An aviation Tech Center

According to Monroe, other small communities such as Carbondale face similarly negative prospects for ongoing commercial air service to their communities. It is the way of a changing market, she says.

"What's happening in small communities, because of highway and other transportation funding, airports are competing with other forms of transport - for example, four-lane highways. In Carbondale and Jackson County, we found that, overwhelmingly, people weren't averse to traveling to other airports like St. Louis.

"And the airline industry is cutting back on 19-seat aircraft. It's where the future is going. The market doesn't accept those aircraft anymore. The pilots aren't available - they're moving up; they're expensive to operate; and reliability is a question in the mind of the passenger," she says.

This greatly raises the bar for minimum air service to small communities, she adds.

Also, in her report to the Southern Illinois Airport, Monroe says that the abolition of the O'Hare High Density Rule will eliminate the Midwests' privileged access to Chicago. In time, she says, business principles will take over and regional jets and larger aircraft will fill those slots, putting even more pressure on smaller markets wanting service to Chicago and other major hubs.

For Information ... Anyone interested in getting more information about the SIU technical center project should contact Professor Elaine M. Vitello, Ph.D., dean, SIU College of Applied Sciences & Arts, at elainev@siu.edu or (618) 453-8840.