Norwood Airport Struggles Under Post-9/11 FAA Security Rules-October 18, 2001

Economic Pinch at Norwood Airport-October 18, 2001

The Norwood Airport is facing a severe financial squeeze brought on by sweeping new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) security rules enacted in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

“The airport is struggling economically,” stated assistant town manager Bernie Cooper. “There is no question that there has been a major impact on the business community at the airport, as well as the recreational fliers based there.”

Normally averaging between 275 and 500 daily takeoffs and landings, the municipal facility saw traffic plummet by roughly 50 percent following September 11. Ten airport-based businesses operate out of Norwood, and all have felt the economic shockwaves to varying degrees. Airport manager Russ Maguire noted that companies are seeing heavy financial drains. “There are companies down there that are losing thousands of dollars, day by day,” said Mark Ryan, an airport commissioner and town engineer.

Stricter FAA Mandates and Flight Restrictions-October 18, 2001

The stringent new safety regulations place heavy limits on smaller aircraft and air traffic at regional airports situated within 20 miles of an international hub. Because Norwood Airport falls within that 20-mile radius of Logan International Airport—alongside regional facilities in Beverly and Hanscom Field—local general aviation has faced intense disruption.

Under the updated mandates:

• General aviation pilots are now required to file formal flight plans enabling air traffic controllers to closely monitor all incoming and outgoing flights.
• Aircraft are strictly prohibited from operating under traditional “visual flight rules” without prior FAA clearance.

Impact on Local Aviation Businesses-October 18, 2001

Flight schools and charter services have borne the brunt of the restrictions. Boston Helicopters Inc., the sole helicopter flight school based at Norwood Airport, was forced to temporarily relocate its flight operations to airports in Mansfield and Lawrence.

“We are definitely in danger of going out of business,” warned company president Geoffrey Morris. “They just can’t run their business.”

Conversely, charter operations experienced slightly better fortune. Eastern Air Charter, a charter plane service operating out of Norwood, maintained a near-normal schedule because charter services were exempt from the harshest new restrictions, according to executive vice president Al Bishop. A pilot was photographed readying an Eastern Air Charter jet for takeoff at the airport.

Town Response and Economic Stakes-October 18, 1973 [2001]

With approximately 200 people employed at the facility, Norwood Airport injects an estimated $49 million into the Norfolk County economy annually. Town leaders emphasized the broader stakes for the community.

“The worst-case scenario is that we will have a lot of people out of business. And it would probably be hard to get them back if this goes on too long,” Mark Ryan cautioned. Al Bishop suggested that the airport commission should consider offering lease payment reductions to help struggling businesses weather the crisis.

While Norwood is a municipal airport and has historically not been viewed as a major revenue generator, assistant town manager Bernie Cooper stressed its underlying value: “The airport does have an impact to the town’s tax base and spinoff businesses, with many people living in the community and shopping here.”

Despite the intense financial strain, manager Russ Maguire reassured residents that the facility faced no risk of permanent closure, explaining that “as a municipal facility, it is no more in trouble than Interstate 95 would be if traffic were to slow down.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger