Helping transform emergency relief into long-term community impact with strategic airport solutions

Knox County Regional Airport 2020 CARES Act Support

When Knox County Regional Airport received an unprecedented $18 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport grant program in 2020, it was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen a regional lifeline. Knox County was looking for a partner to help transform this emergency relief into long-lasting infrastructure improvements. As their trusted consultant for decades, they brought our team in to work with them to reimagine what the airport could become with measurable impact.

Partnering closely with Knox County and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), our aviation team led the planning, design, permitting, procurement, and construction oversight for 15 individual projects—an ambitious program that would normally take decades to complete. The work touches nearly every corner of the airport including a new 10,000-square-foot (929-square-metre) multi-use hanger, reconstructed taxi lanes, a pilot crew house, solar farm, and security and infrastructure enhancements. It also encompasses drainage rehabilitation, electrical service extensions, obstruction analyses and removals, and rebuilt a parking lot.

Innovation and coordination powered the effort. From advancing a solar farm requiring FAA land reassignment to modernizing critical infrastructure, our team has navigated complex approvals, optimized procurement strategies, and delivered smart, future-focused solutions that turned emergency funding into strategic investment.

Knox County Regional Airport now operates with modernized infrastructure and three new revenue-generating assets—the solar farm, pilot crew house, and multi-use hanger—positioning the airport for financial self-sufficiency and reduced reliance on local taxpayers, while enhancing essential air services to Maine’s island communities.