US Airways scraps plan to use Hanscom, cites local opposition

By Matthew Brelis, Globe Staff, 6/7/2001

US Airways said yesterday that community opposition to commercial flights
out of Hanscom Field had caused the airline to halt plans to begin service
from the suburban airport, creating a crack in the Massachusetts Port
Authority's efforts to use regional facilities to ease demand at Boston's
Logan International Airport.

The decision by US Airways, the nation's sixth-largest airline, was met with
glee by opponents to commercial service at Hanscom, which is bounded by
Bedford, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln and whose access road cuts through
Minute Man 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,'' US Airways said in a
statement. ''While we heard from many in the business community that the new
service would be welcomed, we also heard from a large number of
organizations and individuals who are concerned about new flying at
Hanscom.''

US Airways had envisioned four daily flights from Hanscom to New York's
LaGuardia Airport each day, and three to its hub in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, officials at Shuttle America, the Connecticut-based regional
airline that started commercial service at Hanscom almost two years ago,
said it was unlikely to restart service to LaGuardia by June 15. The airline
filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year and is trying to win new
financing to switch from turboprops to regional jets. It no longer has
enough airplanes to fly from Hanscom to New York. Unless service recommences
soon, Shuttle America could lose the six landing slots at LaGuardia it won
in a Federal Aviation Administration lottery last year.

The FAA yesterday announced that it is seeking public comment on extending
the lottery at LaGuardia for another year and is looking at increasing
landing fees there to as much as $2,000, holding an auction for slots, or
using administrative approaches such as taking away slots if an airline has
more than 100 operations at the airport.

Two other airlines, Midway and Boston Maine Airways, have expressed interest
in starting commercial service from Hanscom. Midway would fly 50-seat
regional jets to its hub in Raleigh Durham, N.C., and Boston Maine Airways,
which is owned by the company which owns Pan Am, would fly 19-seat
turboprops to the Cape and islands.

''People here are very pleased,'' said Kay Tiffany, a spokeswoman for
Shhair, a local group opposed to commercial airlines at Hanscom. ''The fact
that a national airline recognized the unique situation of the airport and
Minute Man National Historical Park is very socially responsible and we
commend US Airways. We hope Midway and Pan Am will follow their lead and
Shuttle America will think twice about starting up the New York service
again.''

Massport spokesman Jose Juves said that regionalization continues to be an
important strategy for Massport. The authority, which owns and operates
Hanscom and Logan, is working to alleviate pressure on Logan and win
approval for a controversial runway there.

''The good news is that Hanscom Field is now an option for airlines,'' Juves
said. ''The results over the past two years point to regionalization as a
success. There are 30,000 fewer flights at Logan since 1998, and passenger
growth has been limited to under 2 percent.''

Juves said Midway and Boston Maine Airways ''are moving forward with their
proposals,'' although neither airline has yet requested to submit a proposal
to the Massport board for its meeting later this month.

Anna Winter, executive director of Save Our Heritage, another group opposed
to commercial use of Hanscom, said US Airways ''has fired the 21st-century
shot to be heard around the world and through the boardroom at Massport that
only by preserving our past can we invest in our future.''

US Airways is trying to win federal approval to be bought by United, the
nation's second-largest airline. Yesterday, US Secretary of Transportation
Norman Mineta said he did not think the deal, as structured, would be
approved by the Justice Department.

Shuttle America spokesman Mark Cestari expressed disappointment in US
Airways's decision. ''It is a little disheartening to see a big company like
that cave,'' he said. Boston Maine said US Airways's decision would have no
impact on its plans.


This story ran on page 04 of the Boston Globe on 6/7/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.

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