Worcester Boston MetroWest Airport

The new name? It works.

ORH Stuck in Time

Classic Worcester story on the front page of the Telegram. Check it out.

The story also noted that the Allegiant flights have been doing so well that the airline added a couple of Saturday flights last month. This is great news for the future of the airport and its commercial service. It also sends a good message to Massport about the future of its affiliation with Worcester.

STORY BELOW--------------------------------

The landing field that time forgot

Worcester terminal clocks keep odd hours

By Bill Fortier TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER— They say time flies, but until yesterday afternoon, Allegiant Air travelers at Worcester Regional Airport could be excused for thinking time stood still on top of Airport Hill.

Until yesterday afternoon, two digital clocks above the baggage carousels in the lobby of the airport were still on Eastern Standard Time — running an hour slower than the actual time.

Clocks in the East were changed from standard time to daylight time on April 2 in most places.

But not the two clocks above the carousels.

Since April 2, people aboard the increasingly busy 150-seat Allegiant Air MD-80 jets may have thought at first that they were landing in the Midwest, because the clocks were an hour behind.

“Sure, people have had something to say about it,” said a worker at one of the vehicle rental businesses this week. “I guess they’re waiting for the next time change.”

A worker at another rental business at the airport said the clock confusion has been going on for many years. He said the problem was worse when the clocks above the carousels ran an hour fast, because people arriving at the airport thought they would have to pay an extra day’s rental fee for bringing back a vehicle late. Sometimes, the worker added, people looked at the clocks and thought they had missed their plane.

Airport Manager Eric B. Waldron did not return three telephone calls yesterday seeking comment, but Assistant City Manager Julie A. Jacobson said the problem lies in the electronic timing system in the Flight Information Display System, installed in the new airport terminal when it opened about a dozen years ago. She said the system at the airport is outmoded and outdated, and that the system manufacturer can no longer replace parts.

To change the time, a worker in the city’s Technical Department had to crack the system’s code, because the clocks do not automatically display the correct time when Eastern Standard Time becomes Eastern Daylight Time in the spring and the system is reversed in the fall. She said that took about two hours to do yesterday.

Ms. Jacobson said she became aware of the situation when the Telegram & Gazette called the city manager’s office yesterday morning.

“First of all, truth be told, they should have been changed,” she said at about 4:45 p.m. yesterday. “There is no excuse, it should have been done.”

The short-term plan is to put up two battery-operated clocks next to the two digital clocks by next week, so if there is a problem with the digital clocks, travelers will see the correct time on the battery-operated clocks. The long-term plan calls for putting money in the city’s 2007 Capital Improvement Plan to buy equipment to replace the outdated system. She estimated a new system will cost about $15,000.

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs the airport, said yesterday afternoon that he was unaware of the matter and would contact the airport manager.

Ms. Jacobson said Allegiant has one flight coming into and out of Worcester Regional Airport on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. Increased demand prompted Allegiant to add flights on several Saturdays last month, she said.

“They’re doing very well,” she said.

Allegiant spokesman Tyri R. Squyres said she didn’t know about the clocks until she got a telephone call from the Telegram & Gazette yesterday.

“We haven’t received any complaints from our customers,” she said.

Ms. Squyres said Allegiant is pleased with business at the airport. “We’re doing OK,” she said. “Our flights are pretty full. We’re doing all right.”

As of now, she said, there is not enough demand to add another regularly scheduled flight.

Over the Summer

Allegiant Air continues to provide low-cost service to Sanford/Orlando from Worcester Regional Airport. Travel is provided on these days at these times:

• Sunday
• Monday
• Thursday
• Friday

Flights depart Sanford @ 7:25 AM; Arrive Worcester @ 10:15 AM

Flights Depart Worcester @ 10:50; Arrive Sanford @ 1:50 PM


Travel on Allegiant continues to be extremely economical. One-way tickets continue to be as low as $59. Most flights during the summer months are being sold for $99 each way.

Continue to fly Allegiant between Worcester and Sanford/Orlando. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail me: Alaber91@aol.com. Thank You.

Spirit Airlines @ Logan

Looks like Spirit Airlines will be flying to Myrtle Beach and Detroit from Logan. They would have been a good fit for ORH with their multiple Florida destinations.

Massport worked with them, and they chose Logan over Worcester.

STORY BELOW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Logan To Welcome Discount Carrier Spirit Airlines

(CBS4) BOSTON Logan Airport is welcoming a new addition to its facility later this summer. Discount carrier Spirit Airlines will soon be offering flights to Myrtle Beach, Florida and Detroit from Boston.

