Wiggins Airways Taking Off

Despite traffic being down at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, sales and profits are flying high at Wiggins Airways, a private air service company. In 2011, the company posted record annual sales of more than $25 million, and increased profits by 15 percent, says President and CEO James H. Thomforde Sr.

The employee-owned company offers a range of aviation services, including overnight package delivery flights, fueling and aircraft maintenance. The business started in Massachusetts in 1929 and moved to Manchester Airport in 1997 when it bought Stead Aviation and invested $7 million to build a terminal. We wanted to diversify and get into the aviation fuel business, Thomforde says.

Following the completion of the terminal, Wiggins paid another $5 million to build an airline services facility, which opened in 2004 and stores more than 500,000 gallons of fuel and de-icing fluids, and provides bays to service refueling trucks. Wiggins manages the fueling needs for more than 60 flights per day, as well as providing potable water and lavatory servicing, de-icing, and other services.

Fewer flights during the economic downturn and slow recovery have resulted in a 30 percent reduction in fuel sales. In response, Wiggins focused on expanding its corporate fuel sales and its package overnight delivery flight business. We're trying to make [people] aware the best place to stop [for refueling] is Manchester, he says. We're concerned with the low level of passengers and what the future will bring.

Wiggins' commitment to diversification, however, has paid off. The firm has contracts with FedEx and UPS to move overnight packages. Wiggins also provides cargo service for locations as far north as Presque Isle, Maine, south to Georgia and Maryland, and east to Ohio.
We're investigating various opportunities, Thomforde says, including growing Wiggins' overnight freight service in the Northeast and bolstering charter operations. Wiggins offers passenger service around New England and the recession drove some small competitors out of business.

We've staged ourselves to be competitive, Thomforde says. We're growing again and hiring again.

Of its 145 employees, 60 are pilots. Wiggins Airways owns and operates 43 planes for cargo operations throughout eastern United States and Canada as well as one passenger charter. The aircraft maintenance department employs a staff of mechanics, and it has 50,000 square feet of hangar floor space so it can lease space to private jets and provide maintenance and repair service.

For more information, visit www.wiggins-air.com.