"New futuristic Louisiana airport still up in air or not?"

Friday, March 14, 2003

New futuristic airport still up in air or not? 
The Associated Press 


Despite Governor Mike Foster's statement to the contrary, the chairman of
the Louisiana Airport Authority says plans are moving forward to build a
huge airport near Donaldsonville.

Foster said last week that plans for the giant airport are on hold because
of growing U-S tensions with Iraq. Foster said that issue has to be
resolved, and economic conditions must improve, before airport efforts
resume.

L-A-A chairman Glen Smith says Foster's comment sparked a telephone call to
Smith from a potential investor in Germany.

After Smith talked with Foster, Smith says the governor's remarks were based
on his assumption that talk of war was hurting chances that investors would
back the project. But Smith says investors are looking for safe financial
havens and the airport proposal fits that description.

Smith says the state is pressing ahead with plans to finish a detailed
drawing on the proposed site by next month. Initial costs for the airport
are expected to be about two (b) billion dollars.

In August the authority picked a 25-thousand-acre site that covers parts of
Iberville, Ascension and Assumption parishes. The project is supposed to
include a futuristic airport with links to water, rail and highways.


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