$1 Million Payroll at Empty Worcester Airport

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Scott Van Voorhis, GoLocalWorcester Reporter

Nearly empty Worcester Airport has no plans to shed its $1 million-plus payroll, despite losing its only commercial airline a few weeks ago, state officials tell GoLocal.

In fact, the airport without an airline won’t even trim staff – which includes five execs making more than six figures - in the wake of the Direct Air debacle, according to Massport, the state authority which runs Worcester Airport.

That is likely good news for Andrew Davis, the director of the now empty Worcester Airport, who, along with a $131,000-a-year pay package, gets the use of a state provided 2011 Ford Explorer.

But it is also raising questions among some critics as to why the now practically empty airport still needs a full house.

“Companies are quick to move to cut their losses but apparently Massport doesn’t want to cut its losses,” said Frank Conte, director of communications for Suffolk University’s Beacon Hill Institute.

Keeping airport primed?

Richard Walsh, a spokesman for Massport, contends the airport needs to be ready to go when the state authority is able to land another airline.

That means being able to keep the airport in working order and in good graces with the FAA. In addition, there is lots of small plane traffic as well. The airfield has to be staffed 24 hours a day.

“We are going to continue to operate at a level to accommodate commercial flight activity because it’s the right thing to do,” Walsh said.

With no jets, an expensive wait

Yet it could be a long and lonely wait for another airline operator to start landing big jets.

Asked in a recent interview whether it could take months to bring in a new airline, Davis, the airport director, countered instead that it could take up to a year or two.

Walsh declined to comment on the current status of efforts to bring in another airline.

Still, given the airport’s hefty payroll, it could also be an expensive wait as well.

Massport’s Walsh defended the authority’s practice of providing Davis, the airport director, with a car, saying he needs to be ready 24-hours a day to be a “first responder” should trouble break out at Worcester Airport.

But while Davis tops the pay list, he has lots of company in the six-figure range. There’s also a $103,000 a year airport administration manager and three airport operations shift managers making $103,000, $105,000 and $107,000 per year.

The airport’s 20 other workers pull down pay ranging from $43,617 for the director of security to an “airfleet mechanic” who managed to pull down just $4,262 in 2011.

In fact, many of the workers who deal directly with the airfield saw disappointing earnings in 2011, reflective of fewer hours worked than planned.

Many were on paper expected to earn salaries in the $30,000s and $40,000s, only to wind up pulling in just half that.

By contrast, top administrators at least claimed to be busier, pulling down pay beyond in some cases well beyond their budgeted salaries.

Three airport shift managers, for example, were on budget for just over $71,000, but managed to easily break six figures.

Time to cut losses?

Given the expense of maintaining an airport that has lost its sole airline, some question why Massport isn’t at least considering payroll cuts.

First the city and later Massport has pumped tens of millions over the years into everything from a new terminal to runway improvements.

But Worcester Airport has only been able to land sporadic commercial air service, having so far failed to live up to expectations that it would become an overflow facility for bustling Logan International Airport in Boston.

“This has been limping along literally for 40 years and tons of money has been spent,” said Chip Faulkner of Citizens for Limited Taxation, who remembers the airport from his days decades ago as a college student in Worcester.

“Someone has to make a final decision one way or another,” he add