Scheduled service returning to Worcester airport

WORCESTER, Mass.—State officials are set to announce a new scheduled air passenger service for the Worcester Regional Airport for the first time in two years.

The Massachusetts Port Authority said in a news release Thursday the details of a new service offering direct flights to Florida beginning this fall will be announced on Friday.

It would be the first new scheduled passenger service since Allegiant Air shut down operations at Worcester in September 2006, less than a year into a five-year deal with the city.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant, which provided service to Florida, said it was losing money on the routes because of fuel costs and competition for budget-conscious travelers.

U.S. Airways Express had served the regional airport before Allegiant, but left in February 2003. That airline said it had slow ticket sales and a need to cut costs as part of bankruptcy reorganization.