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CAA: Airport News, "Jackson, Wyoming runway project causes mass cancellations"
Saturday, April 22, 2000
Jackson runway project causes mass cancellations
The Billings (WY) Gazette
JACKSON - The only airline operating out of Jackson this spring is
considering halting its flights for about five more weeks until a runway
project is completed.
The $6 million project is intended to lengthen a runway to prevent planes
from overshooting the airport. It includes two 300-foot safety zones.
But the project, combined with bad weather, has led to mass flight
cancelations this week for SkyWest Airlines because of the hazardous flying
conditions.
SkyWest Airlines is the only carrier that agreed to continue operating
during the construction period. Air Wisconsin suspended its flights. Two
others typically stop flights during the off-season.
SkyWest spokeswoman Bo Stroyls said the airline is reevaluating whether it
can operate during construction. Pilots cannot land in bad weather because
the instrument landing system is turned off during construction.
Already the airline has scaled back its flights from nine to seven per day
to cut out nighttime flights. It uses the taxiway for taking off and
landing, which is half the width of the runway.
SkyWest has tighten its safety standards to require pilots to have 10 miles
of visibility for taking off and landing, and few clouds between the ground
and 8,000 miles up.
"We're really with something that is half as wide, so naturally the (safety)
requirements are going to be stricter," Stroyls said.
Cloudy skies forced the airline to cancel all flights Tuesday and more than
half of its flights Monday. Passengers were asked to drive to Idaho Falls'
airport and board planes there.
"If there's a cloud touching the top of the Grand (Teton), we're not coming
... if the ground is wet, we're not coming," said Ken Dwyer, SkyWest station
manager.
The delays frustrated people waiting to pick up passengers at Jackson Hole
Airport.
"I didn't know there would be a problem with planes being able to land,"
said Christine Langdon of Jackson, waiting for her husband to come in from
Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The project began Monday and is expected to run through May 27.
Post your opinion on this story in the CAA Discussion Forum
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