Lexington Minuteman
Thursday, June 26, 2003

FedEx on the road to Hanscom Field?

By Barbara Forster/Correspondent

More commercial flights could be headed for Hanscom Field, but this time the cargo will not be people. About two weeks ago Federal Express, currently based at Logan Airport, made preliminary inquiries to Massport about scheduled cargo flights to and from the airfield.

So far, although nothing is in writing, FedEx has floated a proposal of a five-day-a-week schedule with a single flight arriving and leaving before 11 p.m., said Massport spokesman Richard Walsh

Local reaction is far from positive.

"This could forever change the nature of the airport, the park (Minute Man National Historical Park), historic sites, and the four towns," said Sara Lazarus of Safeguarding the Historic Hanscom Area's Irreplaceable Resources, a grassroots activist group.

Bedford Selectman Sheldon Moll, who is chairman of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission, sees other issues as well.

"While the impact of one flight operation is not that severe, the [ground] traffic involves far more impact," he said.

The exact numbers of trucks needed to load and unload vary, general expectations are that about five trucks would pick up; nine would load. The cumulative effect is 28 trips, Walsh said.

Future expansion of FedEx activities also remains a concern.

"One flight is less than we anticipated for a first step, but it's only the initial step - one that will probably expand," said Moll.

Lazarus agreed.

"The commercial service introduced in 1999 didn't have very much success because it was small and underfunded," she said, "but FedEx is a huge company with plenty of funding."

FedEx's interest in Hanscom is an ongoing matter. Between 1973 and 1978, the company used the field as a base and has made cursory inquiries every two to three years since then. This is the first time, however, the question has materialized into a more concrete plan.

According to spokesperson Pam Roberson, growth, or expansion, is "not" a major issue driving the current FedEx move.

"We're looking at this so we can improve our service [to customers]," she said. "Our customers expect a certain level of service and we're just trying to provide that."

"This is by no means a done deal," said Roberson. "We're still finding out what procedures we need to follow to see if this is even feasible."

A written proposal to Massport is on the "To Do" list, for example, and the cargo company has not yet taken any action with the Federal Aviation Administration to change operating specifications that would allow the firm to fly out of Hanscom.

Nor is FedEx on the agenda of Massport's Board of Directors. However, the company is tentatively schedule to appear before HFAC in July.

"We invited them," said Mattes, "but we're waiting to hear from their representative."

According to Roberson, the company did not have a firm commitment to July.

Another obstacle is getting trucks to the airport.

Massport, reported Richard Walsh, prefers that the company use Hartwell Road, but the Air Force needs to give a thumbs up for that idea.

Roberson added that FedEx does not plan to leave Logan.

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