By STEPHEN HAGAN
STAFF WRITER
With development at Hanscom Airport on the minds of many area residents and
activists opposed to the prospect of more flights, news of Shuttle America’s
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last week — and plans by two other airlines to
start up operations — fell like a bombshell.
In particular, news of Pan American Airways and Midway Airlines’ desire to
start flights out of Hanscom came out of left field for the four towns that
make up the airport property: Bedford, Concord, Lexington and Lincoln.
For Lincoln Selectman Sara Mattes, the board’s liaison on Hanscom Airport
issues, news about Shuttle America’s financial woes came as no surprise.
Still, she said the bankruptcy filing was not necessarily a death blow to
the airline. David Hackett, chief executive officer of the Windsor Locks,
Conn.-based airline, told the Associated Press last week the company will
continue operations and honor all reservations while it restructures
financially.
"I’m not entirely surprised from what I know about the planes not
being
filled and their on-time record not a stellar one," she said. "Their
performance is not great. "
Mattes said other airlines have previously approached Shuttle America to
help during the company’s tough fiscal problems but the airline did not
respond to the offers. Hackett told the AP the airline, which has operated
for about two and a half years, is negotiating with investors for $20
million in new capital to keep flying.
Mattes said the Lincoln selectmen were not pleased with news of the proposed
passenger service by other airlines at Hanscom.
"I’m unhappy with it," she said. "We understand we have an
obligation to the
national defense and general aviation but not to commercial aviation."
Mattes said Massport directors have expressed a similar opinion, with
Virginia Buckingham and Peter Blute on record as opposing the expansion of
commercial aviation at Hanscom. In addition, Mattes pointed to overtures by
U.S. Airways for using Hancom, something she said that was still a
possibility.
News of the two new carriers’ interest in Hanscom came as a surprise, she
said.
"We believe this is not good news for the area," said Mattes.
"What we are
seeing here is what is symbolic nationally. The aviation industry is center
stage and able to dictate the terms of the discussion."
Area officials have called for "true transportation planning" that
looks at
all levels of transportation before policy is developed.
"You can’t solve transportation problems by simply expanding
aviation," said
Mattes. "The industry dictates the terms of everything. "The FAA
responds to
the infrastructure without (consideration) of what’s good for the economy,
our health and well-being.
Details of the two new airlines’ plans were discussed at last week’s
standing-room-only Hanscom Field Advisory Committee meeting in Lincoln. That
meeting included plans by Pan Am to schedule 19-seat turboprop flights
between Hanscom and the Cape and Islands under the name "Boston and Maine
Airlines." Pan Am has stated they hope to be flying by June. More details
on
the Pan Am plans will be considered at the Hanscom Area Towns Selectmen’s
meeting, to take place in Concord tonight, April 26.
Also at the HFAC meeting last week, Massport officials presented a letter
from Steven Westberg, president of Midway Airlines, who wrote, "We have
been
working with Shuttle America in the last few months, trying to find some way
to assist them in their financial restructuring, but have reluctantly
concluded that we should separately propose service to Hanscom." Midway
proposes flying 50-seat Canadair jets from Hanscom.
Jim Henderson, a past president of ShhAir (Safeguarding Historic Hanscom
Area’s Irreplaceable Resources), said Shuttle America has been suffering for
some time with its service to New York, being forced to eliminate some
flights. ShhAir and the group Save Our Heritage have long opposed expansion
at Hanscom Field.
"They’re down to only one a day to LaGuardia," Henderson said.
"They can go
away or find someone with the deep pockets to fold them into another
airline. It could make things far worse for the towns if a larger airline
were to buy them and expand."
Henderson said local officials continue to wait for a ruling on the Section
106 filing issued with the FAA over the issue of air service out of Hanscom.
He said it has been frustrating for many in the area, concerned about the
negative environmental impacts of increased flights at Hanscom.
"We have no environmental trigger for the state to look at the
environmental
impact on the community," he said. "The effect is the things the towns
ask
for don’t get delivered. Massport fails to deliver."
Henderson described the situation at Hanscom as one where the airport is
growing without any control, comparing facilities there to the operations at
New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
In addition, Henderson said there is little input local officials have into
the process, with the late notice of the Shuttle America bankruptcy filing
and interest in the two new airlines catching many off guard. He said
several area officials only heard word of the bankruptcy filing and possible
new service hours before the news was made public at last week’s Hanscom
Field Advisory Committee meeting in Lincoln..
"We were absolutely surprised," he said. "That’s a hell of a
way to run a
business. This stuff doesn’t happen at the last minute. It looks like
Massport is really pushing to grow this airport."
