The Lowell Sun
Thursday, June 07, 2001

Citing uproar, US Airways airline drops plans for Hanscom flights

By FRANK TUTALO
Sun Statehouse Bureau

BEDFORD -- Barely one month after expressing strong interest, US Airways
Express has bowed to community opposition and is grounding plans to fly out
of Hanscom Field.

The decision by the Arlington, Va.-based airline is a blow to Massport's
plans to increase the use of alternative airports in the Boston area.

Opponents of the airport expansion welcomed the news.

"We haven't won the war, but this is a sweet little battle that we have won
here," said Anna Winter, executive director of the Concord-based citizens
group, Save Our Heritage. "I'm absolutely delighted."

A US Airways spokesman said the company made the move largely because of
local opposition. Activists contend that increased flights at Hanscom would
threaten local landmarks, including the Minuteman National Historical Park.

"Given the degree of community concern over increased flying at Hanscom
Field, it would be inappropriate to incur the costs and spend the time
necessary to develop the new service at this time," Rick Weintraub, a US
Airways spokesman, said in a written statement.

The airline's statement said it has "decided not to serve Hanscom at this
time."

State aviation officials tried to couch the news in positive terms.

"US Air has to make business decisions," said Massachusetts Port Authority
spokesman Jose Juves. "The good news is that Hanscom is being viewed as an
option by the airline."

Asked if the decision came as a surprise to the Massport, Juves responded,
"It's not rare for airlines to express interest, then back out or recommit,
or mull it over."

Several other airlines still are looking to expand at Hanscom, including
Midway Airlines, Shuttle America and Boston-Maine Airlines. Shuttle America
already flies commercial routes out of Hanscom.

The new US Airways routes would have brought the number of daily departures
to 35, 11 more than the limit studied in an environmental review that had
been completed.

US Airways has hubs in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It flies to 203
destinations worldwide. Last month, the airline announced that, beginning in
mid-August, US Airways Express carrier Allegheny Airlines would begin
operating three daily flights with 37-seat twin turboprop planes between
Hanscom and Philadelphia. A fourth flight was to be added to the route in
September.

"As community activists, we rarely see such quick responses to our actions,"
said Margaret Coppe, president of Safeguarding the Historic Hanscom Area's
Irreplacable Resources. "I came home to see 45 e-mails on my account here."

Juves said Massport's efforts remain largely focused on wooing companies to
the busier and bigger Worcester Regional Airport. There, US Airways flies a
handful of flights each day to Philadelphia.

Opponents of expanding Hanscom have gone to federal court in an effort to
force the Federal Aviation Administration to study commercial service at the
airport under the National Historic Preservation Act.


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