Worcester Airport celebrates three years of JetBlue; 350K fliers

Rick Saia JetBlue officials disembark a plane at Worcester Regional Airport in 2013. Since that flight, more than 350,000 people have flown through Worcester with the airline.

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By Sam Bonacci

It has been three years since JetBlue service began at the Worcester Regional Airport, with over 350,000 passengers having flown with the service through Worcester since 2013.

These flights marked a turning point for the airport, with commercial flights returning after multiple airlines pulled out in the early 2000’s.

At its peak in 1989, Worcester Airport served more than 340,000 people, according to Massachusetts Port Authority, but between 2009 and 2012, that number fell to 250,000 people. In 2010 the port authority took over ownership of the airport and began making improvements and working to secure new airlines.

The agreement with JetBlue was a turning point for the airport, with the airline now flying daily flights from ORH to Orlando International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.

Worcester Regional Airport is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, which has overseen over $31 million of investments in upgrades and capital improvements since the Authority took ownership in 2010. By 2020, that number will have increased to $100 million.

A Massachusetts Department of Transportation economic impact study found that Worcester Regional Airport contributes $51.5 million to the regional economy.