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Mayor Jon Mitchell and city officials will join staff and commissioners of New Bedford Regional Airport to mark the first commercial plane flight from New Bedford to Vero Beach, Florida, by Elite Airways.
Officials will gather at the airport, 1569 Airport Road, at 9 a.m., prior to the flight’s departure from New Bedford.
Earlier this year, New Bedford Regional Airport passed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspection and received certification to support service to a greater range of potential destinations. The certification, known as a “139 certification,” enables carriers to fly certain aircraft with more than the nine seats currently allowed, which makes new routes commercially viable for the first time.
The new designation allows New Bedford Regional Airport to support flights to various destinations across the United States. Of the more than 200 airports in New England, New Bedford joins just 22 others to hold 139 certification. New Bedford Regional Airport previously held 139 certification but it lapsed in the 1990s.
