PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES WORCESTER TO SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
2/7/01

Airline’s First Flight From Worcester to Orlando Takes Off Today

Portsmouth, NH: Pan American Airways used the occasion of its first flight from Worcester Regional Airport to announce that the airline would connect Worcester with San Juan, Puerto Rico beginning in May 2001. In addition, today’s on time departure of Pan Am’s flight Number 51 marked the airline’s first flight from Worcester to Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Pan Am’s President, Dave Fink, said, “This is a great day for Pan Am. We are thrilled to be starting service with Worcester and thrilled with the opportunity to connect Worcester Regional Airport to San Juan. The Pan Am legacy was forged in providing quality service in the Caribbean in the very early days of airline travel. Today the airline is ready to continue that great tradition by connecting New England to this important market.” Fink added, “We believe that the San Juan service will be a healthy combination of leisure and business passengers as well as a fantastic option for passengers in the Worcester area who have friends and family in Puerto Rico.”

The San Juan service will begin on May 25, 2001 and will fly a daily one-stop route to San Juan, with a one-stop return. The service will be aboard Pan Am’s Clipper Class Boeing 727-200 reconfigured aircraft. The Clipper Service provides for additional legroom and overhead storage, as well as use of non-congested airport facilities. Pan Am’s pricing does not require advance purchase, Saturday night stays nor round trip purchase.

Reservations for all Pan Am flights can be made at www.flypanam.com or at 1-800-FLYPANAM. Additional details on Pan Am’s Worcester service will be announced soon.

Dan Fortnam, Pan Am’s Vice President of Marketing, said: “We know based on our reservations to date that our Worcester to Orlando service is a big hit, and we sense that Worcester to San Juan will also be a fantastic market for Pan Am. Since we announced that we would be starting service with Worcester, the phones have been ringing and the website has seen record numbers of reservations.” Fortnam added, “As the second largest city in New England, Worcester has shown itself to be a very popular market for Pan Am.”



Schedule:

Initial San Juan schedule, (all times local):

Worcester to Orlando: Depart Worcester Regional Airport at 10:25 A,M. and arrive at San Juan at 5:10 P.M. Returns will depart San Juan at 10:20 A.M. and arrive in Worcester at 5:00 P.M.

Worcester to Orlando service schedule (all times local):

Worcester Regional Airport service with Orlando Sanford International Airport: Depart Worcester 11:30 A.M. and arrive at Orlando Sanford at 2:25 P.M. Returns will depart Sanford Orlando at 8:05 A.M. and arrive in Worcester at 10:50 A.M.


About Clipper Class Service:

An important element of Pan Am’s marketing strategy for the all its markets is the deployment of Clipper Class Service. Fortnam detailed Clipper Class, stating, “When we set out to design our service, the challenge was to deliver a premium and enjoyable service at a competitive fare. The way to do that is to operate at metro convenient airports and offer genuine service. Clipper Class will be defined by its attention to passenger conveniences, comfort, and avoidance of the hassles associated with airport congestion today.” Fortnam added, “Beyond the benefits of non-congested airports, Clipper Class service will feature our reconfigured 727’s, which have had the total number of seats reduced from 173 to 149, providing passengers with more space, comfort and increased leg room. Seating will be open ensuring quick boarding and prompt departures.

About Pan Am:

The original Pan Am, founded in the late 1920’s by Juan Trippe, set the standard for modern air travel worldwide as the operator of the famous Pan Am Clippers and, later, as the first to fly the Boeing 747. Along the way, Pan Am’s blue globe became one of the most recognized logos in the world.

The owners of New Hampshire-based Guilford Transportation Industries acquired the new Pan Am in June of 1998. The new owners relocated the company’s headquarters from Ft. Lauderdale to Portsmouth in December of 1998. At Portsmouth, the company operates a 220,000 square foot maintenance facility, as well as other aviation-related businesses.

Pan Am currently provides scheduled passenger service to Boston and New England through Portsmouth, NH, Gary/Chicago, Orlando/Sanford, Bangor, ME, Mid America-St. Louis and Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, PA. Beginning in May 2001, Pan Am will begin service with San Juan, Puerto Rico