Burlington airport outlines 'Project Next' terminal expansion and nearly $140 million capital program

Burlington International Airport officials on Jan. 31 briefed the Vermont House of Transportation about a multi-year capital program, called “Project Next,” that officials said is financed mainly with federal grants and will resize the terminal to handle larger aircraft, increase concessions, and add sustainable systems.

The airport’s director, Nick Longo, told legislators that “Everything we do starts with safety first,” and said the terminal expansion responds to changing aircraft sizes and higher passenger loads. Longo said the airport is pursuing grants and partnerships rather than bonding to fund the program and that the full capital portfolio is “just shy of a $140,000,000” over the next several years.

Project Next includes a north-side three‑story terminal expansion that airport officials described as adding seating, concessions and a publicly accessible observation area called AeroPASS on the third floor. Jeff Barley, director of innovation and marketing for Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV), and other staff said the design emphasizes sustainability: officials plan geothermal heating, rooftop solar and a mass-timber footprint to reduce embodied carbon. Barley noted Northern Border Regional Commission funds of $1,800,000 have been secured to support the project’s sustainable materials.

Officials said the airport’s recently updated master plan also lists a runway rehabilitation project (identified in the presentation as about $12,000,000) and other capital work. Longo said the airport receives substantial federal support through Federal Aviation Administration grants and that the state contributes a smaller share (discussed in the presentation as $2,500,000 over five years). Airport staff said aviation fuel tax receipts, which they described as about $2 million to $3 million annually, are among local revenue sources used for capital programs.

Airport presenters described recent growth: they reported a record 2024 fall season, 18 nonstop destinations (including new service from Frontier and Breeze), and an average 2024 load factor near 85%, well above industry averages. Barley and Longo said retaining passengers who now travel to Boston is a priority and that they continue discussions with airlines including JetBlue and Southwest to regain or expand routes, notably to Florida and Denver.

Officials highlighted economic and operations partners at the airport: Beta Technologies, Vermont Flight Academy, Burlington Technical College, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Heritage Aviation (which houses U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations on the field), FedEx and UPS. Longo said the airport’s prior economic-impact study (using 2017 data with 2018–19 activity) estimated the airport’s regional economic value at just over $1 billion and about 5,000 jobs; he said an updated study is forthcoming.

Sustainability and electrification were recurring themes. The airport reported it recently received a Level 1 airport carbon accreditation and is converting its ground fleet to electric vehicles, claiming to be the only airport in New England using a fully electric inspection/maintenance vehicle on the airfield. Staff said sustainable aviation fuel is a desired future supply but is currently hard to source on the East Coast. They described a charging partnership with Beta Technologies to support vehicle electrification on the airfield.

Presentation slides shown to the committee listed program totals and funding sources (federal, state, airport/airline revenues) and described the airport’s approach to designing a terminal flexible enough for regional, mainline, or future vertical-takeoff aircraft. Barley invited legislators to attend field tours at the airport to see operations, capital sites and partners firsthand.

No formal vote or committee action was recorded in the transcript; the session concluded with staff fielding questions about customs, Heritage Aviation fees for private aircraft (described in the presentation as $2.40 per $1,000 of landed weight, collected by the fixed-based operator), TSA partnerships and passenger charges. The airport also offered to host legislative tours to present additional data on specific projects.

The presentation and questions included several items that require follow-up or clarification (project cost breakdowns, updated market-retention data, schedule and procurement details for geothermal/solar systems, and sustainable aviation fuel sourcing).