December 02, 2008

WRTA BUS

Why couldn't we have bused people at ORH to Boston, flew the Sanford plane to Boston, unload the passengers, put them on the bus, bring them back to ORH and then load the people on the plane to fly to Punta Gorda?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

C'mon Bill ...that's too easy...remember how Massport handled the falling ceiling panels in the tunnel? ...by busing all those Massport flyers to Providence and Manchester rather than utilize a Massport facility like Worcester airport ...

Harry T
Worcester, MA

Bill Randell said...

I cannot believe, especially when we have a partner like MassPort, that we did not have a plan for this?

In the case of bad weather in Worcester have a bus or buses lined up if we can fly into Boston.

Especially with all the bad past experiences, you would think that this would be something that would be planned for.

Bill

Anonymous said...

It could have been worse...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-diverted-plane2-2008dec02,0,7401086.story

Harry T
Worcester, MA

Paulie's Point of View said...

this is private business..MassPort nor the City should be carting folks around..this is clearly a DirectAir issue..saying that passengers should have a plan B is pretty silly...Plan B is paying more to get yer arse out of Florida..who wants to do this after hiring DirectAir to get one to and from Florida...

This has happened before and will happen again..DirectAir evidently has made a decision not to set a precedent of paying out if a flight gets canceled due to weather..

I just gotta think that we need to be focusing on other stuff in this city..time for this airport to go! We have a city council pretty much doing little with the City Manager to atract business..few if any on the CC with any sense of business from what we have heard the past three weeks re: tax issue (more time spent on vendor cars and 1.5 inch knives)..what do we need the thing for? I have been to New Orleans this year out of Logan..no big deal geting there and back to Worcester..flew to Philly out of TF again no problem and now back from Ireland out of Boston..travel time and parking cost part of trip!

Put all the no-lo income housing and substance abuse programs up there in a bucolic setting - trees, birds, trails and away from so many temptations...closer to the folks who live on the west side but wanna save the World as long as it is not to close to them.

Worcester does not need an airport...it needs a master plan and to follow some of these reports we have been paying so much for..

Paulie's Point of View said...

a city can be successful without an airport...many of them doing so..just another diversion in the way of making Worceser what it could be...

Anonymous said...

I always have a Plan B. I don't believe in blind trust. Pauline, this is not a personal attack on your opinion, but I view it very narrow minded (by anyone) to not understand the revelance of an airport to a city and it's growth and success. To simply say get rid of the airport is not seeing the big picture and the future of a city and its potential as well as being irresponsible with a defeatest attitude. GA alone is a 9.8 Billion dollar industry! A blog can't describe all the benefits of an airport to a city and the surrounding areas as far as growth and stability. But also, remember, if it is not liesure travel then people need to have a reason to fly to Worcester. Instead of putting the cart before the horse, there needs to be viable business entities that create the need. The airport is ready, always has been, and always will be; time to rebuild the city!

Anonymous said...

There are many possible reasons why they could not just fly to BOS and pick up the bused passengers.
1. Gate availability. If there are no gates available they can't just pick them up at the Signature FBO because of non-sterile environments regarding TSA. That is most likely in their FAA agreements of operations.
2. Weather. Even though they have de-icing capability at ORH, you'd have to be an idiot to take-off in freezing rain. Also it goes back to minimums at the airport. Not only do you need to land above minimums but as well as what is in their op's specs for departures.
3. Costs. I said before that they should have eaten some costs and do whatever they needed to for the customers. Extra costs for the flight over, landing, handling, ramp fees, and de-icing again if necessary to just name a few.

Paulie's Point of View said...

spare me on the Big Picure mate..owned real estate in the city for almost 20 years..been waiting for the Big Picture for as long...

I can name you 50 cities in this country with no airport doing real well...we have very litle business to support the airport..


We can't even redevelop a downtown..or deal with a simple vendor ordinance mate!

Anonymous said...

Maybe you didn't see the big picture 20 yrs ago either?

Could those 50 cities be doing even better if they had an airport?

You've made my point! The city doesn't have the businesses that attract other business in and to utilize the airport. You can't have the airport before the city, or as I said before, the cart before the horse.

I agree with you that we don't have a current administration, or City Council members, or the backbone of the people to make tough decisions and pull the trigger to get things accomplished. But 2 things with that: Do we just quit and have a firesale? And secondly, how is it that you can blame the airport for not being viable when it is the city and surrounding areas that make any airport viable? To have a successful airport you need to have an attraction to that city and surrounding area whether it be business, liesure, or other. That is simply how it works ....mate.

Paulie's Point of View said...

"Could those 50 cities be doing even better if they had an airport?"

>>I would call it an amenity the city can not afford nor has an ability to manage:>) I would be better off with another million in the bank but I am doing just as well with the million I have now mate:>)

No disagreement that a viable airport would be wonderful..but unlike you evidently..I know when to say "uncle" and cut my losses...you prefer to continually be wacked over the head..

Not sure what you mean by not seeing the Big Picture 20 years ago..if it was in reference to buying here then perhaps you are correct:>) this being said..at some point Worcester is only gonna last so long continualy telling folks who are not on the rah rag bus bu have other opinions that leaving may be in their best interest if they can not tow he line..only so many left mate to hold the place up!

Offer up something more than a cliche "cart before the horse" and perhaps you can sway me..righ now cliches do not pay the mortgage or he property tax