BANGOR, Maine — The city is considering naming its airport’s domestic terminal after former Bangor International Airport Director Peter D’Errico.
The full City Council will consider whether to make the change during a meeting on Monday, Feb. 22. The city’s airport committee recommended approval of the honor during a prior meeting.
D’Errico was the longest serving director in Bangor International Airport history. He held the role for 20 years starting in 1970, two years after the city purchased the former Dow Air Force Base when it closed. The airport has had just five directors.
The terminal’s first floor is in the midst of a $14.4 million renovation to overhaul baggage handling and passenger flow and modernize its appearance. That work is scheduled to wrap up later this year. With the new look could come a new name.
“During his career, [D’Errico] oversaw countless significant infrastructure improvements at the airport, which included the construction of both the domestic and international terminals still in use today,” Bangor City Council Chairman Sean Faircloth said in a statement Thursday. “Without that effort and his 20 years at the airport, Bangor might be a lot different today.”
Prior to working for the city, D’Errico served as a major in the Maine Air National Guard from 1955 to 1959. He started his career in municipal government in 1959, when he became the city’s economic development director. He spent a decade at that post before taking over the airport. He also served twice on Bangor’s City Council — including one brief stint from 1969 to 1970 and the other a two-term tenure from 2003 to 2009.
He’s credited with bringing more than 50 companies to the airport during his time, and fostering a strong, long-lasting partnership with the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing, according to the city.
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