U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Chicago needs a third airport in its south suburbs because the city's skies are too crowded and a fourth runway at O'Hare International Airport won't change that.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushed for that fourth O'Hare runway Thursday as he outlined a $7.3 billion infrastructure plan for the city. He said the new runway could cut back on delays and boost O'Hare's flight capacity, but he also said it would eliminate the need for a third regional airport. "These infrastructure investments mean that, in three years, O'Hare's capacity will grow by the size of Midway's total capacity," Emanuel said. "That is the same as building a third major airport for Chicago but, in my view, far more cost-effective and strategic." Jackson has pushed for a South Suburban Airport near Peotone for years and disagrees. He said in a statement Friday he supports O'Hare expansion, but even that wouldn't create enough capacity to meet the demand. "We are losing nearly a million operations for failure to increase and solve our air-space problem," Jackson said. "A third airport in the south suburbs will allow more air traffic for the Chicago region." Some believe former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's administration used its influence behind the scenes to delay construction of the airport. Emanuel's first comments on the third airport issue are significant because the FAA has said a "regional consensus" of local governments is needed before the airport can be built. Jackson, who easily dispatched primary election challenger Debbie Halvorson last month, lately has been defending his airport plan on a regular basis. Will County leaders want to control the airport if it's built, and they're questioning the credibility of his Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission. But under a new congressional map, Jackson would represent residents in the airport's footprint for the first time if he's re-elected this fall. And in his victory speech on the night of the primary election, he said he'd hold a "people's groundbreaking" for the airport April 21. He also called on Gov. Pat Quinn to "build this airport now." A Quinn spokeswoman said the governor's goal is to get it done as quickly as possible. Contributing: Fran Spielman
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