Two Massachusetts municipal airports, in Fitchburg and New Bedford, will be able to invest in infrastructural improvements with the award of more than $2 million in federal funds through the Federal Aviation Administration.
The work at Fitchburg Municipal Airport includes lighting, hangars and taxiways and taxi lanes for aircraft. It will allow the municipality to address critical efficiency and safety issues essential to the safe functioning of the facility. The funds will help fulfill the airport master plan, according to a prepared statement issued by Mayor Samantha Squailia.
The facility was awarded $1,139,395 and New Bedford Regional Airport is slated to receive $1,211,490 for improvements to the airport service road, for a total of more than $2.3 million.
“This federal funding will advance projects essential to operational efficiency and safety for our Fitchburg and New Bedford airports,” said Gov. Maura Healey in a prepared statement. “We are grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for creating transportation grant opportunities to help us improve and modernize infrastructure in Massachusetts and boost economic growth in our communities.”
The Fitchburg facility is an economic hub in the northern and central reaches of Massachusetts, home to 56 corporate jets, 124 local airplanes and a turbojet aircraft. It includes six businesses, among them the FCA Flight Center, which offers training for future professional and recreational pilots.
It is also home to Life Flight, a helicopter ambulance service that works with Massachusetts General Hospital.
Unlimited Aero Engines, Nagle Aircraft and Wayne’s Upholstery offer repairs of varying engines and other aspects of aircraft. Dr. Myles Jenkin, of New England Flight Medicine, conducts physicals of current and future pilots at the airport. Skyline Aviation is an air taxi that serves New England.
“The airport has done really well; it’s in the black for the first time in years,” said Airport Manager Peter Kettle. As manager for the last five years, Kettle has attracted several new businesses, luring one away from Laurence G. Hanscom Field in Bedford.
“These upgrades are not just about improving our airport; they’re about investing in the future of our community and ensuring that Fitchburg continues to thrive as a hub for aviation and economic development,” said Squailia.
Lt. Gov. Kimberly Driscoll called the municipal airports “vital hubs” for regional travelers and for local economies. The state is gratified to have secured the federal money and is eager to seek more awards and grants in the future.
“We’re grateful to our municipal partners who worked with MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division to lead to the successful awarding of more than $2.3 million total from this fourth round of the Airport Improvement Program,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt.
“The Fitchburg airport is a unique resource and a significant driver of economic activity in North Central Massachusetts,” said Sen. John Cronin, D-Fitchburg. “I'm excited for the impact this funding will have and am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll administration and the Department of Transportation for prioritizing the region during this round of grant funding.”
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Federal funds flow to Fitchburg Municipal, New Bedford Regional airports
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