AUGUSTA -- Bigger, fancier planes will be flying passengers in and out of the Augusta State Airport starting in November now that the federal government has approved a new two-year contract with Colgan Air to continue providing subsidized commercial air service at the airport.

The airline plans to bring in larger, 34-passenger Saab turboprop planes to service Augusta, offering 19 flights a week from Augusta to Logan Airport in Boston.

Officials hope the new planes, an upgrade over the 19-passenger planes used in Augusta now, will help them reach a goal of doubling the number of passengers flying to and from Augusta.

Airport Manager John Guimond said the new planes will provide "cabin class service," including a flight attendant, bathroom, and in-flight beverage service, none of which are provided by the 19-passenger planes used now.

But besides the additional seats, the larger planes will also bring a requirement that the airport upgrade to a Class 1 airport, as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The regulations require airports hosting regularly scheduled airliners with 20 or more passengers to have their own specialized firetrucks and dedicated firefighters able to respond in three minutes or less.

That requires an increased presence by firefighters every time one of the new planes lands or takes off. And that, in turn, means four new firefighters will need to be hired to help cover the additional work. Guimond said the additional expense will not be paid by local tax dollars.

"That's being picked up by the feds, as part of the subsidy being given to run the airport," Guimond said.

Colgan, under the plan approved last week by the federal Department of Transportation, will receive an annual federal subsidy of nearly $4.2 million to maintain air service between Augusta and Bar Harbor to Boston.

A new, specialized truck for aircraft rescue and firefighting will also be purchased as part of the upgrade in airport classification. A $475,000 federal grant will pay for that piece of equipment.

Guimond wants to see the number of passengers using the Augusta State Airport double, and he thinks the larger and quieter planes with more amenities will help.

Mayor Roger Katz said larger planes and a busier airport can only be good for Augusta.

"It's good not only for the people who live here -- some of whom don't like flying on those smaller planes -- but it's also good because we're looking to attract more business to this area," Katz said. "It's nothing but a good thing if it helps make it easier to do business here."

The federal Department of Transportation chose Colgan Air's proposal over the only other airline to seek to provide "Essential Air Service," in Augusta -- Cape Air.

Cape Air proposed to provide 21 flights to Boston per week -- three round trips each day, with nine-passenger Cessna planes.

Cape Air's proposal would have provided flights to Augusta only, at an annual federal subsidy of $1.3 million.

Colgan will provide 19 trips per week -- three flights a day on weekdays and two flights a day on weekends.

Guimond said that is the same number of flights offered in a typical week now.

He said currently 5,000 and 6,000 passengers fly to or from Augusta in a typical year. Guimond is shooting to increase that to 10,000 passengers a year, and plans to increase marketing to do so.

Councilor Edward Coffin, chairman of the city's Airport Advisory Committee, said the cost of a typical flight out of Augusta is projected to be within $50 of the cost of a similar flight out of Portland.

Guimond said that is true but clarified Augusta will generally be within $50 of similar U.S. Air Express flights out of Portland, but not all air carriers, especially discount airlines such as Southwest.

Gardiner resident Frank Powers describes himself as an aviation buff, but he's not a fan of the switch to larger planes for Augusta.

He said most flights coming of the 19-passenger planes used now have numerous unused seats, so he sees larger planes as a major waste of money.

"A 34-passenger airplane isn't going to help Augusta at all," Powers said. "Augusta can't support a 19-passenger airplane. Now they're getting a bigger airplane? It's millions of dollars that could be used for other needs. Fuel assistance, Medicare..."

Guimond agreed the 19-seat planes flying out of Augusta now often fly with unfilled seats, though he noted there are times when every single seat is filled on some flights.

But he is confident increased marketing efforts, as well as the allure of the new planes and their cabin class service, as well as the impact of high gas prices on people who might otherwise drive to airports further south, will dramatically increase the number of passengers flying to and from Augusta.

He noted in the early 1990s there were as many as 15,000 passengers a year and in the 1980s some years saw as many as 30,000.

"We feel with competitive pricing for flights, cabin class service, the price of fuel, and pricing for parking at airports two or three hours away, we can capture a large portion of those people who are continuing to fly, but just aren't doing it out of Augusta," Guimond said. "We're not looking at today. We're looking at 24-months from now."

If Augusta increases its annual passenger count to 10,000, Guimond said the airport will be eligible to receive a $1 million federal entitlement for infrastructure upgrades at the airport every year the number of passengers stays above 10,000.

He said he is not including that $1 million in his airport budget. So, if the number of passengers does not reach the 10,000 passenger threshold, the airport will not be left with a $1 million budget gap to fill.

Several local residents wrote letters in support of Colgan keeping the essential air service contract to the federal Department of Transportation, including Kevin McGinnis, of Hallowell, who praised Colgan's Augusta service in a glowing, five-page letter. He said he has flown out of Augusta for business frequently since 1986 and warned against going with the smaller planes offered in the Cape Air proposal.

"What message does downsizing the aircraft serving an area bring?" McGinnis wrote in his letter to the transportation department.

"The growth in commerce in the Augusta area is not consistent with that message. Thank goodness Augusta is a state airport with leadership that looks at the greater regional good that upsizing aircraft serving it will bring. Bigger aircraft symbolize better times and a more professional carrier."

Guimond said Colgan, which flies as U.S. Airways Express, has operated in Augusta for about 14 years. He expects the larger planes to start coming in the week of Nov. 10.

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com