June 09, 2007

Logan Airport

Seems like yesterday I was stuck at Fort Lauderdale Airport sitting out a JetBlue delay, today I am sitting here at Logan waiting out JetBlue again. Even with the delay, if you have not flown JetBlue, I highly recommend the experience. Plenty of leg room, great leather seats and your own personal television.

Sitting here, I have had a chance to roam the all the JetBlue gates. Bothers me to see the Cape Air gate with all the Cape Air plans utilized for the code sharing agreement theat flies people direct to Hyannis, P-Town, MArtha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Why not Worcester? What next JetBlue will add Chicopee under their code sharing agreement with JetBlue.

Before I left I had a chance to review the City Council agenda, by the way what a great job our city clerk does. Nothing on the agenda regarding MassPort. Good news, however, IMG is still looking for the right airline for ORH. I feel much better knowing that and the final results of the Master Plan will be released this summer. It has taken 3 years to put together this Master Plan and does anyone else see the ironies in the fact the ORH Master Plan will be released when ORH will most likely be under the control of MassPort??

By the way Logan wacks you 7.99 per day to access the net.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

If anyone has been following the city 2008 budget fiasco, I think you can understand that this city is just not capable of properly managing its assets or its finances or maybe we are capable of managing but the Council continually gets in the way.

Union Station

The airport

Summer St church

City Sq.

Others that I forgot ??

In any other place Heads would roll if managers had dropped the ball the way it seems Worc has done.

We cannot even close a budget deficit that represents 1% of a $500M municipal budget and then we have a Council that just blows off their obligations by delaying decisions that should have been made weeks or even months ago.

Would you hire (or rehire) this Board of Directors to even run your household or PTA??

ThrM said...

It's SOOOO easy to cast aspersions from a darkened corner...whatever you do, don't let any light hit your face, because, gosh, maybe then you'd actually be part of a new direction for the city instead of the perpetual fault-finder. Ya coward. You're "just not capable" of being of any help. Roll your Head away. I wouldn't hire YOU to mow my lawn.

Anonymous said...

Allegiant news...



Allegiant Signs Fuel, Pipeline Deals
Monday June 11, 12:04 pm ET
Allegiant Signs 5-Year Deals for Jet Fuel and Pipeline Transportation


NEW YORK (AP) -- Allegiant Travel Co., which flies between small cities and leisure markets, said in a regulatory filing Monday that it entered into five-year fuel and pipeline agreements
Allegiant said a subsidiary entered into a terminalling agreement with Kinder Morgan Liquid Terminals LLC, and a shipper's agreement with Central Florida Pipeline LLC. Under the agreements, which will cost Allegiant a minimum of $1.5 million annually, Allegiant will get exclusive use of a fuel storage tank in Tampa, Fla., pipeline transportation of fuel to Orlando and shared use of a fuel storage tank in Orlando.

Allegiant said the deals are part of its plan to better control the cost and availability of its fuel.

Shares of Allegiant slipped 29 cents to $31.44 in midday trading.



Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA

Anonymous said...

$8 to access the internet?!?!?!?!?
You can say Massport is being a 'Blue Meanie' ...


Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA

Bill Randell said...

Tom:

I also wish there were less anonymous bloggers. At lease with Jahn you get some idea of who it is versus the many anonymous bloggers.

Putting aside your feelings about Jahn, what do you disagree with in his comments. If you ask me, he is pretty much on target.Jahn, you can mow my lawn any day.

More importantly I think it is safe to say now, based on past information and this latest information from Harry that Allegiant left ORH over fuel prices. Thanks Swissport.

Bill

Anonymous said...

I actually used to have a moonlighing city employee mow my lawn. Unfortunately, competition came into my area and I was able to get it Dunne much cheaper by new arrivals to this country (of the legal type).

Isnt the capitalistic/competitive system great? This former guy couldnt compete on price b/c there is no law that says my lawnguy has to be a municipal employee.

Last I heard my former lawn manicurist (Jahn Deere) was IOD from his city job and will be soon be retiring with one of those so called automatic disablity pensions. He is allergic to freshly cut grass.

Rumor has it he was spotted at an out of town Home Depot (Bellingham) putting a down paymnet on a new riding mower after which he will prob. start mowing lawns again. What's next, carpel tunnel syndrome from holding the steering wheel all day?

