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Thursday, January, 27, 2000

Pan Am jets to fly Bangor, N.H. route
By Roxanne Moore Saucier, Of the NEWS Staff

BANGOR — The Pan American 727 jet will become a daily visitor to Bangor International Airport, according to an announcement expected Friday.

Pan Am intends to institute daily jet service between Bangor and Portsmouth, N.H. — giving eastern Mainers a convenient way to get to Florida.

There would be two daily flights from Bangor to Portsmouth on Pan Am, seating about 150 people each, and two more flights from Portsmouth to Bangor.

The original Pan American World Airways operated from 1927 to 1991, and once was one of the world’s largest carriers.

Pan American Airways resumed regular passenger service last fall, with flights to Sanford Orlando International Airport in Florida from its base at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth. The airline also flies to Gary, Ind., and has plans to add flights to Pittsburgh in March, and to other U.S. cities. The plan is to start the Bangor flights by March 1, according to Pan Am president David Fink. He said he will make the official announcement in Bangor on Friday, and hoped to offer people in eastern Maine affordable competition — including an alternative to long drives to catch cheap flights in Boston or Manchester, N.H.

The price of the flights has not been announced.

‘‘We’ve been talking with Pan Am,’’ Bangor City Manager Edward Barrett said Wednesday, ‘‘and we’re hopeful we’ll have an announcement later this week. As soon as we’re sure of things, we will let people know.’’

Without revealing details, airport marketing director Jeff Russell said Wednesday the new flights would be ‘‘a revolutionary type of service. I am confident that the state of Maine and our Canadian neighbors will be thrilled to have this type of service available.’’

Airport and city officials have been busy in recent months, talking with a variety of airlines about bringing new service, or upgrading current service to Bangor.

USAirways increased service to Bangor and Presque Isle earlier this month when it replaced Mesa Airlines with Commutair as its partner carrier.

In addition, a state task force set up by Gov. Angus King last summer has recommended a four-year marketing plan to improve domestic air service in Bangor. According to that plan, the state would appropriate $1 million, airport reserves would contribute $1 million, and a federal grant would be sought for $2 million.

The link between Bangor and Portsmouth would be ‘‘very good news,’’ said Amy Homsted of Bangor Travel. ‘‘It would be an additional flight to Florida, which is a very heavy market for us.’’

Homsted called the flights ‘‘another option’’ for Mainers, who after March 15 will not be able to get Delta tickets to Florida through Boston. Currently, Delta passengers take Business Express to Boston through a code-sharing agreement, but that is coming to an end.

Passengers may take Business Express to Boston and pick up an American flight, or fly USAirways on Commutair to Boston, or take Delta to Cincinnati before going on to Florida.

Fink told The Union Leader in Manchester, N.H., that one flight would leave Portsmouth for Bangor at 8 a.m., reaching the Queen City in about 25 minutes. The return flight from Bangor would depart at 9:30 a.m. There would also be a later flight departing each city daily.

Pan Am has a 20-year commitment to its location at Pease International Tradeport.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.