Augusta Airport runway opens after 2-month closure

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- The main runway of the Augusta State Airport has reopened after being closed for two months.

The 5,100-foot air strip reopened Friday afternoon after a final round of painting was completed and a Federal Aviation Administration crew made its final inspection.

With the runway open, Massachusetts-based Cape Air is resuming its commercial passenger service between Augusta and Boston, with the first flight leaving Sunday.

The Kennebec Journal said the two-month reconstruction job left only the airport's 2,700-foot runway open for service. That runway was used by smaller aircraft, but wasn't long enough to accommodate Cape Air's planes.