Wikipedia

Bangor International Airport

For the United States Air Force use of this facility, seeBangor Air National Guard Base.

Bangor International Airport(IATA:BGR,ICAO:KBGR,FAALID:BGR) is a joint civil-military public airport on the west side of the city ofBangor,inPenobscot County, Maine,United States. Owned and operated by the City of Bangor, the airport has a single runway measuring 11,440 by 200 ft (3,487 by 61 m). Formerly a military installation known asDow Air Force Base,Bangor International Airport remains home to the101st Air Refueling Wingof theMaine Air National Guard,although most of the Air Force's aircraft and personnel left in the late 1960s. BGR covers 2,079 acres (841 ha) of land.[1][2]It is included in theFederal Aviation Administration(FAA)National Plan of Integrated Airport Systemsfor 2023–2027categorizedit as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[3]

Bangor International Airport
View of terminal apron
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorCity of Bangor
ServesBangor, Maine,Northern Maine
ElevationAMSL192 ft / 59 m
Coordinates44°48′26″N068°49′41″W/ 44.80722°N 68.82806°W/44.80722; -68.82806
Websiteflybangor
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33 11,440 3,487 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 100 30 Concrete
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations39,248
Based aircraft32
Total Passengers689,000

The airport owes its prosperity to its location on major air corridors betweenEuropeand theEast Coast of the United States.[citation needed]

Bangor International is operated as an "enterprise fund", which means that the expense of operating it comes from airport revenue.[citation needed]Revenues are generated by air service operations, resident aviation-related industrial companies, real estate, cargo, international charter flights, and corporate/general aviation traffic. One of three international airports in the state, it serves the residents of central, eastern, and northern Maine as well as parts ofCanada.[citation needed]

It was designated by NASA as an emergency landing location for theSpace Shuttle.[4]

History

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20th century

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Bangor International Airport began asGodfrey Fieldin 1921, on land owned by local attorney Edward Rawson Godfrey (1877–1958).[citation needed]On August 19, 1923, 15 Martin Bombers and 11 DeHaviland Scout Planes under the command of Gen.Billy Mitchell— virtually the entireU.S. Army Air Corps— landed there on a practice mission.[5]

Regular air passenger service toPortlandandBostonwas begun in 1931 byBoston-Maine Airways,[citation needed]owned by theBoston and MaineandBangor and Aroostookrailroads and under contract toPan American,[citation needed]which was interested in the airport as a stop on its planned intercontinental air route between the U.S. and Europe.[citation needed]Amelia Earharttravelled to Bangor on the first flight of Boston-Maine Airways, in which she was an investor, in 1933.[6]The airport was equipped with floodlights for night flights as early as 1937.[citation needed]In 1940, Boston-Maine becameNortheast Airlines,[citation needed]which eventually merged withDelta Air Linesin 1972.[citation needed]

1941 saw the first fatal crash of a military aircraft in Maine, when aDouglas B-18 Bolobomber stationed at Bangor Army Airfield went down in nearbySpringfield,killing all four crew.[citation needed]Between 1941 and 1971, there were 14 additional fatal crashes of military aircraft based in Bangor, three within city limits and the rest in small towns or wilderness areas between the north woods and the coast.[7]

Just before World War II, Godfrey Field was taken over by the Army Air Corps and became the Bangor Army Air Field.[citation needed]It was operated until 1968 as Dow Air Force Base,[citation needed]and still later asBangor Air National Guard Base.

In 1948, Bangor was one stop on the round-the-world flight ofRicharda Morrow-Tait,the first woman to pilot a plane around the globe.[citation needed]She landed at Dow but took off for the next leg (to Canada) from the airport in nearbyOld Town.[citation needed]The Canadian authorities refused her permission to hop the Atlantic and ordered her back to Bangor.[citation needed]She defied them and completed the trip.[8]

In the 1950s and 1960s, Bangor was a destination for Northeast Airlines before its merger into Delta.[citation needed]Northeast usually used theDouglas DC-6for service between Bangor and Boston and New York.[citation needed]In 1965, there was still a single weekly DC-3 flight to Bangor operated by Northeast Airlines.[citation needed]

In 1968, Dow AFB was closed as an active duty Air Force installation.[9]Most of the base was purchased by the city and reopened the following year as Bangor International Airport.[citation needed]The portion of Dow AFB not turned over to the city became the basis for the current Air National Guard Base and theMaine Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility.[citation needed]

In October 1969,Trans World AirlinesFlight 85 which had been hijacked inCaliforniarefueled in Bangor on its way to Rome,[10]where the hijacker was captured.

