Pan Am at Portsmouth
The location of Pan Am at Pease was a rather sudden and fortuitous development. The new owners had decided to relocate the maintenance operation and were looking for a suitable structure. It was New Hampshire Congressman John Sununu, according to the press, who suggested to Dave Fink that the Pease facility might be suitable. It was only two weeks from beginning of negotiations with the Pease Development Authority until the necessary signatures settled the question. What has followed has been the rapid awakening of a sleeping giant, this immense hangar which will soon be open for business. Heat and other utilities, fire protection systems, door operating mechanisms - these are just a few of the systems to be made ready. The building itself needed new siding and weather protection. Parts and supplies have been shipped from the Florida facilities in truckload lots, to be sorted and stored for use. Dozens of new employees are being hired.
The presence of a revitalized Pan American Airways in New England is amply demonstrated by new white siding on a huge aircraft hangar, to which are attached the familiar blue globe and world-renwned “Pan Am” name, the latest venture to be seen at the Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This structure, once used for servicing B52 bombers of the U.S. Air Force, will once again open its huge doors to receive giant aircraft for service and maintenance. President Dave Fink has been recently quoted in the press as saying that “with Pease as our base, Pan Am can offer passengers more choices to places in Florida, Califronia and a few international destinations in South America and Great Britain, directly from Pease.”
The future of Pan Am at Portsmouth looks solid as heavy fleet maintenance is moved up from Ft. Lauderdale. Construction of new cargo terminals assures the presence of other aircraft, opening a market for Pan Am’s maintenance capabilities. There is additional potential as the Pease Development Authority presses for charter passenger traffic to fill out the capacity of the tradeport. To again quote Dave Fink, “We’re filling a niche demand for quality service, and we think Pease is a prime location. Quality facilities are here, and the convenience factor of easy access is important.”