Hagerstown Regional Airport Director Neil Doran told Maryland Department of Transportation and Washington County officials that the airport is pursuing a landline-style bus‑to‑airline model to connect regional passengers to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and to grow passenger capture for regional airports.

Doran said the proposed operation would use larger, coach‑style buses with about 35 seats and operate as an airside‑to‑airside interline, which could reduce travel time and avoid duplicate security screenings. He said a 2024 catchment study shows a large market across Western Maryland, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and south central Pennsylvania, estimating roughly 7 million passenger trips equivalent in the broader catchment area. Doran said that capturing even a small share of those trips could result in hundreds of thousands of additional passengers for regional airports.

The airport director asked MDOT modal leadership to consider supporting a landline‑type model with terminal access, marketing and, where appropriate, minimum revenue incentive arrangements that are commonly used to stand up new air service. Doran said the airport and Salisbury share a consultant and that both airports see potential advantages from an interline bus model.

Doran also described planned airport capital work: a terminal expansion on the east side to add about 20% more space; a replacement air‑traffic control tower (supported by a site‑setting grant from the Maryland Aviation Administration); a replacement and relocation of the fuel farm to better serve the fixed‑base operator and growing tenants; and improvements to taxiways and runway safety areas. He noted the airport’s major tenant, Sierra Nevada Corporation, has expansion plans and that airport land acquisition could enable additional parking and employer growth.

The Maryland Aviation Administration said it supports the airport’s plans and has provided site‑setting and other grants. MAA officials noted the statewide regional airports program and said that Hagerstown’s economic role includes more than 1,800 direct and indirect jobs and added that the administration provides grant programs to support terminal and tower projects.

Discussion only: airport staff presented a business case for a landline interline model and described capital projects; MDOT and MAA representatives acknowledged the proposals and said they would continue administrative and funding discussions. Direction/assignment: airport staff asked for continued state support for terminal expansion, tower funding and consideration of landline facilitation; MAA reported a $3 million grant program for regional airports and said Hagerstown received site‑setting support this year.

Background: the airport and Maryland Aviation Administration noted interest in leveraging intermodal connections to support regional air service and local economic development. No formal MDOT policy change or grant award beyond previously announced site‑setting funding was voted on at the meeting.