New Hampshire Airport Opens New Terminal and Hangar

The Claremont Municipal Airport (CNH) in Claremont, New Hampshire, last month cut the ribbon on its brand new 18,000 SF terminal building to congratulations from state Senator Ruth Ward, U.S. Representative Annie Kuster, and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan. Several other state lawmakers were also on hand for the ceremony. The new terminal was part of various improvements and upgrades at the airport, including a runway apron rehabilitation, a fuel farm protection pad, tree removals on runway approaches, and a total runway reconstruction with new stormwater drainage and LED lighting. 

Airport Manager Bryan Burr, who coincidentally is also a local fire chief, noted that the work began in 2017 and that the next project on tap will be the relocation of one of the taxiways. That project is slated to start in the spring of 2023. He also mentioned that the trees impacted the approaches on both ends of the runway, preventing the use of 1,100 feet of its 3,098 feet. Local pilots commented that it is nice to use the entire runway length finally. 

The airport’s original terminal building was carefully dismantled instead of demolished and may be reassembled at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry. Engineering for the work was performed by Stantec Consulting Services of Auburn, New Hampshire. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Airport Improvement Program paid for 90% of all the work, with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation Bureau of Aeronautics picking up 5% of the balance. The City of Claremont’s 5% share was paid by its airport reserve account, which is fully funded through airport fuel sales and lease payments, but grants may cover about $77,000 of that.