Hope Cemetary should follow my example. Actually on 2nd thought, I hope they just sell the place. Do the residents there have any standing to nullify a sale of their resting place to private interests? If not, let us get a city law on the books that says all places of internment must be municipally owned and operated for the safety of the dearly departed.

ThrM said...

Bill, whether I agree or disagree with an anonymous blogger doesn't really matter. My point is, and always has been, that if someone feels so strongly about the city's welfare, they should invest their time constructively toward the betterment and enhancement of what good we do have. I've rarely seen any mention of positives on your blog, and that's fine. It's your site. Bad news gets attention and it's EASY to gripe. The hard part is finding the good. Tim M. is a notable exception. He throws in a kudos every now and then.

So, a better way for these negative-energy anonymous cowards to spend their time would be to write a letter to the editor, identify yourself, get on a committee, and DO THE HARD WORK toward change instead of sitting back, watching someone mow their lawn, and simmering about all the perceived ineptitude at City Hall. It's useless and drives good people away. Would you rather be on the team that said "Everything sucks, give up, give up, give up!" or one that finds something positive and builds from there? I know which one I'm on.

This city does a great job with garbage removal and recycling. The lime green garbage bags cost more to make and the whole program costs more to maintain than we all pay for the bags b/c it's heavily subsidized. That is something we should be proud of.

Anonymous said...

Thomas, you seem to have an insider's knowledge of the airport. What are some of your thoughts on getting the airport back on track.

You probably have some good ideas.

ThrM said...

Thank you, Steve.

First, there has to be a pro-active campaign to dispel this annoyingly pervasive notion that the property ORH encompasses can be sold. The federal government has invested ~$60M in it since it was built back in 1946 and they are not in the business of closing airports. They will not support losing any airport , believing one day that it will be part of the regional air transport network. In the meantime, unfortunately, the local government has to do what is best for the taxpayers. If that means divesting itself of what is currently a money pit, then so be it! Let Massport take it over. But don't ever look back and say we shouldn't have. Once that's done, it's done. (I don't even know IF Massport is going to take it over completely, just that it would tough to get it back once they move in.) This recent authorization of a $2M infusion puzzles me--we're going to carry an expensive and struggling non-revenue-generating enterprise that could finally be turned over to a quasi-state agency, removing a significant tax burden from the budget, while screaming about a $5M shortfall and being "forced" to lay off hundreds of needed municipal employees and cut vital programs??

So, this campaign has to start from City Hall, the airport staff, the media (Jordan Levy comes to mind), and the local paper, all touting the eventual benefits of a regional airport if it generated revenue. Unfortunately, there is no unified message of positive news. Those interested (bloggers, student pilots, businessmen) are advised to stand by, hold on, wait for the next report, and watch your tax dollars at work. I'm sure there are smarter people than I who have years of experience in myriad backgrounds making good things happen right now! Let us know what they are every now and then! This, of course, provided it doesn't jeopardize ongoing negotiations. Business decisions can be swayed by rumor.

The current businesses at ORH have an obligation to see that their community is thriving, just as the community has a reciprocal obligation to support them. There's a disconnect between businesses and consumers when one mentions The Radio Shop, Amity Flight School, an air-freight company, Swissport, and multiple car rental agencies, all trying to make ends meet in a tough market, and blank stares return. Some people don't even know we have a flight school!! We should be proud to have all of those enterprises and show them our gratitude! Their facilities should be unparalleled, immaculate, and the envy of other potential tenants. What better way to sell parcels than refer them to existing businesses? If they're unhappy with how the city treats them, that word gets around. Promote school trips to generate a budding interest in transportation, advanced electronics, meteorology and weather systems, communications, environmental protection, and urban landscapes. Reach the younger crowd, because, like it or not, they're the ones who will benefit from the place, and what we do today affects mostly them.

Anonymous said...

I don't know who Thomas is, but there is a passionate guy who believes in his city. He is right. It is nice to see someone with a positive attitude on this Blog. However, Thomas, Blogs are sually for those with complaints. It is the nature of the beast -like the Media.

Bill Randell said...

Tom:

Exactly what have you done to put into action any of the recommendations that you put forward here??

Let me make a recommendation. Start your own blog, website and do all the things you advise. Nobody wants to see ORH suceed more then me.

ThrM said...

Bill, here is exactly what I've done: I have been proactive in my words and deeds trying to dispel the negative image of the airport in conversations with friends, relatives, and neighbors every chance I've been given. I sat down with the owner of the air freight company and asked him what we (your group) could do to enhance the airport. It was a revelation to me that he didn't care whether it was an airport or not. That convinced me to discontinue a dialogue with him.

