Maine Air National Guard could get $50M for a new Bangor hangar

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved $50 million in funding for a new airplane hangar at the Maine Air National Guard base in Bangor, according to Sen. Susan Collins’ office.

The funding, an earmark from Collins who is vice chair of the committee, is a part of the fiscal year 2025 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill and still must be approved by the full Senate and House.

The existing hangar in Bangor was designed for the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing’s existing KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, Collins’ office said in a news release. The $50 million in funding would go toward building a new universal fuel cell hangar that can accommodate the Wing’s existing airplane and future generation tankers.