An analogy that seems to fit as Andrew B. Davis prepares to retire from the job he has held as director of Worcester Regional Airport for more than 17 years is that he is on the runway, ready for takeoff into the wild blue yonder.
Come early July, however, most of the following week won’t be spent on an airplane.
“My wife and I are going on a seven-day cruise,” Davis — “Andy” to one and all — said on the evening of May 27.
“I won’t be taking this,” he said, referring to his cell phone. “Or my laptop!”
That Andy Davis has earned the right to finally relax is beyond dispute. No two people are more aware of this than Paul and Martha Gunnerson.
The Gunnersons are the stalwarts of the Tatnuck Neighborhood Association. Like Worcester City Councilor-at-Large Gary Rosen, who was standing next to Davis as he revealed his immediate future plans, they know what he has meant to the airport and to the Central Massachusetts community.
Always pleasant, agreeable and accommodating, Davis wears his name well — bringing to mind other Andys of similarly winning personalities, such as television’s beloved Andy Griffith and singer Andy Williams.
The right stuff
Massport choosing Davis to head operations at Worcester Regional Airport in 2008 ranks in importance with its decision to take the facility off the city’s hands in 2010.
“One of the best votes I ever took was for Massport to come in here,” Rosen said during the small but heartfelt tribute to Davis, which included remarks by Gunnerson and a retirement cake.
As of late May, who succeeds Davis remains unknown. He gave Massport five months’ notice and is eager to help the man or woman who replaces him. His hope is that this individual receives the same kind of congratulations he has upon completion of his or her tenure.
Those who have saluted Davis include former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who said “job well done,” Lawrence J. Krauter, CEO of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and Russell Arena, semi-retired with ArenaCo Aviation Services.
“I loved every minute of it,” Davis said of his time on Airport Hill.
That he was destined for a career in aviation was apparent soon after his graduation from Hawthorne College in Antrim, New Hampshire, with a bachelor of science degree in business administration and aviation management.
Hawthorne College closed in 1988 after briefly merging with the Florida Institute of Technology and focusing on aeronautics and computer science. By then Davis was settled into a long career with American Airlines — 25 years and eight months — laying the foundation for the assignment he would later take on in Worcester.
Under his stewardship, Worcester Regional Airport has seen steady gains.
As he said recently, “Worcester [Regional Airport] is growing, with the highest number of people through here in decades.”
The airport handled a record 229,000 passengers in 2024, a 12% increase aided by bigger planes and enhanced parking and security.
Along with that growth came partnerships with the Yellow Tulip Project addressing teen mental health, local artist Jose Crillo, CENTRO’s Latin American Festival, Worcester Park Stewards, Discover Central Massachusetts and the Worcester Red Sox, for whom Worcester Regional Airport serves as the team’s official airport.
Davis and Gunnerson both referenced the days when Worcester Regional Airport had only Direct Air offering flights, in contrast to the current landscape, with JetBlue, American and Delta all operating out of ORH.
In April 2025, American Airlines announced a new daily nonstop flight to Philadelphia, one of the country’s largest hubs for connecting flights.
With hassle-free check-in and $7-per-day parking, Worcester has helped relieve pressure on Boston Logan International Airport while emerging as a desirable alternative to both Logan and Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport.
As further evidence of Massport’s investment in Worcester — which now exceeds $150 million — officials announced in 2025 a partnership with Kearsarge Solar to construct and operate a 20-megawatt solar field at Worcester Regional Airport.
Solar energy
Massport said the clean-energy project will be built on 44 acres on the Leicester side of the airport. Once completed, it will rank among the largest solar fields in Massachusetts.
The project is expected to generate approximately 22.3 million kilowatt-hours annually, roughly equivalent to Massport’s overall electricity usage, excluding tenant usage.
“This project underscores Massport’s strong commitment to sustainability and reinforces our responsibility to minimize our environmental footprint across all our facilities as we work toward achieving our Net Zero goal,” Massport CEO Rich Davey said at the time.
“Transforming this underutilized land at Worcester Regional Airport into one of the largest solar fields in the state is a win for the environment, a win for the community, and a smart step toward a more resilient future,” Davey said.
Davis, with more than 17 years at Worcester Regional Airport, and the Gunnersons, with 36 years guiding the fortunes of the Tatnuck Neighborhood Association, forged an alliance that has remained strong.
An uncertain future for the TNA
Gunnerson is feeling understandable frustration over what he sees as dwindling support for the Tatnuck Neighborhood Association. With a trace of bitterness in his voice, he referred to the small turnout for Davis’ sendoff as “The Faithful Few” and lamented that the association’s financial underpinning is not what it once was.
One of his favorite expressions is: “When the doers are gone, nothing gets done.”
Davis pledged his help during his own remarks in making sure the Tatnuck Neighborhood Association survives, even as he prepares to step down as airport director.
“I’m blessed here, especially with the Tatnuck group. You guys are my neighbors,” he said.
Gunnerson did not make any promises about keeping the association going, but he acknowledged Davis’ contributions “with thanks and gratitude.”
“Who took out a snow shovel when he passed our house on Mill Street and helped Martha dig out during a blizzard, when I couldn’t? Andy!” Gunnerson said. “Who came to our front door with geraniums when a dirty rotten scoundrel stole flowers from my war hero dad’s grave at Hope Cemetery? Andy!”
Gunnerson’s disillusionment did not diminish the admiration he showed toward Davis in wishing him well.
There was a light moment when, looking for Martha to bring Andy’s retirement cake to him, he yelled from the podium, “Hey, blondie!”
To which Davis joked: “She just bought a ticket on the Fort Lauderdale plane.”
For his part, Davis expressed profound thanks and predicted bright days ahead for Worcester Regional Airport.
In asserting that he had done his homework on Worcester before taking the job, he said of Rosen: “Gary, you have been there from the start. I knew your bio before I met you.”
He also noted that “I saw Worcester Regional Airport as a diamond in the rough,” which inspired several initiatives and two goals that remain unmet: “to run out of parking space, and to fill these last two ticket counter positions.”
As he has done throughout his time at Worcester Regional Airport, Davis relishes sharing insights into the strides the facility has made.
“I’m one hundred ten pounds lighter than when we started, and I’ve had knee surgery,” he told those in attendance.
In other words, he appears to be in fine shape for whatever lies ahead — even if it is nothing more strenuous than walking the deck of an ocean liner.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Rambler and is republished here with permission.
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
