New Bedford Regional Airport is a Part 139 Commercial-Service Airport, municipally-owned and available for public use. The airport is located northwest of the City of New Bedford, a city in

Bristol County, Massachusetts Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in S ...

, United States. The airport lies within

Class D airspace The world's navigable airspace is divided into three-dimensional segments, each of which is assigned to a specific class. Most nations adhere to the classification specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and described be ...

and has an operating

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...

(0600-2300). The Acushnet Cedar Swamp borders the airport to the north.

History

New Bedford Regional Airport was constructed between 1940 and 1942 as a commercial airport, but was soon drafted into use for the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

until the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as New Bedford Army Air Field. In April 1944, the Navy took over control of the airport and used it as a training post and naval auxiliary air facility (NAAF New Bedford) to the

Naval Air Station Quonset Point A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

in Rhode Island. During its time, the field also had control of

Naval Outlying Landing Field Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth' ...

and

Naval Outlying Landing Field Westfield A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

. After the war ended, the airport was converted back into civilian use. It has been improved over the years with additional

runway lighting According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

and approach guidance systems. Part 139 Certification was received in the summer of 2017, allowing the airport to accept larger passenger aircraft for the purpose of passenger transportation.

Historic Airline Service

Northeast Airlines Northeast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts that chiefly operated in the northeastern United States, and later to Canada, Florida, the Bahamas, Los Angeles and other cities. It was acquired by and merged into Del ...

, a major east coast air carrier, provided scheduled airline service throughout the 1950s and 1960s until 1972, when it was acquired by and merged into

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

, which in turn then ceased serving New Bedford several years later. In 1960, Northeast was operating

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

aircraft into the airport with nonstop service to New York

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...

, Boston and Martha's Vineyard. By 1969, Northeast had introduced larger

Fairchild Hiller FH-227 The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. The Fairchild F-27 was similar to the standa ...

turboprops on nonstop flights to New York LaGuardia, New York

JFK Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Avia ...

and Boston. Northeast then introduced jet service and was operating

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas. After ...

jetliners nonstop between New Bedford and New York LaGuardia Airport in the fall of 1970 with two round trip DC-9 flights a day. Following its acquisition of Northeast, Delta continued to serve New Bedford with Fairchild Hiller FH-227 turboprops inherited from Northeast on nonstop flights to New York LaGuardia and Boston during the early and mid-1970s. Following the cessation of service by Delta during the mid-1970s, Air New England provided regional service throughout New England and New York until it ceased all operations and went out of business. In 1975, Air New England was the only airline serving New Bedford, with a total of up to fourteen nonstop flights a day into the airport from New York LaGuardia, Boston, Hyannis and Martha's Vineyard. These services were operated with

Beechcraft 99 The Beechcraft Model 99 is a civilian aircraft produced by Beechcraft. It is also known as the Beech 99 Airliner and the Commuter 99. The 99 is a twin-engine, unpressurized, 15 to 17 passenger seat turboprop aircraft, derived from the earlier Be ...

and

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...

commuter turboprops as well as larger

turboprops and

aircraft. By 1979, Air New England had reduced its service into New Bedford and was operating four flights a day with DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops on nonstop services twice a day to New York LaGuardia and Hyannis.http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide (OAG), New Bedford flight schedules Nor-East Commuter Airlines was also serving New Bedford in 1979 with several nonstop flights a day to Martha's Vineyard, operated with

Piper Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also license-built in a number of Latin American countries. Tar ...

twin prop aircraft. Following Air New England,

Provincetown-Boston Airlines Provincetown-Boston Airlines was an airline that operated between 1949 and 1989. The airline operated a route network in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and at one time was the largest commuter airline in the United States be ...

(PBA) was the primary airline serving New Bedford until 1989, when it ceased all flights into the airport. In 1985, PBA was operating three nonstop flights a day to New York LaGuardia with

Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (English: ''pioneer'') is a Brazilian general purpose 15–21 passenger twin-turboprop light transport aircraft designed by Embraer for military and civil use. The EMB 110 was designed by the French engineer Max Ho ...

commuter turboprops. At the peak of PBA's business, 102,880 passengers passed through its facilities in New Bedford. In December 2017,

Elite Airways Elite Airways is an airline based in the United States operating charter and scheduled passenger flights. The airline adjusts destinations as demand increases or decreases. The airline is headquartered in Portland, Maine. History Elite Airways ...

offered scheduled flights from New Bedford to

Vero Beach, Florida Vero Beach is a city in and the seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. Vero Beach is the second most populous city in Indian River County. Abundant in beaches and wildlife, Vero Beach is located on Florida's Treasure Coast. It is thi ...

with Bombardier CRJ-200 and -700 series aircraft. However, this service was suspended due a pilot shortage and a limited fleet of aircraft.

