Burlington's Airport at a Crossroads: Expansion Dreams vs. Community Clashes

An in-depth look at Patrick Leahy International Airport’s $45 million terminal project, airline changes, and federal partnerships shaping Vermont’s aviation hub

On October 27, 2025, Burlington airport’s director Nic Longo presented an overview of the facility’s past and future at a community lecture, as first reported in VTDigger.

The presentation touched on complex issues that warrant deeper examination. This explainer provides Vermont residents with the full context needed to understand what’s happening at their state’s largest airport.

The $45 Million Terminal Expansion

Patrick Leahy International Airport is undertaking its largest construction project in years. Known as Project NexT, the expansion will add 25,000 square feet to the north side of the terminal, including four new gates and a third-floor observation deck.

The project emphasizes sustainability. The expansion will be constructed primarily from mass timber, use geothermal heating systems, and feature rooftop solar panels. These features align with Vermont’s environmental priorities and position the airport as a leader in green infrastructure.

However, the project’s financial structure is crucial context often missing from public discussions. The total cost is $45 million, funded almost entirely through federal sources:

• $34 million from a congressionally directed spending grant secured by former Senator Patrick Leahy

• $8 million from a Federal Aviation Administration grant

• $1.8 million from the Northern Border Regional Commission for the mass timber construction

The airport has also applied for an additional $18 million in FAA funding. The required local match comes from Passenger Facility Charges—fees collected from airline tickets—rather than general city tax revenue.

This funding structure means Burlington taxpayers bear minimal direct cost for the expansion, but it also demonstrates the airport’s heavy reliance on federal support and the political relationships that secure it.

Understanding the Airport’s Size and Economic Impact

Airport officials often describe BTV as one of New England’s busiest airports. This claim requires context.

The airport handles approximately 1.4 million passengers annually—people boarding and deplaning combined. Airport presentations note it ranks as the “2nd busiest airport in New England when looking at total operations”.

But “operations” is a technical term that includes all takeoffs and landings—commercial flights, private aircraft, and military jets. Because BTV hosts the Vermont Air National Guard’s F-35 fighter wing, military activity significantly inflates this number.

When airports are ranked by passenger volume—the measure most relevant to travelers—BTV ranks fifth among New England’s six major commercial airports. Boston Logan served nearly 20 million passengers in 2023, while BTV served approximately 650,000 enplanements. Hartford’s Bradley International, Providence’s T.F. Green, and Portland International Jetport all serve substantially more passengers than Burlington.

The airport’s economic impact, however, extends far beyond its 50-60 direct employees. According to airport data presented to the legislature, the facility supports 4,935 jobs in the community and provides $170.3 million in annual salaries. A 2018 economic impact study identified 3,457 direct jobs on airport property, including airline staff, federal employees, National Guard personnel, and positions created by visitor spending.

JetBlue’s Departure: Business, Not Just Logistics

JetBlue ended service to Burlington on January 5, 2024, eliminating the airport’s only direct connection to New York’s JFK Airport. The airline publicly attributed the decision to air traffic controller shortages in the New York area, which prompted the FAA to grant slot waivers allowing airlines to reduce flights without penalty.

However, this explanation obscures a longer financial story. Evidence indicates JetBlue considered withdrawing from Burlington as early as 2018—five years before its actual departure. At that time, deteriorating economics and declining passenger numbers on the BTV-JFK route prompted discussions about leaving the market. Intervention by Senator Leahy’s staff convinced the airline to remain.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, JetBlue’s recovery in Burlington was notably weaker than competitors’. By the third quarter of 2023, just before the withdrawal announcement, JetBlue’s route revenue was 34% lower than Delta’s, the top performer in the market.

The air traffic controller shortage didn’t force JetBlue to leave—it provided a penalty-free opportunity to exit a chronically underperforming market. This context matters for understanding the fragility of air service at smaller regional airports, where routes depend on profitability, not just operational feasibility.

ICE Operations: A Local Political Flashpoint

Since early 2025, Burlington airport has become a focal point for immigration enforcement controversy. Local activists and organizations like Migrant Justice have documented over 450 transfers of ICE detainees through BTV since January 2025.

Protesters have packed Burlington Airport Commission meetings, presenting data and demanding the airport refuse cooperation with ICE. Activists have accused the facility of being “complicit” in what they term “illegal human trafficking,” arguing detainees are moved without proper access to legal counsel or family communication. They’ve documented ICE agents using non-public side doors to move detainees, circumventing the main terminal.

