Airlines serving O’Hare International Airport were ordered to Washington last week for negotiations on reducing the number of flights that land there. Because O’Hare has been stretched to the limits of its capacity, Chicago is in the terrible position of having, in effect, to turn away business.
The government made clear that if the airlines don’t agree to voluntary cuts, they would be mandated to do so. This underscores a very serious problem for the Chicago economy. Fewer flights mean less business activity, less revenue, fewer visitors. Aviation demand keeps going up, but Chicago’s capacity to welcome it does not.
Plans for building additional runways at O’Hare are moving forward, albeit at an excruciatingly slow pace. The Federal Aviation Administration says it is moving “full speed ahead” on its review of the plans. By full speed ahead, the FAA means it will complete its review by sometime next year.
This page has long supported the expansion of O’Hare. But we have also argued that O’Hare is not the sole answer to the region’s aviation needs. It is vitally important that plans go forward for the construction of a new airport in the south suburbs.
A south suburban airport is anything but a done deal, however. In fact, it may be at risk because local government officials and some members of Congress can’t agree on how best to develop it. The FAA is waiting to hear from Illinois on what plan it favors.
Illinois needs to make a firm decision on this.
There are two proposals for a south airport, one backed by Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the other by Rep. Jerry Weller.
Both call for initial development of a small airport with a single runway of 9,000 to 10,000 feet and five to six passenger gates. Both are designed to allow for expansion as the market demands. The key differences in the plans revolve around how they will be funded, and who will control the development.
– A plan unveiled last September by Jackson and a coalition of communities from Cook County and Will County calls for the first privately financed passenger airport in the U.S. It would not seek federal airport improvement funds.
This project is being pushed by something called the South Suburban Airport Commission, which has 29 community members from south Cook and Will, plus Elk Grove Village and Bensenville, two northwest suburbs. The commission has lined up three potential developers. The chosen developer would invest its own money or raise private financing to build the airport and would be responsible for bringing in commercial airlines and other business.
– A plan supported by Weller and Will County officials envisions an airport built with federal, state and private funds, and governed by a county airport board. This counts on receiving about $100 million over 10 years in federal Airport Improvement Program funds and other revenues from taxes on air travelers. The airport board would be responsible for building and operating the airport and marketing it to the airlines. The new airport would likely compete with O’Hare and Midway for the federal airport funds.
The Tribune much prefers the proposal put forward by Jackson and the South Suburban Airport Commission. It’s a creative and detailed proposal that holds the best hope for the creation and expansion of a south suburban airport.
It would not depend on successfully competing with O’Hare and Midway (and, for that matter, every other airport in America) for federal development funds. Because it would be privately developed, it is far more likely to grow only when there is genuine demand. That holds the least risk for taxpayers and the greatest potential for the south suburbs.
State officials have been trying, without success, to get the competing south suburban groups to reach an accord on a mutual plan. It’s time for the state to declare its firm support for the South Suburban Airport Commission. Politely tell Will County officials their proposal has been rejected, but they will have a voice on the commission as the airport moves forward.
For years, political infighting delayed the necessary decision to expand O’Hare, contributing to the problems the region has today. Let’s not see a replay of that in the south suburbs. The state needs to endorse an airport plan–the Jackson/South Suburban Airport Commission plan–and move on it now.
