Cargo ships out; More planes in

Mainebiz Daily reports on the suspension of the last cargo ship into Portland. At the same time, the Jetport is seeing record numbers of flights.

"Portland's sole cargo container services has suspended its biweekly stops here following the loss of its largest customer, Red Shield Environmental, which has ceased operating while it reorganizes its finances.

Columbia Coastal Transport, based in Liberty Corner, N.J., told the Portland Press Herald it's not viable for the company to come to Portland without Red Shield's large monthly shipments of wood pulp. If Red Shield starts up again, so will Columbia's service, spokesman Kevin Mack said, but in the meantime, Columbia's other customers are relying on trucks for the transport of goods

The service suspension also raises questions about the future of the city-owned International Marine Terminal, the only facility in Maine to offer container cargo service. The city has asked the Maine Port Authority to take over the terminal, which needs $8 million to $10 million in repairs the city cannot afford, the paper reported.."
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"Thanks to a steady growth in passenger traffic, the Portland International Airport has become the fastest-growing airport in New England, according to the Associated Press.

The Jetport saw more than 1.7 million passengers board and disembark planes in Portland during the 12 months through June, a jump of nearly 12% from the previous fiscal year. City officials have credited the gain to the addition of low-cost carriers such as JetBlue and AirTran, the AP reported."