Airport officials maintain they have no operational communication with or control over federal law enforcement agencies. Director Longo has stated that as a recipient of federal grants, the airport is legally obligated to allow federal agencies to operate on its premises.

The conflict involves complex legal questions about the authority of a city-owned entity versus federal agencies, creating tension between airport commissioners who express frustration over perceived powerlessness and activists demanding moral and political action.

Government Shutdown and Aviation Safety

During the 2025 federal government shutdown, questions arose about aviation safety when essential workers—air traffic controllers and TSA officers—were required to work without pay. Airport Director Longo stated operations continued normally and flying remained safe.

However, national aviation organizations expressed different concerns. During the same shutdown:

• The National Air Traffic Controllers Association president called for immediate resolution, highlighting immense pressure on controllers.

• The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations stated the shutdown “only compounds the pressures” on short-staffed controllers.

• The president of the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots stated, “It is indisputable that our system is less safe today” than before the shutdown.

Shutdowns force essential safety personnel to perform high-stress jobs while facing personal financial crises, historically leading to increased absenteeism and flight delays at major airports.

The Vermont Air National Guard: More Than a Neighbor

The relationship between BTV and the Vermont Air National Guard extends far beyond shared runways. The Guard provides critical services and represents major economic benefits that fundamentally underwrite the civilian airport’s operations.

Most significantly, the Guard’s fire department serves as the airport’s sole aircraft rescue and firefighting service—an FAA-mandated safety requirement. If the Guard weren’t present, the city would need to fund this service independently at an estimated cost of $3 million annually.

The Guard’s presence also enables federal military construction funding that benefits shared infrastructure. The Burlington City Council recently approved a 25-year lease extension through 2073, ensuring the base qualifies for $51 million in planned federal capital investments over five years, including renewable energy projects and net-zero buildings.

Additionally, the Guard employs approximately 1,000 full-time and part-time staff with a combined annual payroll and benefits package of $65 million, making it a major regional employer.

This deep integration means the F-35 noise controversy cannot be separated from the Guard’s substantial operational and financial contributions to both the airport and the broader community.

BETA Technologies: Building the Future

While the Guard represents the airport’s military foundation, BETA Technologies represents its future as a center for electric aviation innovation.

The Vermont-based electric aircraft manufacturer has made BTV its headquarters under a 75-year lease approved in 2022. The company is constructing a 188,500-square-foot, net-zero manufacturing and assembly facility immediately adjacent to the runways.

BETA already employs over 300 people in high-paying technology and manufacturing positions at its existing hangar facility, with projections for hundreds more as the new production facility comes online. This transforms BTV from simply a place where aircraft land into a center for designing and producing next-generation sustainable aircraft.

Beyond manufacturing, BETA is building a nationwide network of electric aircraft charging stations, with BTV serving as a key node. These universal chargers can power both electric aircraft and ground vehicles, creating infrastructure for future electric transportation.

The partnership positions Burlington at the forefront of a potentially transformative industry, offering economic development opportunities that extend far beyond traditional aviation.

What Happens Next

Several major developments will shape the airport’s near-term future:

Terminal expansion: Construction of Project NexT continues, with completion expected to add significant passenger capacity and position BTV as a model for sustainable airport design.

Airline service: Burlington’s ability to maintain and expand airline routes depends on market forces largely outside local control. The JetBlue departure demonstrated the fragility of service at smaller markets.

BETA manufacturing: As the company’s production facility becomes operational over the next few years, it will become clear whether Burlington can successfully transition into an electric aviation manufacturing center, potentially creating hundreds of high-paying jobs.

ICE operations: The political and legal conflict over immigration enforcement at the airport shows no signs of resolution, with fundamental questions about municipal authority versus federal jurisdiction remaining unaddressed.

Federal partnerships: The airport’s business model relies heavily on federal funding and the continued presence of federal tenants. Changes in federal aviation policy, military priorities, or grant programs could significantly impact operations.

For Vermont residents, Patrick Leahy International Airport represents far more than a place to catch flights. It’s a complex intersection of environmental sustainability and military noise, federal funding and local control, economic development and community health. Understanding these dynamics is essential for participating in decisions that will shape the facility—and its impact on surrounding communities—for decades to come.