Worcester Airport Opens
On this day in 1927, two runways and two hangars opened for business at the new Worcester Airport. A week later, more than 30,000 people flocked to the official dedication. Stunt flyers, parachutists, and military pilots entertained. Built on a hill in North Grafton, this small field was the only airport Worcester was to have for the next 19 years. By 1940 Worcester was the largest city in the country without regular passenger air service. In 1944 ground was broken for a new airport closer to downtown, and two years later, commercial service began. The next 50 years brought good times and bad. After reaching its peak in the late 1980s, when an average 350,000 passengers utilized the airport, airline deregulation and local weather challenges, passenger service has declined. However, efforts to improve the airport and attract carriers continue.
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