Spirit Airlines is the first new carrier to Logan in the past two years.

According to Massport, Spirit will be able to offer passengers competitive airfares and more options when they decide to fly.

Round-trip fares to Detroit and Florida are expected to start around $158.

TSA leases space at ORH

Airport encouraged by federal lease

Inspectors rent in Worcester


WORCESTER— The federal government — in what local officials view as a vote of confidence in the city’s future as a regional air hub — has signed a lease that provides space for U.S. security personnel at Worcester Regional Airport. “This is good news for the airport because there’s an assumption by the federal government that the airport will succeed and that the facility will eventually get more flights,” said Thaddeus J. Jankowski Jr., assistant city manager for operations. The Airport Commission recently agreed to a five-year deal that will provide 964 square feet of space to the Transportation Security Administration on the first floor of the terminal building.


City officials said the space will allow the TSA to permanently station seven to nine security inspectors at the airport, as well as the requisite equipment and office furnishings. As a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the federal government assigns such personnel to inspect passengers boarding large commercial aircraft. Without the necessary space at the airport, the TSA has been shuttling in staff to inspect individuals boarding Allegiant Air jets to Florida, as well as those traveling on large charter craft. The TSA will be renting the space at $11.50 per square foot; city officials said that translates into about $11,000 in annual payments. Officials said the first three years are guaranteed and the TSA has an option to continue the lease for an additional two. The pact went into effect in December. The TSA offices are located in an area to the rear of the first floor that is not readily accessible to the public. City officials said the deal is a good one because the space would have been difficult to rent out, even if the airport were at maximum passenger capacity. They view the TSA agreement as another sign that the airport is poised for a turnaround. Last month, Julie A. Jacobson, assistant city manager for neighborhood and economic development, reported that Las Vegas-based Allegiant, the only carrier providing regularly scheduled flights at the airport, is successfully attracting customers. According to Ms. Jacobson, Allegiant’s average load on flights in and out of Worcester has been 82 percent. The average load figure for the airline industry as a whole, over the 12-month period ending in September, was 78 percent. While Allegiant may be faring well here, city officials admit they must find other airlines interested in using the airport. Mr. Jankowski said city officials are seriously “chasing” an upstart airline. Despite turbulence in the airline industry — including news this week that Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots might strike over threatened pay cuts by management, Mr. Jankowski said several new low-cost carriers are thriving and many might consider Worcester as a place to do business. Meanwhile, Hooters Air is one airline that will not be using the Tatnuck Square neighborhood airfield. Executives recently announced that the 3-year-old airline will stop regularly scheduled air service April 17 and will only run private charters out of Winston, N.C. There was some speculation that Hooters — an offshoot of the international restaurant chain known for its chicken wings and female waitresses dressed in snug T-shirts and orange shorts — might locate in Worcester, following a report aired last fall by WBZ-TV Channel 4. However, city officials said that they never entered into negotiations with the carrier, one of several that a consultant had recommended might merit consideration. Late yesterday, TSA officials could not be reached for comment on the agency’s move to the airport.

END OF ARTICLE

>>> Looks like another $11,000 to the bottom line. Every little bit counts.

Allegiant Tickets

The response to Allegiant Air at Worcester Airport has so far been great. We need to keep this up and improve. With Hooters Air almost gone, we need to prove to Allegiant, through 90-100% loads, that they are working well in Worcester. Hopefully, when Allegiant has more capacity they will consider Worcester for expansion.

If anyone has booked, is booking, or is thinking about booking an Allegiant ticket, please leave a comment so Allegiant's support can be seen better visually. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask it in a comment, or e-mail me at Alaber91@aol.com.

www.AllegiantAir.com

Secondary Airports

I simply do not see a flight to a popular leisure destination with one, two, or even three stops being successful. Leisure travelers want to get to there vacation fast, and are not willing to spend a whole day on planes and in airports. Business travelers are certainly not going to want to fly into a secondary airport from Worcester. For example, no one is going to fly into Gary, IN for Chicago. When ORH had non-stop service on American Eagle to Chicago (ORD), the planes didn't fill enough to maintain the flight. NON-STOP service to popular leisure4 destinations is the only type of commercial service that will work in Worcester for the forseeable future.

However, secondary airports like Worcester, Gary, and Youngstown should work together to get their message across to airlines. The vacation carriers need to know that these airports will bring profits if they give them the chance.