From the 1970s into the 1990s, the airport attracted 3,000 to 5,000 commercial flights a year, mostly charter jetliners flying between Europe and the West Coast of the United States, or the Caribbean and Mexico. Bangor was a logical refueling stop, and as a U.S. port of entry, passengers could go through customs and immigration checks while their plane was being serviced. Travelers from every part of the world mingled in the airport lounge — from the French & Belgian contingents of theElvis PresleyFan Club on their way toMemphisto PresidentJosé López PortilloofMexicoon his way to Moscow with members of his military staff.Laker Airways,World Airways,Lot Polish Airlines,Aeroméxico,British Airways,Balair,Condor Airlines,LTU International,Capitol International Airways,Aeroflot,and Pan American were a few of the companies whose livery became common in the skies above Bangor.Finnairbriefly used Bangor as a hub for regularly scheduled daily flights.[11]

Bangor also had mainline scheduled jets on Northeast Airlines, and subsequently Delta in the 1970s with flights to Portland and Boston.[citation needed]By the 1980s, USAir and United also began mainline service into BGR.[citation needed]Continental briefly had 1 mainline MD-80 jet to Newark in 1991–1992 to complement their propjet Continental Express service to Newark andPresque Isle.[citation needed]

In 1977,Erwin Kreuz,a 50-year-oldWest Germanbrewery worker on his way toSan Francisco,stepped off a refueling charter flight in the mistaken belief that he had reached his destination. Speaking no English, he spent four frustrating days in Bangor looking for San Francisco landmarks before realizing he was not in California. When his story made local and then national news, Bangorians were so delighted with his error that he received thekey to the city,met the Governor of Maine, was made an honorary member of thePenobscotIndian tribe, received a marriage proposal, and was even given a gift of local land. TheSan Francisco Chroniclepaid his way to California, where he was similarly feted, and he was invited back to Bangor the following year to help open the Bangor Mall.[12]

In 1992, it was the launch site for the Chrysler Trans-Atlantic Challenge Balloon Race. The Belgians won, but the American team, taking a more southerly track to avoid inclement weather, inadvertently became the first to pilot a balloon from North America to Africa, landing just east ofCasablanca, Morocco,setting new endurance and distance records in the process.[13]

In October 1995, Vice PresidentAl Goreand Russian Prime MinisterViktor Chernomyrdinheld a brief summit at the airport to discuss economic cooperation.[14]

Bangor has been the port of entry for over a million servicemen and women returning from theGulf War,[citation needed]theIraqandAfghanistanwars, and the NATO operationsIFORandSFORinBosnia and Herzegovinaon military charters. Starting in 1991, a combination of local veterans and interested citizens formed themselves into troop greeters to avoid the situation of theVietnam War,when soldiers returned without ceremony or greeting. The civilian-driven "ceremony of return" in Bangor has been well organized and often ebullient. In 2006, former presidentBill Clintonspontaneously joined the line of troop-greeters when his private plane made a refueling stop.[15]

21st century

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In 2003, Delta Air Lines added daily connection flights to Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.[citation needed]In 2006, the airline added direct flights to Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport aboardMcDonnell Douglas MD-88jets.[citation needed]When Delta merged with Northwest Airlines, it dropped service from Bangor to these destinations and replaced them with daily connection flights to New York–LaGuardia Airport and Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport (now discontinued).[citation needed]

In November 2007,Allegiant Airbegan offering a few flights[citation needed]to and from Orlando–Sanford International Airport and Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, a secondary airport near Tampa.

In April 2008, the airport received a US$2.9 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to upgrade the terminal building and aviation equipment.[citation needed]Started in June 2008 and completed in spring 2009, the construction added passenger space for gates two and three. There are also new passenger accommodations beyond the security checkpoint, including bathrooms and food and beverage vendors.[16]

In summer 2014, Bangor International started a $10 million modernization of the main terminal's first floor. Construction was slated for completion in spring 2016.[17]

Most regular flights out of Bangor are connections to relatively close destinations.[citation needed]Other kinds of service includeWorld Airwayscharter flights to cities in or outside the U.S.[citation needed]Most World Airways flights used theDouglas DC-10until it was replaced withMcDonnell-Douglas MD-11s,which generally operate from the mostly unused International Terminal next to the busy domestic terminal.[citation needed]

British Airwayssometimes brings charter flights fromLondon–HeathrowonBoeing 747sor other aircraft.[citation needed]

North American Airlines,operated by Global Aviation Holdings, Inc., frequently used Bangor International to transport U.S. troops on Boeing767-300ERsto Europe.[citation needed]The airline since went bankrupt.

