Airport's Goals Smaller than Industry's

DAYTON - An airport trade association estimates that North American airports need to invest $87.4 billion from 2007 through 2011 on new runways, terminals and gates to handle projected increases in passenger and air cargo loads.

Airports Council International-North America said the infrastructure expansion is needed, particularly in the largest U.S. airports, to accommodate a passenger load that the Federal Aviation Administration projects will reach 1 billion by 2015.

The FAA has identified New York's LaGuardia, Newark (N.J.) Liberty International, O'Hare International in Chicago and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International as the airports needing to expand capacity immediately. Atlanta, Las Vegas and San Diego will need expansion before 2025, the FAA predicted.

Dayton International Airport's goals are more modest: build a parking garage, renovate the access road, construct a runway safety buffer and reopen Concourse D, the airport's third concourse, which was closed after US Air shut down the former Piedmont Airlines hub there in 1992. Airport officials hope to establish an international customs facility in that concourse, and pursue new flight service to use it.

In 1988, the Dayton airport's annual passenger load peaked at 4.8 million. It stayed at or above 4 million until 1992 when US Air shut down the Dayton flight hub established by Piedmont, which had merged with US Air in 1989.

Dayton's current annual passenger handle is 2.8 million passengers, meaning that it can accommodate growth without having to expand the terminal soon, said Iftikhar Ahmad, who took over in October 2006 as Dayton's director of aviation.

"We're good for a while," he said. "It depends how soon we attract services and clients that would create long-term needs."

Competing with the Columbus and Indianapolis airports, keeping the flight service Dayton has, and attracting international flight service are among Ahmad's goals. Dayton hasn't had international service since Air Canada and US Air (now US Airways) ended service to Toronto more than five years ago.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan @DaytonDailyNews.com.

Dayton International Airport priorities

Improving its access road, fencing work, adding a 200-foot safety buffer to one of the airport's three runways to comply with federal safety requirements. Projected cost: $5 million-$7 million, which would include federal funding.

Build a parking garage near the terminal. Consultants are helping re-evaluate a preliminary design. The new design is to be selected by year's end. Cost: To be determined.

Reopen Concourse D. Cost: $5 million. Timing of this project is in question because Gov. Ted Strickland's proposed funding of $2.5 million was deleted this spring by lawmakers from the proposed state budget.

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