FEDEX UNDECIDED ON HANSCOM
TWO TOWNS OPT TO BOYCOTT CARRIER

Author: Davis Bushnell, GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
Page: 9

As officials in Lexington and Lincoln said they are boycotting Federal Express Corp., the company reported last week it was no closer to a decision on serving Bedford's Hanscom Field than it was two months ago.

And there is no decision-making timetable, said Sandra Munoz, a spokeswoman for the Memphis-based carrier, reiterating that the airfield and other venues in the Boston area are continuing to be explored for cargo flights.

Meanwhile, officials in Lexington and Lincoln said the town governments are boycotting FedEx services. And a citizens petition coming before Bedford's Town Meeting tomorrow night calls on selectmen to consider using other overnight package carriers.

Concord selectmen have not taken a vote on the boycotting issue and probably won't, Chairman Rich Edes said in an Oct. 22 phone interview.

"The board is focusing its attention on Hanscom Air Force Base. That's a high priority for us," he said.

State and local officials have begun lobbying to keep the Air Force base open in the face of expected 2005 base closings.

Munoz said of the boycott by the two local governments: "We'd hope they'd stay with the proven leader in our industry."

Following in the footsteps of Lexington, which began using other carriers this past summer, Lincoln decided a month ago to ban Fed Ex services, said Sara Mattes, a selectwoman and chairwoman of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee, made up of officials from Bedford, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln, the towns surrounding Hanscom.

"But we also recognized that [FedEx] had decided to put off its [Hanscom Field] decision" in part because of concerns raised by the four communities about noise and traffic, Mattes said.

FedEx, which did fly into Hanscom Field briefly, between 1973 and 1978, had said earlier this year that it was contemplating 10 cargo flights a week in and out of the airport.


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