Bill Could Help MidAmerica Airport Land Airlines
BELLEVILLE, IL (April 2, 2000) -- A bill awaiting the signature of President Clinton could remove a major stumbling block in efforts to lure airlines to MidAmerica Airport.
The bill would immediately lift flight restrictions at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for regional airlines using underutilized airports such as MidAmerica Airport. Additionally, more than $76 million would be set aside during the next three years to attract airlines to airports such as MidAmerica Airport.
The proposal pushed by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, would require O'Hare to make space available to regional airlines flying out of underused, regional airports.
So just how many underutilized airports are there throughout the nation? Even the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't know the answer to that. "It's a new category," said Bill Mosley, a spokesman for the FAA in Washington, D.C. "I don't know that anyone has ever counted such a thing."
MidAmerica Airport has a 10,000-foot runway and a 53,000-square-foot passenger terminal. Since the airport opened in 1997, St. Clair County has been unable to attract an airline carrier to the airport.
"This will give a major boost to MidAmerica Airport by opening up gates at O'Hare to regional jets" Costello said of the legislation. "It allows access from smaller communities to major metropolitan areas."
The bill also eventually would lift flight restrictions at New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports and from Washington's Reagan National Airport.
However, restrictions at those three airports would remain in effect until 2007. Restrictions against regional airlines, like American Eagle or TWA Express, would be lifted in May 2000 at O'Hare, Costello said.
U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Addison, whose district includes O'Hare, opposed lifting restrictions because the move would increase flight delays.
But Hyde's objections failed to convince members of the House Aviation subcommittee, whose members include Costello and U.S. Rep. William Lipinski, D-Chicago. "We made a strong case for lifting restrictions at O'Hare," said Costello, the second-ranking member of the aviation subcommittee while Lipinski is the first.
Under the bill, O'Hare would be required to make slots available to any regional airline if the plane is coming from a smaller, underutilized airport. Also, the planes must have 71 seats or less.
A slot is an approach time reserved for major airline carriers at large airports. Slots were mandated by Congress in 1968 as a way to help ease air traffic congestion.
"Slots did not work out the way they planned because they were owned by airlines and limited the competition," said Mosley, the FAA spokesman, "The only way to get a slot is to buy it from an existing carrier, and that can cost millions of dollars."
Costello said legislation, known as Air 21, is expected to be signed by Clinton any day. "The White House has already been in touch with my office to see when I could be there for the signing," Costello said.
Once the bill is signed, MidAmerica Airport Director Rick Hargrove said St. Clair County would begin applying for funds. "We will use it for all aspects of marketing from local community relations to advertising for a tenant for the airport," Hargrove said. "This is a good thing. Any time I can get free money, it is a good thing."
This is the second time Costello has successfully pushed major legislation to help fund MidAmerica Airport. In 1990, Costello convinced Congress to pass legislation that set aside funding for construction of civilian airports at military bases.
Information provided by the Belleville News-Democrat
Marilyn Vise Article
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