More than three years after commercial passenger service returned to Worcester Regional Airport in Massachusetts, JetBlue says it is ready to expand its service.
The addition of flights landing at the airport in the near future is welcome news to travelers throughout central Massachusetts and beyond.
“Oh God, I think it would be awesome, awesome,” exclaimed Jan Barnum of Shrewsbury.
“They’ve got the space for it, they’ve got the gates for it, they just need to get it going again,” Joel Thompson of Templeton said.
Sources tell NBC Boston that JetBlue will add daily flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport, in addition to the daily routes it already provides to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
The official announcement is expected Tuesday morning.
“That allows us to then go anywhere in the world,” said Worcester State University economics professor Bill O’Brien.
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O’Brien has studied the impact the airport’s successes and failures have had on the area over the years.
“Part of the problem at Worcester’s been we haven’t had an instrument landing system, a Category III,” said O’Brien, “And now MassPort passed the funding.”
O’Brien says the airport hasn’t expanded like this since five airlines flew out in the late 80’s, early 90’s.
He says he expects the expansion will have a positive rippling effect on the community.
“I think the airport is vital, if Worcester’s going to be a vibrant city and attract people that want to improve Worcester, I think we need this service,” O’Brien said.
