Listen
closely; that sucking sound you hear is the mayor of Chicago bleeding
the aviation system dry ...
Some ten months after Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley tore up the runway
at Meigs Field - much like a thief in the night - FAA has announced that
it is initiating an "informal investigation" into whether or
not the mayor violated federal law by not providing prior public notice
before he directed city crews to carve large 'Xs' into the pavement, rendering
the airport useless.
It would seem that the only reason FAA is still considering the matter
is that the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association won't let it die.
The trade group has continued to press, and FAA is finally responding.
When an elected official is allowed to carte blanche destroy a component
of the nation's air transportation system, we should all be concerned.
But there's more.
Mayor Daley is now spearheading (ramrodding?) his O'Hare Modern-ization
Plan that calls for reconfiguring the airport's runways while also allowing
for better access to the airport by suburban communities. Plans also call
for an additional terminal building, once airline economics make it a
prudent move.
Since its original announcement, the modernization plan has been touted
by the mayor's office as costing a mere $6.6 billion. Critics of the plan
have consistently charged that the final bill would actually approach
some $15-20 billion. In February, the mayor's office came out with some
new estimates (a result of prodding by FAA): The modernization plan will
actually cost some $14.8 billion.
Critics of the O'Hare plan, which include the controllers who will monitor
the airport's operations, charge that not only will Daley's plan not achieve
the aggressive capacity increases promised, it will create a nightmare
of congestion during construction.
For airports that have O'Hare as their primary connection to the air transportation
system, there is concern. For airports that want to tap AIP funds for
their facilities, there should be concern. It is truly a national issue
that bears watching.
* * *
Finally, at the ACC/AAAE Airport Planning, Design & Construction Symposium in Denver, Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune offered a few observations ...
- Regarding the air carriers: "We'll either consolidate by design or default."
- On the TSA and security: "I think what we need is a national standard for process."
Thanks for reading.
