March 02, 2007

JetBlue Service Area

JetBlue now services five cities in Massachusetts. We all know Boston and now have added:

  1. P-Town
  2. Hyannis
  3. Martha's Vineyard
  4. Nantucket
Go to their website and you will see all of these cities listed. How do we lose out on this?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

...cuz Massport sucks...



Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA

Anonymous said...

Do we know whether anyone contacted anyone there?

ThrM said...

John, yes, we've had conversations in the past with them. They know we're here and they know all the factors involved with the airport.

ThrM said...

Harry, Massport is what it is. I don't see how expressing that sentiment helps advance the cause of promoting our regional asset.

Anonymous said...

I meant has the Airport been in contact with them (unless the "we" you are referring to is the Airport staff??)

Bill Randell said...

John:

That is a very good question and something we should know. Nothing, I repeat nothing, is ever listed in the Airport Board Minutes in regards to negotiations with airlines. In other words we have no clue as to who we are or are not talking. I got to believe that the Board Members must be kept abrease of any negotiations, but it must be done outside the meetings. A clear violation of the Public Open Meeting Law.

In addition we have paid over $200,000 to a consultant, IMG, to help us recruit and retain an airline. How are they doing? Again we have not a clue. Although there was mention in a couple City Council meetings that two packages were being prepared, we have no idea to whom or how that went.

The airport belongs to the tax-payers and this has been one of my biggest complaints with the operations at ORH. The public, or shareholders, are kept completely in the dark and that is not right.

Bill

Anonymous said...

I would assume, like most negotiations, they have to be confidential. I can't imagine that Worcester or any other airport lets the generel public know who they are talking with about service. I have no problem if we (general public) don't know, just as long as someone is doing something on recruitment. I have got to figure the City/ Airport/ Massport Administrations knows even if the City Council or the Airport Commission does not. Am I wrong?

Bill Randell said...

John:

Other airports reveal publicly all the time what airlines that they are talking to. These are not private enterprises, there are public assets and we as the tax-payers/stock-holders have a right to now about the going on at the airport.

Let me ask you this if you assume that the Airport Commissioners know about the status of the negotiations, how??? They are not in the Board Minutes, so they must be meeting in private outside the airport board meeting when a majority is not present. This is a clear violation of the Public Open Meeting Law.

John, I do not know how much clearer I can make this (man, I am getting frustrated--sorry). You and I are part-owners in this public asset call ORH and we have a right to know answers to these questions.

Anonymous said...

You must have misread my comments. I said the various administrations must be involved and may not involve the policy setters (Commission, City Council) in the discussions. That does not bother me as long as someone is doing it. I do not believe these types of discussions have to be in public. Sorry!

Bill Randell said...

John:

That is what an executive session is suppose to contain. Here is how it should go.

The airport commissioners have their monthly board meeting. If there are sensitive negotiations with a pending airline then call an Executive Session, where minutes are kept.

I get a little confused here, but even Executive Sessions are available to the public so people like Tom, Jahn, you and me know what is going on with our public asset. To date I have never seen an Executive Session called.


John, appreciate your comments.

Thanks

Bill

Bill Randell said...

John:

What I am trying to say is that this is not some private club. The airport is a public asset and the commissioners are our Board of Directors, while we are the stockholders. There are rules in place, Mass Public Open Meeting, that are supposed to be followed to keep us abreast of the goings on at ORH.


Bill

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you are assuming that the Commissioners and City Council members know something from private conversations and or Executive Sessions that are not posted. However, we don't know that for sure. There are too many menmbers of boards like that who would not stand for that type of activity.

Bill Randell said...

John:

Give us all a break and tell us who you really are..

Bill

Dave from Worcester said...

It has been a while since my last post (computer problems). I thought Nantucket's runway wasn't long enough for commercial jets?