New England Regional Airport Faces Bumpy Future

Is it possible for a regional airport to be a healthy business? A recent FAA report paints a harsh picture for Pease Airport in Portsmouth NH. From a story in the Portsmouth Herald:

Focus on the niche.

That's the recommendation for Portsmouth International Airport at Pease from a recent forecast for the New England Regional Airport System.

The Pease Airport Committee heard a brief on the report Wednesday from Ralph Nicosia-Rusin, airport capacity program manager for the Federal Aviation Administration. Nicosia-Rusin said this report estimates that by 2020 as many as 76 million people will arrive at or fly out of New England's 11 major and regional airports -- up from 43 million in 2004.

But how much Pease, which has struggled for more than 15 years to develop and maintain regular commercial service, will contribute to that estimated growth remains to be seen.