issued an RFP for an in-terminal advertising concessionaire and received no responses. Clear Channel has been the vendor for many years and opted not to submit a proposal. The Airport's Marketing and Business Development division will take over this function. We already have advertising guidelines in place so it will be a smooth transition. This will become an additional revenue source and will be a benefit to the local business community. We have a display recognizing Women of Aviation Week; and we will be hosting an event in September celebrating International Girls in Aviation Day in September The ABS Study made several recommendations that we have started to implement including a new FBO-focused advertising campaign. It also recommended additional front line customer service training. Aimee and Kristie Haverlock, our Customer Services Specialist, will be doing on-line Disney Customer Service Training. If beneficial, they will roll it out to other front line employees next fiscal year or continue to research alternatives. Meeting Adjourned