On July 8, 2010, ten captured Russian spies (members of the "Illegals Program"), were deported on a government-chartered jet that took off from New York'sLaGuardia Airportbound forVienna International Airport,with a stop in Bangor for fuel.[citation needed]

In May 2011 Delta Air Lines, the airport's largest carrier, saw a 33% decline in passengers.[18]

From 2010 to 2015 an average of about 470,000 passengers boarded at BGR each year.[19]

Diversion destination

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Aerial view of Bangor International Airport

Bangor is the first major American airport encountered by airliners approaching the United States from the east and the last for airliners heading towards Europe.[citation needed]With a runway that is more than two miles (3.2 km) long and an uncluttered airspace, it offers a place to land in case of bad weather at an airplane's destination, bomb threats, or passengers who prove unruly or are discovered to be on theTransportation Security Administration'sNo Fly List.[20]Between 2004 and May 2012, the airport handled 647 unscheduled landings: 388 for fuel, 139 for weather, 50 for medical reasons, 49 for maintenance problems, and 21 for security reasons.[citation needed]Because of its experience, the airport is able to quickly assemble firefighters, ambulances, police officers, and federal agents to meet such planes.[citation needed]During their involuntary visit to Maine, passengers receive food and donated cell phones to make calls.[citation needed]The airport receives $2,000 to $3,000 in handling and fuel fees, so it makes a small profit for each diverted flight.[20]

Pilots occasionally use Bangor to prepare fuel estimates for transatlantic flights to North American destinations, since they can divert to Bangor if the fuel load proves insufficient.[21]

Transatlantic flights are sometimes diverted to Bangor when they have mechanical trouble.[citation needed]Among those who have made unscheduled stops for that reason are former PresidentGeorge H. W. BushandColin Powell,[22]and actorsClint EastwoodandHarrison Ford.[23]

One notable security example was the September 2004 diversion for singerCat Stevensand his daughter.[24]In May 2001, Bangor handled two such flights from Britain within three hours. ABritannia AirwaysBoeing 767toCancún,Mexico,landed at Bangor on a Friday about noon. Three hours later, aBritish AirwaysBoeing 747heading toMexico Citydid the same.[25]

Current service

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Bangor Airport currently has up to 20 daily departures throughAllegiant Air,American Airlines,Delta Air LinesandUnited Airlines.[26]

Since theIraq War,Bangor has also been busy withtranscontinentalandtransatlanticmilitary charter flights making refueling stops.[citation needed]Once in Bangor, planes will often disembark military passengers, refuel, reload the troops and take off to air bases elsewhere in the U.S. or overseas.[citation needed]

There have been no fatal accidents associated with commercial service at the airport since it was organized as a municipal corporation in 1969.[citation needed]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant AirOrlando/Sanford,St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal:Fort Lauderdale,Punta Gorda (FL)[27]
American AirlinesSeasonal:Charlotte,Philadelphia,Washington–National
American EagleCharlotte,Philadelphia,Washington–National
Seasonal:Chicago–O'Hare,New York–LaGuardia[28]
Breeze AirwaysOrlando,[29]Tampa[29]
Seasonal:Fort Myers[29]
Delta ConnectionNew York–JFK,New York–LaGuardia[30]
United ExpressNewark
Seasonal:Chicago–O'Hare
Destinations map
class=notpageimage|
All destinations from Bangor International Airport (BGR).

• Redrepresents year-round destinations.
• Greenrepresents seasonal destinations.
• Bluerepresents future destinations.

• Pinkrepresents destinations to which service is being terminated.

Aircraft Usage

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Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
FedEx Feeder
operated byWiggins Airways		Manchester (NH),Portland (ME)
UPS AirlinesLouisville,Manchester (NH)
UPS Airlines
operated byWiggins Airways		Burlington (VT)

Statistics

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Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from BGR
(March 2023 - February 2024)[32]
Rank Destination city Passengers Carriers
1 Washington–National, D.C. 61,950 American
2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 61,260 American
3 New York–LaGuardia, New York 59,550 American, Delta
4 Newark, New Jersey 40,980 United
5 Orlando–Sanford, Florida 30,360 Allegiant
6 St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida 25,810 Allegiant
7 Charlotte, North Carolina 22,350 American
8 New York–JFK, New York 20,990 Delta
9 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 18,810 American, United
10 Punta Gorda, Florida 4,560 Allegiant

Carrier shares

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Carrier shares: (March 2023 - February 2024)[32]
Carrier Passengers (arriving and departing)
Endeavor Air
151,000(21.64%)
Allegiant Air
126,000(18.05%)
American Airlines
125,000(17.92%)
PSA Airlines
112,000(16.11%)
Republic Air
111,000(15.93%)


Annual passenger traffic at BGR airport. SeeWikidata query.

