Senator Collins Announces More Than $13.6 Million for Airport Improvements Across Maine

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that multiple Maine airports will receive a total of $13,647,939 to support important infrastructure improvements. The funding comes from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Fiscal Year 2026 Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which Senator Collins helped to author.

"As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue working to ensure we make investments that benefit the State of Maine, allowing airports across our state to make much-needed improvements, some of which are long overdue. Ensuring that transportation needs across the state are met is a priority of mine," said Senator Collins. "A key focus of our negotiations over the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021 was addressing outdated infrastructure at our nation's airports. That is why we included historic investments in airport grant programs so that municipal, regional, and international airports and jetports across the country can provide safer and more efficient travel. Today's funding announcement builds on those investments."

Specifically, the funding from the AIP has been allocated as follows:

• Millinocket Municipal Airport (MLT) - $6,845,251 to reconstruct 3,200 feet of Runway 11/29 to maintain pavement integrity and minimize foreign object debris.

• Knox County Regional Airport (RKD) - $3,618,016 to rehabilitate and reconstruct portions of the main apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life.

• Portland International Jetport (PWM) - $2,620,106 to design and reconstruct 17,600 square yards of terminal apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life.

• Wiscasset Municipal Airport (IWI) - $468,816 to reconstruct 4,100 square yards of main apron pavement that has reached the end of its useful life.

• Oxford County Regional Airport (81B) - $53,000 to update the existing airport layout plan.

• Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) - $42,750 to acquire two acres of land for future development.

Since joining the Appropriations Committee in 2009, Senator Collins has helped to secure more than $1 billion in competitive transportation grants for the State of Maine. Additionally, in the past five years, Senator Collins has secured more than $25.7 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for improvement projects at airports in Presque Isle, Fryeburg, Machias, and Brunswick.

In addition to her work as Chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee, Senator Collins was one of 10 senators who negotiated the IIJA, which provided $15 billion for federal airport improvement grant programs.

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