After an Elite Airlines flight landed at New Bedford Regional Airport last winter, three administrators walked onto the runway with umbrellas.
As passengers exited the plane, Airport Director Scot Servis, Assistant Director Michael Crane and Airport Commission Chairman Paul Barton shielded them from the rain.
“We’re not a big airport like T.F. Green or Logan. We can’t offer things they offer. But we can offer things that they can’t offer,” Barton said. “We can offer these little things.”
Barton hopes little things like $5 parking per day, quick processing through security and the aforementioned plane to terminal service add up to attract not only passengers but airlines.
Elite Airlines didn’t extend service beyond its initial six-week test flight from December through January, but Barton is hopeful Elite will return in the fall. The airline would join Island Shuttle, which will rival Cape Air in small flights to Cape and the Island. Barton said service for Island Shuttle will begin this summer.
He was also optimistic about a third airline that could provide round trips to JFK Airport in New York in 2019. While Barton chose not to name the airline, he said it is affiliated with a larger airline, which would allow passengers an array of options through New Bedford.
“You could actually buy a ticket in New Bedford and end up in California,” Barton said.
The airport launched a new website (flyewb.com) as another way to facilitate passengers’ experience, providing flight updates and parking and rental information among other things.
He was also optimistic about a third airline that could provide round trips to JFK Airport in New York in 2019. While Barton chose not to name the airline, he said it is affiliated with a larger airline, which would allow passengers an array of options through New Bedford.
“You could actually buy a ticket in New Bedford and end up in California,” Barton said.
The airport launched a new website (flyewb.com) as another way to facilitate passengers’ experience, providing flight updates and parking and rental information among other things.
“If New Bedford is dreaming up service, there’s other airports dreaming about it too,” Servis said. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones knocking on the doors. And in the end, it depends on which airport could provide the best deal for the airline and where they see the most passengers coming out of.”
Whichever airline lands in New Bedford it will be on new runways.
Runway 5-23 was repaired about three years ago and crews began tearing up 14-32 three weeks ago.
“There’s so much potential sitting on the plate right now,” Barton said. “Once this is done, we’re going to have two new runways. We have a lot interest, believe me, from the public. We’re ready to go.”
The work will cut the runway’s width in half from 150 to 75 feet. A lack of funding didn’t allow for the runway to be renovated at its original width, however, Servis said the shrinkage hasn’t turned off airlines.
The neighbors living around the airport may have noticed less traffic around the area compared to the last runway repair. Since that time, the airport installed a maintenance road.
“It was a big lesson learned from the 5-23 project,” Servis said. “Hauling all these trucks and all this equipment with the asphalt back and forth through the neighborhood drove the neighbors crazy.”
Follow Michael Bonner on Twitter @MikeBBonnerSCT.
Original story here.
