Worcester chamber conducting airport survey, to help Massport recruit flights
Photo | Grant Welker
A JetBlue airplane on the Worcester Regional Airport tarmac
With hopes of returning to its pre-pandemic momentum, Massport and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce are conducting a survey of area business leaders soliciting information about how they use the airport, according to a letter authored by chamber President and CEO Timothy Murray.
“Worcester and the region’s economic success has been historically linked to important transportation infrastructure and our central location to all of New England,” Murray wrote. “The Blackstone Canal, railroads, highway system, the commuter rail expansion, and the Worcester Regional Airport are all part of that story and are keys to future success.”
The note, which circulated in the chamber’s newsletter, said the Worcester airport has seen solid growth since 2010, when Massport obtained ownership of it, noting JetBlue Airways, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines all now fly out of the city.
“However, like all airports across the country, Worcester Regional Airport has been impacted by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, with some flights temporarily suspended,” Murray said.
JetBlue and American Airlines both received U.S. Department of Transportation approval in late spring to temporarily suspend service to Worcester through the end of September. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, JetBlue offered nonstop service from Worcester to New York City, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. American offered nonstop service to Philadelphia.
According to Murray, a MassDOT survey conducted last year found the airport has helped create 587 jobs in the last decade, disbursing $29.6 million in payroll and generating a total economic impact of $97 million.
With the survey, the chamber and Massport hope to collect at least 1,000 responses by October. They will use the information gathered to help recruit more flights, airlines and additional routes out of Worcester.
Murray said the survey takes five minutes to complete, and respondents will be entered into a raffle for four tickets to a Worcester Red Sox home season game in 2021 in the chamber’s box seat at Polar Park.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments