Bedford Minuteman
April 3, 2003

Boston-Maine pulls out of Hanscom Field

By Barbara Forster / Correspondent

Hanscom Field is down to one commercial airline. As of April 1, Boston-Maine Airways will no longer fly out of Bedford.

According to Richard Walsh of Massport, the company "verbally" pulled the plug this week; formal written notice is expected shortly. The airline, which began service in June 2002, had one passenger on its flights from Hanscom last month.

The announcement came as no surprise to area activists.

"Commercial aviation never has and never will succeed at Hanscom because the communities won't support it," said Anna Winter, executive director of Save Our Heritage. "Unfortunately, corporate jet aviation, which causes 80 percent of the noise and which has tripled since 1995, does not depend on support from the general public."

Sheldon Moll of Bedford, chairman of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee, agreed.

"Since they (Boston-Maine) had only a few operations per month recently, their withdrawal will hardly be noticed," he said. "On the other hand since they still have their granted FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) 'license' to fly out of Hanscom and a number of operations permitted without requiring an environmental study, they could reappear when the economy improves."

Even Massport was not especially surprised.

"This is not an (economic) environment for start-ups," adds Walsh.

Initially Boston-Maine proposed five round trips a day between Hanscom and Newark, N.J. plus three round trips to Martha's Vineyard and three between Portsmouth and the Vineyard.

Boston-Maine is the latest in a long line of commercial air operations that have flopped at Hanscom. The losers include Mohawk Airlines which was at the field for several years.

Despite the track record or lack thereof, Massport believes commercial aviation has a place at the field.

"They - Boston-Maine - are the type of carrier we would like to see; an alternative airline that serves secondary markets," said Walsh. "We hope they are able to identify serviceable markets and that they reconsider Hanscom Field."

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