Cruise, Diaz spy thriller films at airport amid high security.

Byline: Nancy Sheehan

WORCESTER - It now looks like Worcester Regional Airport is served by not just one airline but four: Delta, United, U.S. Midland Air and Econoair. Don't try to book a flight, however. The last two are fictitious airlines and the first two are only lending their logos for the filming of a new Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz (read: mega-budget) movie.

The project, with a working title of "Wichita," will be shot at several locations in Massachusetts and around the world over the next few months, but the first days of shooting takes place here. Filming started Tuesday and continues through tomorrow. Work crews spent the previous month transforming the underused Worcester Regional Airport into the Wichita airport, a regional hub too bustling to shut down for a three-day shoot. Not to mention that Transportation Security Administration agents at a busy airport would have been extremely beside themselves with actors and tech crews running about everywhere.

Worcester fit the bill much better, with its one regularly scheduled carrier, Direct Air, down to a Sundays-only schedule through the end of September, after which additional flights are scheduled. Sealing the deal was the fact that the studio was looking for Massachusetts locations to take advantage of generous tax breaks the state offers filmmakers.

The movie is a spy thriller in which Cruise's character weaves his explosive, action-packed way in and out of a single woman's life. Cruise and Diaz came to the Worcester airport terminal a day early, showing up around 7 p.m. Tuesday to tape a segment for the Jay Leno Show, which aired Tuesday night. They did not speak about the movie, as details at this point are zealously guarded by the studio; lest the competition get even the merest whiff of the plot, the set, the dialog, anything. Instead, the segment, which can be seen online, was part of a new bit in which Leno asks celebrities 10 questions with his customary comedic aim. And there are Cruise and Diaz sitting there answering Leno and giggling with the Worcester airport terminal windows as a backdrop.

After the segment was taped, the superstars headed for the terminal's front doors, with Cruise flashing his trademark radiant smile and Diaz donning a fashionable cocoon sweater against the chilly night air. It is the type of sweater that not all of us can wear without looking like a (insert name of large sea mammal of your choice). Not our Cammy, however. Tall and lithesome, she looked stunning in the hot-for-fall style. Once outside, they were rushed into a waiting helicopter, which lifted off and headed toward Boston. Cruise also has a shiny black Cadillac Escalade at his disposal, in the unlikely event he decides to take a spin around Worcester.

That non-hope is the best chance to see Cruise, alas, which means a sighting is probably not in the offing. The studio has rented the airport and the set is completely closed to the public and press, so you can't just drop by and say "Hi." We got away with it Tuesday night for a bit during the Leno taping, but yesterday the heavy-hitter security was on hand and very on-edge, with it being the first day of actual movie shooting.

So don't think of crashing this party. We tried to return to the terminal yesterday and were told we would be arrested if we were seen in the vicinity again.

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Massive boom-mounted lamps shine into the Worcester Regional Airport terminal building yesterday during the filming of "Wichita."

PHOTOG: T&G Staff/PAUL KAPTEYN