Sensible traveler Destinations Where they went Get in gear
While other airports' traffic flags, Worcester's flounders
By Bruce Mohl, Globe Staff, 12/22/02
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Sensible traveler Destinations Where they went Get in gear
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Passengers flock to Manchester Airport in New Hampshire, which is bucking the national trend with a 3.6 percent increase in traffic this year. Logan International Airport in Boston and T. F. Green in Warwick, R.I., are still feeling the effects of Sept. 11, with traffic down 10.5 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively.
But Worcester Airport is a whole different story. Capable of handling 800,000 to 1 million passengers a year, it probably won't hit 70,000 this year. As things stand now, the outlook for next year is half that number.
American Eagle stopped flying out of Worcester in September, and Delta, early last month. That leaves US Airways as the lone carrier at Worcester, offering three flights a day to Philadelphia.
How long US Airways will stay is anyone's guess. The airline is operating under bankruptcy protection, its flights are less than half full, and its prices are unlikely to attract many new passengers.
I checked Orbitz for round-trip flights to Philadelphia in mid-January and mid-February (leaving and returning on a Wednesday), and both were priced at a whopping $545. From Logan on the same dates, meanwhile, Orbitz offered fares of $159 on US Airways, still operating nonstop.
Amy Kudwa, a spokeswoman for US Airways, declined comment on the fares but said the airline had no intention of leaving. "We wouldn't be in Worcester if we weren't dedicated to flying from there," she said.
Regional airports reduce stress on Logan and give New England travelers more options, which typically means cheaper ways to get where you want to go.
Thom McCabe of Westborough likes the convenience of Worcester Airport but is worried about its future. To him, "9/11 couldn't have happened at a worse time for Worcester Airport. Just as the airlines were getting to customer levels that made them happy, the bottom fell out. The small regional airports were obviously the first to feel the knife."
The Massachusetts Port Authority manages the airport under a five-year agreement with the City of Worcester that is nearing the end of its fourth year. Under the arrangement, Massport this year is contributing $500,000 toward the airport's administrative costs and covering its entire $1.6 million deficit. The agency is expected to pick up the deficit next year as well, and it may grow. Worcester is responsible for paying interest on airport debt.
Despite the bleak situation, Massport officials are talking with Worcester officials about extending the management contract.
"Over the long term, the industry is going to grow and the demand for aviation will increase," said Jose Juves, a spokesman for Massport. "Worcester is part of a larger regional solution for meeting the travel needs of New England."
Juves noted that Worcester had been showing promise during the first years of the management contract, when Delta, American Eagle, and Pan Am added flights there, some of them with low fares. But the falloff in traffic after Sept. 11 erased those gains and brought the airport back to where it started, with just US Airways.
Tom Hoover, Worcester's city manager, said the city and the airport would be in a very difficult position if Massport pulled out. With cuts in local aid coming, he said, Worcester probably couldn't afford to pick up the slack.
But Hoover is optimistic that Massport will hang in for the long haul, assuming a contract can be worked out that would reduce the agency's losses. Options to increase airport revenues include real estate deals involving the adjacent industrial park, antenna contracts, and expanding the relatively strong corporate and general aviation business, he said.
Boarding change
Logan and other airports are beginning to require passengers to get a boarding pass before going through security. Previously, passengers without bags could go directly to the gate with a receipt or printout of their itinerary.
Officials at the federal Transportation Security Administration say the new policy is needed because they are phasing out random searches at gates in favor of more intensive screening at security checkpoints. Boarding passes are often used by security personnel to determine who should be searched more thoroughly.
At Logan, the new policy will take effect first at US Airways in Terminal B, where boarding passes can be obtained at the electronic check-in kiosks.
Flight tracker
If you're picking someone up at Logan, improvements to the airport's Web site (www.massport.com) make it far easier than before to track their progress and get there on time.
The flight tracker now monitors virtually every flight, supplementing airline information with radar data. The information is being updated more frequently and weather patterns are also tracked. Pickup information, including traffic and parking conditions, is available on one page and eventually will include suggestions on the best route to the airport.
Bruce Mohl can be reached by e-mail at mohl@globe.com.