Telegram reports Massport ready to pull funding for Worcester Airport

This is an archived story from November 2003

George writes: Today's Telegram is reporting that the head of Massport is ready to pull out of Worcester Airport, unless business picks up or the access road gets built. You can read the article on the Telegram web [Article removed].

According to the article, Rep. John J. Binienda [e-mail] stated that "if you [Massport] don't renew it [the contract] we're not going to have an airport". The paper also reports that yet another working group is being formed, this time by Rep. Karyn E Polito. mailto:Rep.KarynPolito@hou.state.ma.us>[e-mail] She is forming a working group that will consist of "Central Massachusetts lawmakers, and municipal officials, business leaders and Massport officials" and the focus will be on "determining how much interest area companies have in a regional airport and on transportation improvements ranging from better directional signs to the airport to an access road".

Sigh… and yet again the current airport users are left out of the equation. And there is not one mention of the one group that brings business to the airport every day - General Aviation. [You too can find your senator and representative contact information at http://www.state.ma.us/legis/citytown.htm

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Dave R. comments

I've talked with people in McGovern's office a number of times and they're well aware of the importance of GA to the future of ORH. Hopefully he will be able to join the meetings mentioned, or at least send a good staffer.

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George replies

Yes, the article mentioned that Rep. Polito was planning on inviting Rep. McGovern to the meeting. I didn't want to quote too much of it online. It would also be really nice if some of the GA users were invited as well.