Freight
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Sorry we just keep going back to that… When you look at the monies Massport has invested into the infrastructure at ORH, you do not invest all of these monies for four flights. People who say, we can not get more flights, just look at Tweed. Feel it is deliberate to keep the flight numbers low, but the PR machine working telling everyone ORH is soaring.
- Drive over airport and note the Amazon facility
- Drive by Greendale male and note the Amazon warehouse waiting
- Drive by CSX yards around Worcester
- Worcester Central location
We can not help but think that ORH is being set up to be a reliever freight airport for Boston. Not that we think that is necessarily a bad idea, matter of fact it could be a great idea. Our point here is that we can do both?
Four flights for years and no changes ???? Just seems like a wasted use of this asset.
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Freight makes sense, but when I drive by Logan airport on my way to East Boston, I look over and see FedEx, UPS airplanes, they are not a320’s they are a380’s, can Worcester airport handle that size plane.? Both FedEx and UPS have hangers at Logan as well. It would cost hundreds of millions to get that going at Worcester. Both UPS and FEDEX are in financial troubles, UPS just partnered with the US postal service to fly mail across the country for extra $$$. Amazon/Prime air is hurting all three UPS ,FEDEX, US Postal service. If Worcester makes a move for freight service, Prime air would make the most sense. Amazon is 1/2 mile down the road.
The issue with freight is you got 2 airports fighting for Amazon: Bradley and Manchester. Manchester has taken off like crazy as well. They went from 0 to up to 4 during peak season. FedEx placed orders for the 380 freighter but it never came as the A380 was losing airbus money. The biggest planes that FedEx and UPS operate are 747 for UPS, and MD11s for FedEx (which FedEx is retiring). All planes that go to the airports with freight that aren’t Boston are B767s, B737s, A300 freighters, and sometimes MD11s (757 only goes to Portland because the runway is roughly the same size as Worcester. The only time a 747 comes to New England is on a special move (NFL charter for Providence Airport, special load, special cargo move, etc.)
UPS has focused more on rail for worcester in a big way. If CSX could expand the train yard, they 100% would. Only issue is just like with the passenger service, every airport has freight and more than worcester. Worcester would be a great airport for it as it’s in central mass and New England but 18 wheelers struggle when going up Goddard memorial and mill street is an absolute nightmare with how tight the road is for an 18 wheeler. I see it all the time when trucks are going to TJ Maxx or Amazon up there
Tractor trailers from the rail yard are a nightmare for Grafton street
Freight is certainly an option for KORH. However, a few barriers have to be considered. Goddard Memorial is not the problem. Though it has a grade, but it’s stretched over 2.5 miles and it’s 2 lanes. The choke points are; Airport Drive from Mill St. Same elevation change, but the grade is spread over only 3/4 of a mile. Getting to the highways; 146, you have the low train bridge on Cambridge. Bottom of Goddard Memorial, a disconnect to get on James St to get down to the pike. Webster Square and Hope Ave rotary back up to get to 290 W. The Pleasant / Highland congestion to get to 290E/190. But that should not be discouragement since Amazon, TJMaxx, and Euro American are making it work. Just think of the benefit the airport would have on the passenger side of the business if the City and State step up to the plate and make improvements to these choke points. Face it, building an access road would be like climbing Mt. Everest. But if they can at least just fix the Goddard Memorial to Jame St. disconnect, that would be more like a hike up Wachusett Mountain.
As Paul indicated, integrators like wide bodies. KORH is a design group 3 airport, meaning it’s runways, taxiways, etc aren’t designed to handle widebody planes.
Until modifications are made on the airfield, the only real option for freight would be narrowbody operations. That’s not a bad thing as I understand Prime is building their narrowbody fleet. So, there’s a chance for some limited freight operations in the not to distant future, but you’re never going to see a Memphis, Indianapolis, or Anchorage at KORH or even a reliever for KBOS, until those wide bodies you see parked there can land at KORH.