We, like many in the Worcester area, were excited to hear news from MassPort and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray that air service to Florida and South Carolina is coming to the Worcester Regional Airport.
The Worcester airport has long been under-utilized. And the fact that Direct Air, a charter service operated by Virgin America, is willing to take a chance on our city is heartening.
Of course, in true Worcester fashion, there has been some turbulence. The city’s airport commission has asked for more details from Direct Air on its rates, and Direct Air caught criticism for misspelling our fair city’s name on its homepage.
Bumps aside, we should welcome Direct Air to our airport and keep our fingers crossed that demand is strong enough that more flights can be added to an initial schedule that calls for three flights per week. Worcester’s airport will never match Logan or T.F. Green in Rhode Island. The airport’s geographical challenges are too great. But it can certainly fill a niche in the community and contribute positively to the local economy.