Facilities

New Bedford Regional Airport covers an area of , and contains two asphalt

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

s: 5/23 measuring and 14/32 measuring . In the year ending June 25, 2019, there were 48,988 aircraft operations, an average of 134 per day: 89% general aviation, 10% air taxi and almost 1% military. In April 2022, there were 93 aircraft based at this airport: 75 single-engine, 14 multi-engine, 3 jet and 1 helicopter. The Main Passenger Terminal offers a TSA Checkpoint and Sterile Areas for baggage and passenger boarding. U.S. Customs & Border Protection services are available 24/7, by request. The Airport also has a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ). The FTZ remains available for development and use on the eastern side of the Airport.

Current Airline Service

Cape Air Hyannis Air Service Inc., operating as Cape Air, is an airline headquartered at Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States. It operates scheduled passenger services in the Northeast (US), Northeast, the Caribbean, Midw ...

and

Southern Airways Express Southern Airways Express is a commuter airline operating across the United States with headquarters in Palm Beach, Florida. Southern Airways acts as a local service airline for dozens of cities across all U.S. time zones, Approximately a third ...

are the primary Air Carriers operating scheduled passenger service at the New Bedford Regional Airport. Destinations include

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

and

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

. The airport reports that its facilities are used by over 20,000 passengers traveling to the islands annually, and in 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded 24,494 itinerant operations from New Bedford to the islands.

Fixed-Base Operators

The airport has a thriving

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

community and is served by three FBOs: * Colonial Air * NorEast Aviation Services * Sandpiper Air

Education Centers

Bridgewater State University Bridgewater State University is a public university with its main campus in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. Including its off-campus sites in New Bedford, Attleboro, and Cape Cod, BSU ha ...

Aviation is located on the north side of the Airfield. It is one of the only accredited, collegiate Part 141 Aviation Science programs in New England. The program offers a fleet of over 15 aircraft, state of the art flight simulators, and an experienced faculty/staff. Students can earn Bachelor of Science degrees, with concentrations in Flight Training and/or Aviation Management.

Fine Dining

The Airport Grille
opened its doors under new management in October 2019. The restaurant offers a range of American-style pasta, steak and seafood dishes, with a focus on lobster. The Airport Grille is located inside the Main Terminal building.

Expansion

Over the past ten years the FAA, the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission, and the New Bedford Airport Commission proposed an expansion project to develop New Bedford Regional Airport into an

air cargo Air cargo is any property carried or to be carried in an aircraft. Air cargo comprises air freight, air express and airmail. Aircraft types Different cargo can be transported by passenger, cargo or combi aircraft: * Passenger aircraft use the ...

facility. The recommended expansion plans included a proposal to extend Runway 5–23 to from its current length of . Air cargo carriers require at least of runway. However, despite the economic benefits that a new cargo facility could bring to the area, there was substantial local opposition. Large cargo jets would create more noise and pollution than smaller planes that already utilized the airport. The runway extension itself would affect of

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

. Safety was also of concern, with large aircraft following a flight path directly over populated residential areas. Due to this opposition, in addition to environmental and safety concerns, the plan to extend the runway was rejected by the Airport Commission on May 4, 2005. The commission voted instead to implement various safety upgrades which included an added of length. In 2015, Runway 5/23 was completely rebuilt, with an addition in length of , making the new dimensions . The project also added much needed Runway Safety Areas, putting the runway environment in compliance with modern standards. Taxiway Alpha was also rebuilt at this time, adding Taxiway Safety Areas. In 2018, Runway 14/32 was narrowed to , but retained its original length of , while also adding conforming runway safety areas. The project also saw the eradication of the Taxiway B North run-up pad, constructing Taxiway Kilo in its place. In addition, taxiways Echo and Charlie were constructed. Several improvements to taxiway Alpha were also part of this construction phase. In 2019, the airport was awarded several grants for new wildlife fencing, ARFF equipment, and a supplemental grant of $5 million to design and reconstruct Terminal Aprons. This grant included funding for substructure improvements to assist with drainage. In 2020, Terminal and FBO Ramps underwent extensive reconstruction, updating substructure, pavement, and ramp markings. In addition, the airport rebuilt several sections of Perimeter Fence, enhancing Security and Wildlife Mitigation measures.

Airlines and Destinations

References

External links

New Bedford Regional Airport
on the City of New Bedford site * * {{MA Airport 1942 establishments in Massachusetts Airports established in 1942 Airports in Bristol County, Massachusetts Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts Closed installations of the United States Navy