Bangor aviation industry growth depends on cultivating local workforce, leaders say
By Nick McCrea, Bangor Daily News, Maine | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Owners of those businesses say their success could depend on having enough qualified workers in the area to grow and expand.
Caruso,
Richardson started Maine Aero Services, a general aviation maintenance facility focusing on small, twin- and single-engine aircraft, in 2010 after purchasing a portion of
He said he has noticed a drastic shortage of qualified, trained aircraft mechanics in the area. He would like to hire locally, but most applications he sees come from elsewhere in the country.
Richardson is working closely with the United Technologies Center in
However, with the
Kilgour agreed there is a need for trained mechanics in the area. He has hired 120 employees since he moved his company to
C&L recently cut the ribbon on its new headquarters at the airport. Within a month, the company expects to open a painting hangar, where Kilgour expects to add 40 to 50 new jobs.
This is steady work that pays well, Kilgour and Richardson said. Apprentice painters and mechanics make around
The airport has seen significant changes, both in workforce and focus, in the past year.
It is in the midst of several major renovations, including the rebuilding of
The terminal project should change the airport's out-of-date appearance and improve the overall experience and service for customers by consolidating airline ticket counters into one area and improving queueing, Caruso has said.
Early this year, the airport laid off 25 employees, a mix of 10 full-timers and 15 part-timers, largely in response to a drastic decrease in the number of military flights setting down in
"It was good business for us, but it's great to see our troops coming back," Caruso said.
With military traffic playing less of a role in the airport's bottom line, Caruso said it's more important than ever that the airport focus on "anchor tenants" such as C&L, Maine Aero and the newly arrived
Under its 15-year lease, C&L rents three hangars and an office space for about
The annual airport budget averages about
Meanwhile, airport officials continue to court airlines, trying to bring in direct service to new locations -- one of the most popular requests being
Bringing in a new route or airline takes time, however, he stressed.
Four or five years of discussions led to the announcement earlier this year that
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