Maine Air Carrier Keeps Worcester On 'Future' List
A new airline based in Portland, Maine, is staking its future on direct flights between small New England airports and Central Florida, but apparently Worcester doesn't appear to be one of its initial destinations, according to a spokesman for the carrier.
Elite Airways, a 36-employee startup airline, received Federal Aviation Administration certification less than a month ago. It plans to connect regional airports throughout New England to Melbourne International Airport, on Florida's eastern "Space Coast," a busy tourist corridor in the Orlando area that neighbors the state's marquee theme parks.
"Worcester is a potential future focus city but may not be at the top of the list of departure airports; Portland would likely be the first flight in 2013 to Melbourne, "said Elite Airways President John Pearsall. "Once airborne, Elite Airways will decide its next departure city."
Worcester Regional Airport has been without a commercial passenger carrier since Direct Air ceased operations in March.
"Elite Airways has received plenty of emails and phone calls from the citizens of Worcester telling us they want our airline to come to their community," said Elite spokesman Bryan Glazer. "Community excitement and support are extremely valuable."
"Massport, which owns and operates Worcester Regional Airport, is a meticulously professional organization. Therefore, saying anything beyond that Elite Airways is looking at Worcester service would be inappropriate," Pearsall said in a statement delivered through Glazer. "Our company would first need to engage in several meaningful dialogues, study the statistics and then, possibly, present a formal proposal."
Elite is also considering Portsmouth, N.H., and upstate New York as potential flight destinations.
Elite had identified Melbourne as a flier-friendly alternative to the busier facilities in Orlando and Palm Beach. According to published reports, Elite had been considering Worcester Regional Airport, which has been without a commercial passenger carrier since March, after Direct Air halted service before it went out of business.
"It's been awhile since somebody started a small airline with a very specific focus," Pearsall said. "We would like to think we are the first of a new type of airline."
Glazer said consolidation among larger carriers and rising fuel costs have dramatically changed the aviation landscape for smaller, regional airports over the past decade, opening a door for targeted airlines like Elite. Smaller airports are more likely to offer incentives, another factor in Elite's decision.
(Matt Dodge, a reporter with MaineBiz, a sister publication of the Worcester Business Journal, contributed to this report.)
Read More:
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments