b'RUNWAYSBGR57to get our people and trucks in place to start the electrical work right at midnight, says Montgomery. One of the final steps was cutting grooves into the fresh asphalt to enhance traction when the pavement is wet. During this step, crews ran into a minor complication when the slurry pond they were originally using did not meet environmental regulations. We had to find another site that was larger and on higherCrews cut the concrete to place conduit ground, Montgomery explains. That wasthat carries new wiring for runway lights. no big deal.Diverse Client BaseWith its distinct blend of commercial, general aviation, cargo and military traffic, BGR logged about 40,000 flight operations last year. Commercial service is provided by Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Besides housing the Maine Air National Guard, the airfield also serves other military organizations. We have a strong military presence from both here and abroad, Saavedra says. We often host pilots from Belgium, Israel and Germany who train here. In addition, aircraft from the Navy and Marines frequently land here for brief stopovers.Diversions, especially from airliners returning to North America after flying over the Atlantic Ocean, are a regular occurrence. And the airport is well equipped to handle these unexpected guests. We have a nice international terminal. Customs regional headquarters is on-site here, so we can clear any type of aircraft, says Saavedra. We also have 1,100 feet of extra space that can be used for parking planes.Due to the diverse mix of traffic, there is a consistently strong demand for fuel. The airport owns and operates its own fixed-base operator (BGR Aviation), complete with a 3-million-gallon fuel farm. In fact, fuel sales comprise one-third to one-half of total revenue. We sell 20 to 25 million gallons of fuel a year, Saavedra reports. If I added up other services provided by our FBO, I would estimate that between 50% to 75% of our overall revenue comes from BGR Aviation.AirportImprovement.comNovember | December 2025'