WORCESTER - When the Massachusetts Port Authority acquired Worcester Regional Airport from the city 10 years ago, it had a difficult time convincing commercial airlines to even think about providing service at the airport.

Since then, Massport has invested more than $100 million in improvements, resulting in landing three airlines that now provide passenger air service there today.

That, in turn, has brought more airlines knocking on the door, expressing an interest about coming to Worcester, too.

"This airport is going through a renaissance like the city of Worcester," said Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, who is chairman of the Massport board of directors. "Massport is committed to this airport. We want to be a good partner with the Worcester community.

"We believe in this airport. More (airline) service will be coming," he added. "Airlines have been approaching us about Worcester. The interest is there. I feel the future of Worcester Airport is very, very good."

Evangelidis made his remarks Monday night at the annual meeting of Massport/Tatnuck Neighborhood Association held at the airport terminal.

He said long-term investments Massport has made at the airport since acquiring it have gone a long way to generating more interest in it.

Evangelidis also credited Timothy P. Murray for the role he played as lieutenant governor 10 years ago in convincing Massport to take the airport off the city's hands. He said Massport has the resources and wherewithal to make the types of investments that were needed.

Airport Director Andy Davis said the $22 million investment in the new CAT III landing system is already paying dividends.

The year before the system was installed, he said JetBlue had to have 18 trips diverted from Worcester Airport. Since then, Davis said JetBlue has had just five flight diversions, and four of those five were not local visibility- or weather-related. Instead, they were the result of heavy weather that was occurring in the mid-Atlantic region.

He added that the $10 million new taxiway has also made a big difference.

When asked about added commercial air service, Davis said he could not provide a timeframe or discuss what airlines are involved because no commitments have been made as of yet.

But he said the first focus for the airport will be getting the existing airlines there to put larger airplanes into service, as well as continuing to make pitches to other airlines and getting service to secondary markets.

"I can't tell you when but we've got some coals in the fire," Davis said. "We are growing and we want to support the community. The city of Worcester is growing and the Tatnuck community is going through a renaissance of its own. You've got a good little community here and we'd like to see it grow like Worcester Airport.

Paul Gunnerson, president of the Tatnuck Neighborhood Association, praised the work Massport has done at Worcester Airport and its continued involvement with the Tatnuck neighborhood.

"It's been 10 years since Massport acquired the airport and I'm glad they did," he said. "They have done so much here at the airport and in the community."

District 5 City Councilor Matthew E. Wally said while Massport wants to see the airport grow it has made it a point of balancing the needs of the community as well.

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