BOSTON -- Massport Board members today approved the complete funding for the CAT III Instrument Landing System at Worcester Regional Airport (ORH), pledging support and continued investment in the airport as an economic engine in Central Massachusetts. This upgrade, scheduled for completion in late 2017, is expected to improve reliability of commercial service as it makes the safe airport even safer. Massport and Congressman James McGovern celebrated the groundbreaking of the system back in October.

“This is great news for not only the Worcester community, but for all of Central Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Massport has made a significant commitment at this airport, investing in upgrades and major projects to propel progress and continue driving economic development for the Worcester region. Our administration is pleased to see the momentum continue as we work to make Massachusetts a great place to live, work and raise a family in every zip code.”

The new CAT III equipment and infrastructure upgrades will allow for aircraft to land on Runway 11 under virtually all weather conditions when the visibility conditions are below the current ceiling height of 200 feet and less than 1,800-foot runway visibility. Currently, pilots must divert to other airports for landing when the conditions are below those visibility requirements.

“This is a critical step for Massport to be able to attract more commercial air traffic at Worcester Regional Airport,” said Massport Board Chairman Michael Angelini. “JetBlue has been a great partner, but we need to engage competition and diversity of the flights people can take from Worcester. We hope to see an immediate return on our investment.”

The economic impact of Worcester Regional Airport was estimated to be $46 million in 2014 by MassDOT’s airport economic impact study. The importance of the airport will only grow as activity increases. Currently, there are 358 full time jobs related to the airport and more than 118,000 passengers used the airport in 2015.

“When you invest in the Worcester airport, you’re investing in the future of the entire region,” said Massport Board member and Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis. “A large part of my day job is to instill civic pride here. The people of Central Massachusetts deserve a world class airport and I’m glad to see these improvements are being made.”

The existing conditions at ORH, constructed in 1944 on top of two hills and spanning the Lynde Brook valley, make the airport more prone to fog and poor visibility. Upgrading the navigation system from a CAT I to a Category III instrument landing system at the airport will make the safe facility even safer. The CAT III system will be operated and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“This is an essential project for us as safety and security are the top priorities for Massport and this investment shows our commitment to Central Massachusetts,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “We are thankful to the various elected officials, Worcester city government, the Town of Leicester and the business community who have cooperated with us on this project.’’

Recent Upgrades at ORH:

This past June, Massport celebrated the newly renovated Airport Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) station at ORH. Upgrades to the ARFF program at ORH include:

Renovated the existing Old Tower Building into an ARFF Station that will meet current FAA ARFF Program Guidelines;
Bigger bays better to accommodate larger and more modern safety equipment;
Two (2) 3,000 gallon ARFF vehicles;
Office space for essential airport safety and security functions, staff, offices and equipment;
New interior layout designed to meet FAA standards for ARFF structures;
New doors and windows to improve energy efficiency within the building.

You can find Worcester Regional Airport on Twitter at www.twitter.com/flyworcester and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorcesterRegionalAirport.

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