Airport fuel sales went up

Fuel sales in 2020 compared to 2019 were down across the board in America.

Not at Portland Municipal Airport.

Airport manager Hal Tavzel reported to Portland Aviation Board that the airport sold 59,060 gallons of fuel in 2020 — 689 more gallons than 2019 — improving upon a main revenue source for the airport.

“We were fortunate,” Tavzel said. “People are still doing business.”

He contributed the increase in fuel sales to steady travel from private companies and businesses, while he said charter flights were down at the start of the pandemic but rebounded later in the year.

Additionally, the board voted to spend $30,000 it received from the federal coronavirus aid, relief and economic security (CARES) Act toward costs related to fuel.

Jason Clearwaters of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, the airport’s engineering firm, explained that there were a few different ways the airport could spend that money, but spending it on fuel would be the easiest way to document it.

He continued that, though funding isn’t set in stone, the $45 million set aside for local airports in the latest $900 million federal stimulus package may result in $15,000 awarded to the Portland airport this year since the funding is about half of what is in the preceding CARES Act.

Clearwaters said the proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package expected to be discussed in the new U.S. Congress could include a directive for the Federal Aviation Administration to fund 100% of Airport Improvement Program grants, as it did under the CARES Act.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it made its way in there,” Clearwaters said.

That CARES Act directive forced the FAA to pay the entire $2.4 million cost for phase one of the airport’s runway extension from 4,000 feet to 5,500 feet.

A reenacting of that provision would pay 100% of the second phase of the runway extension, which is expected to cost $1.4 million, if the FAA awards a grant for the project this fiscal year as expected. Currently, under an agreement with the FAA, Portland and the Indiana Department of Transportation is expected to each pay 5% toward that estimated $1.4 million total with the FAA picking up the rest of the tab.

In other business, board members Clyde Bray, Faron Parr and Mitch Sutton, absent John Lyons:

•Reelected Lyons as board president.

•Heard from Tavzel that the airport has sold 5,373 gallons of fuel since the start of December for $56,787.46.