I've been a student pilot at Amity, with the intention of culminating my passion for aviation with a private pilot's license. Finances are tight right now, so I'm on a hiatus, but I'll get it one day.

Until earlier this year, I had been repeatedly inquiring about serving on the Airport Commission, but as a city employee, am barred. Nonetheless, I continue to have constructive conversations with those who serve in that capacity and with airport management, and constantly ask how the community as a whole can help. As it stands, with the management in turmoil, we have to wait and see what happens after July 1.

I don't have the time, knowledge or inclination to put up a web site that competes with you. You have a valid site that serves a purpose. That purpose has become, by and large, a sounding board for anonymous gripers, to which you have resigned yourself. I hope I can be set apart from that element and encourage a new direction that implements some of those ideas above.

Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

FWIW, planes that land safely, buildings that dont burn down, Jet Skis that dont crash into each other, kids who do not get kidnapped, and banks that do not get robbbed, rarely, if ever make the news.

The media survives by reporting the negative and the tragic. Some people make a living from others tragedies. Shakespeares tragedies are read more often than his other works.

Sometimes those with biases cannot discern the difference between reality and negativity.

Is it negative to say the city budget is in negative territory or is it reality?

Anonymous said...

Looks like Cape Air is having some mechanical (jet)blues...

:-(


Mechanical woes ground Cape Air fleet
By Greg Gatlin and Jessica Van Sack
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - Updated: 12:13 AM EST

Cape Air, the regional airline that flies between Cape Cod and the Islands, as well as in and out of Logan International Airport, has grounded the majority of its fleet of Cessna 402s after its third recent engine failure occurred yesterday, aviation sources and officials said.

The Hyannis-based airline, which flies as many as 850 flights per day during the busy summer season, will cancel roughly 300 flights tomorrow and suspend the bulk of its service until early next week to inspect all of its aircraft, said Michelle Haynes, spokeswoman for Cape Air.

The move came after a Cape Air flight, descending into Boston about 3:45 p.m. yesterday, experienced a left engine failure. Sources say an “Alert 2” was called at Logan, meaning rescue officials were notified, but the plane landed safely.

“It is probabily the most painful week in our history,” said Haynes, adding the company had not yet calculated its projected losses. “To have to turn away pass who come from all over the world ... it’s a huge issue.”

Aviation sources say it was the third recent incident involving Cape Air aircraft, which boasts a fleet of more than 50 Cessna twin-engine 402s, which typically fly nine passengers.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac said Cape Air reported two separate occasions in which the aircraft’s engine failed in late May. Salac said Cape Air made the move to ground the fleet voluntarily.

“The FAA continues to monitor the situation,” she said. “They haven’t told us at this point how many aircraft they will take out of service.”

The problem is believed to have stemmed from an engine part, a counterbalance weight meant to prevent the crank shaft - which turns the propeller - from vibrating.

The situation could lead the FAA to take a wider look at the Cessna 402.

“If we need to take further action, we have the authority to do that,” Salac said. “If we feel it warrants the need for inspection of Cessna 402s nationwide, we can do that.”

Haynes said maintenance crews have already replaced the faulty part within 27 percent of the fleet and are working “around the clock.”

Cape Air flew its first flight, between Boston and Provincetown, in 1989, according to the airline’s Web site. Last year, it carried more than 650,000 passengers and bills itself as the largest independent regional airline in the country. More recently, it’s added service to the Caribbean and South Florida.



Pardon the bad pun!

Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA

Anonymous said...

Bill Wrote:

"By the way Logan wacks you 7.99 per day to access the net. "

That's Massport hard at work again. They also ordered Delta to stop providing free wireless internet access.

How long before they start charging at ORH?

- C.F.

Anonymous said...

Let us not accuse Harry of being negative just b/c he posted a negative news story about poss. airplane mechanical problems.

It does make my point though, so also TY ,Harry.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

Thank you.. Tom, I have done nothing but try to portray an accurate portrait of ORH. I honestly feel that the information I put on the blog is as accurate as I can be. If you feel or anyone else feel it is negative, well guess what we have no passengers and we are losing over 2,000,000 per year.

Then as far as you saying competing with my blog?? Tom, the internet is huge!!! Not only would you not be competing with this blog, but I would gladly put on link on this blog and website directing them to your "postive" information on ORH.

Thanks,

Bill