Henderson pointed to Massport’s planned $850,000 runway improvements
project
and what he said would be millions of dollars spent on Hanscom upgrades over
the coming years.
"They are making major investments," he said.
More noise
Should operations be granted for the two new airlines, Henderson said local
residents should be in store for a jump in the decibel level due to an
increase in air traffic. He predicted the new services would amount to 50
additional flights each day, with 100 flight operations — takeoffs and
landings — taking place.
"It will mean a hell of a lot of noise," he said. "We’ll
have crowded roads
and traffic backups on Route 2A. Plus, their parking lot is quite full now.
It could mean the possible expansion of parking."
Area police departments will also have their hands full, Henderson
predicted, with more cars on the roads. Lincoln authorities and Minute Man
National Park personnel will need to increase their traffic enforcement, he
said. Lincoln Police earlier this month announced they plan to step up
enforcement on town roads in response to complaints from residents about
excessive speeds and too many cars on the roads. Police plan to make use of
their electronic speed sign board to deter speeders through town in the
coming months.
Henderson said the limit of seats on commercial flights out of Hanscom means
no more than 60 passengers will be able to travel on one flight. Shuttle
America flights are filled with no more than 50 passengers, he said.
Another aspect of noise to be created from news of the possible increase in
flight traffic will come from the mouths of those opposed to any commercial
flights. Henderson said his organization has received "hundreds" of
calls
from residents, opposed to the news. About 2,200 area residents are part of
ShhAir.
"Word is traveling far and wide," Henderson said. "We’re
going to put our
membership to work."
Residents this summer are expected to see and hear more air traffic over
their heads soon, with Hanscom Runway 5/23 now resurfaced and getting more
use, compared to last year’s resurfacing project at the airport. Henderson
said flights from the runway are directed over Lincoln’s Flint Pond, next to
the DeCordova Museum.
According to figures provided to HFAC, jet use at the airport has increased
111 percent over the past five years and 26 percent over last year. In
addition, noise complaints are up 261 percent, Henderson said.
"It seemed kind of quiet in town," he said. "But people are
hearing more
corporate jets than they used to."
Reaction from Bedford and Lexington
Gordon Feltman, the chairman of the Bedford Board of Selectmen, only found
out about last week’s news at Hanscom after a reporter left a message on his
answering machine. Feltman was traveling in Texas last week.
News of Shuttle America’s bankruptcy filing did not come as a surprise.
" They are not the first who have attempted to operate commercial
airlines
out of Hanscom, " he said.
He said whether Shuttle America will remain solvent is still a question.
" It depends on how honest the information they have released is, "
he said.
" If their cash flow problem derives from the fact they have fixed expenses
at the airports where they operate and their airplane lease holder did not
live up to his contract, it should be temporary.
" If there’s more to it, including the underlying economics of it,
then they
’re gone. "
Feltman was also not surprised at the interest shown by Pan American Airways
and Midway Airlines.
" It’s not a surprise to me that Massport would encourage greater use
of the
airport, " he said. " Pan American, which is based at Pease
(International
Airport in New Hampshire) is probably in as good a position as any to
support an operation out of Hanscom. They are probably in the strongest
position. "
Feltman bristled over what he termed Massport’s " seeming denial of
the
existence " of any negative environmental impacts of Hanscom operations. He
said Massport supports the increase of flights at the airport and also
supports the construction of new office space on the Hanscom property.
" It does nothing to mitigate it, " he said. " Unless there is
a sea change
in the attitude of Massport, we’re going to have a repeat performance to the
arrival of Shuttle America. "
Although Feltman hinted that Massport and the FAA have not allowed the
localities to weigh in with much impact on development at the impact, the
news of the expansion plans would only serve to heighten opposition to those
plans from local activists opposed to airport development.
" I think they are energized already, " Feltman said. " They
may get
temporarily more active again and stir up more visible opposition. But as
far as the corps group is concerned, they’re on and they stay on. "
Lexington Selectman Peter Enrich, who is the chairman of HATS, said the
financial woes of Shuttle America point to the difficulty commercial air
carriers have at Hanscom.
" They tried to make this work like a whole series of predecessors who
have
failed, " Enrich said. " Hanscom is not a viable place or an
appropriate
place for commercial passenger service. "
Enrich added Massport’s claim that " niche " service can be
provided at
Hanscom is just a political ploy to satisfy Boston politicians, intent on
adding another runway to Logan Airport.
" Massport is not good at talking about more than one thing at once,
" he
said. " Plus, there’s never been a study by Massport that shows there is
an
appropriate niche at Hanscom. All of a sudden when they need the political
cover for Logan, there’s this niche concept. It’s pure spin. "