Submitted by
- Jeff DeMarey, President, Stonewall Insurance Group, Inc.
- David L. Fetherston, Founder and General Manager, NexAir Avionics
- Thomas W. Hurley, Executive Director, Massachusetts Airport Management Association
- Don McPherson, Manager, Minute Man Airfield
- Donald Staszko, Director of Operations, ProAirways
The Bedford Citizen’s recent article (Responses to Hangar Expansion Differ by Degree, Oct. 2) highlighted some important points.
Hanscom Field is vital to the region’s economic and transportation systems, driving $6.7 billion in economic activity each year, and supporting approximately 20,000 jobs, including highly skilled technicians, maintenance workers, avionics specialists, hospitality providers, and a host of other area businesses based on the field and in the local community. The airfield is also ideally suited to disaster-relief flights and specialized medical transport – consider Medflight, based at Hanscom, which transports more than 6,000 critically ill patients annually.
The industry has a sharp focus on sustainability, having slashed emissions by 40 percent in just four decades, and a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions in the years to come. Progress is being made toward this goal right now – through investment in eco-friendly electric, hybrid and hydrogen power technologies, and the development of sustainable aviation fuels, which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. In fact, MIT researchers recently announced their ground-breaking work to convert plant-based lignin into hydrocarbon molecules that could help make jet fuel 100 percent sustainable.
We believe we should get the facts on the table with a focus on the real and meaningful actions being taken to support citizens, communities and carbon reduction.
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As much as the collaborators of this letter will spin the benefits of economics to themselves and the emission reductions that have been made in the last decades and the hope of as yet an unrealized dream of future emission reductions, the massive expansion of private jets having a new home at Hanscom will negate much if not all of those emission gains and add to it noise,road traffic,light and reduction of property values for those living, but not working in the Hanscom area. All for the pleasure of a few wealthy private jet owners who no doubt do not have to bear the results. And the implied commentary that refusing this massive expansion will jeopardize existing economic benefits is disingenuous.
Would any of the authors of this article be willing to share how much Money they &/or their companies expect to make from the planned expansion of Hanscom for luxury jet flights? Thanks.