Military operations

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In addition to regular operations by the101st Air Refueling Wingof theMaine Air National Guardand other aviation operations by the Maine Army National Guard, Bangor is often the first or last stop on U.S. soil for troops headed to or from Iraq, Afghanistan or other overseas destinations.[citation needed]

Ground transportation

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Bangor International Airport is located offI-95.[citation needed]The airport is served by localtaxiand limousine services as well as various rental car companies.[citation needed]

TheCommunity Connectorprovides bus service between the airport and the surrounding region.[citation needed]Bus services to Portland, Boston, and Northern Maine operated by Concord Coach and Cyr Bus Lines are located about one mile from the airport.[citation needed]

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Bangor International Airport was the main ground setting forStephen King's novellaThe Langoliers,which was made into atwo-part television miniseries.The miniseries was filmed there.[33]

It was also briefly shown in theFamily GuyepisodeThe Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abFAA Airport Form 5010 for BGRPDF.Federal Aviation Administration. effective April 23, 2020.
  2. ^"BGR airport data at skyvector".skyvector.RetrievedSeptember 21,2022.
  3. ^"NPIAS Report 2023-2027 Appendix A"(PDF).Federal Aviation Administration.October 6, 2022. p. 58.RetrievedMarch 15,2024.
  4. ^redOrbit (August 9, 2005)."NASA Puts BIA on Shuttle Landing List".Redorbit.
  5. ^Bangor Daily News, Jan. 30–31, 1971, p. 105
  6. ^Force, Marie."Delta Stories: Amelia Earhart".Delta Flight Museum.RetrievedJuly 31,2023.
  7. ^State of Maine Military Aircraft Crash List.Retrieved February 4, 2008
  8. ^"Round the World Flights".Wingnet.org.
  9. ^"The story of Dow Air Force Base, 50 years after it closed".April 5, 2018.
  10. ^"ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 707 registration unknown Rome".
  11. ^swmc-admin (August 5, 2019)."History | Bangor International Airport".RetrievedNovember 6,2023.
  12. ^Time,November 7, 1977;New York Times,July 15, 1984;Washington Post,October 17, 2004
  13. ^Bangor in Focus: Transatlantic ChallengeRetrieved June 29, 2008
  14. ^Time, October 8, 1995
  15. ^swmc-admin (August 5, 2019)."History | Bangor International Airport".RetrievedNovember 6,2023.
  16. ^"Bangor International Airport, United States of America".airport-technology.2012.RetrievedMarch 30,2012.
  17. ^FlyBangor."Airport Construction".Bangor International Airport.Archived fromthe originalon December 6, 2015.RetrievedDecember 14,2015.
  18. ^The Associated Press (July 16, 2011)."AirTran, JetBlue good for Portland... but bad for Bangor?".USAToday.RetrievedMarch 3,2012.
  19. ^"RITA - BTS - Transtats".transtats.bts.gov.
  20. ^ab"Accidental tourists: Flights with unruly passengers routinely end up in remote Bangor, Maine".Yahoo! News.Associated Press. May 24, 2012.RetrievedJune 27,2012.
  21. ^Susan Carey; Andy Pasztor (January 11, 2012)."Nonstop Flights Stop for Fuel".The Wall Street Journal.RetrievedMarch 30,2012.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^Time, June 14, 1996
  23. ^Morris, Hugh (March 28, 2017)."The extraordinary story behind the world's emergency landing capital".The Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Archivedfrom the original on April 4, 2017.RetrievedDecember 16,2023.
  24. ^Goo, Sara Kehaulani (September 22, 2004)."Cat Stevens Held After D.C. Flight Diverted".The Washington Post.p. A10.RetrievedSeptember 25,2007.Islam was questioned in Bangor, Maine, by Customs and Border Protection agents.
  25. ^"Unruly English sidetrack planes to Maine airport".Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.Lubbock, Texas. Associated Press. May 20, 2001.RetrievedMay 24,2012.
  26. ^McCrea, Nick; Staff, B. D. N. (February 10, 2014)."United Airlines coming back to Bangor, offering seasonal flights to Chicago".The Bangor Daily News.RetrievedMay 24,2016.
  27. ^"Allegiant adds new Florida route out of Bangor airport".Bangor Daily News.
  28. ^"American Airlines adds more ways to escape to the Cape and coves of New England in 2024".American Airlines Newsroom.October 12, 2023.RetrievedOctober 12,2023.
  29. ^abc"Escape to Florida: Airline adds new options from Maine".WMTV.March 26, 2024.RetrievedMarch 26,2024.
  30. ^ BGR Airport (January 2021)."Airlines - Bangor International Airport".BGR Airport.RetrievedFebruary 3,2021.
  31. ^"Allegiant Air Fleet Details and History".planespotters.net.
  32. ^ab Research and Innovative Technology Administration (January 2020)."Bangor, ME: Bangor International (BGR)".U.S. Department of Transportation.RetrievedJune 14,2023.
  33. ^The Langoliers (TV Mini Series 1995) - Filming & production - IMDb.RetrievedMay 15,2024– via imdb.

Further reading

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