"Philadelphia airport officials weigh solutions to flight delays"

Sunday, August 10, 2003

Philly airport officials weigh solutions to flight delays
The Associated Press


PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials at Philadelphia International Airport, seeking
ways to alleviate persistent flight delays, are debating whether to extend a
major runway or tear down five terminals and rebuild them in another
location, officials said.

The proposals, which will be debated later this month at three public
hearings held by the Federal Aviation Administration, have angered critics
who fear the changes would negatively affect the quality of life around the
airport and could hurt other businesses.

One proposal, a 2,000-foot eastward extension of Runway 8-26, would require
the dismantling of a gigantic crane at the nearby Kvaerner Philadelphia
Shipyard, which stands in the middle of the flight path. Opponents say the
runway extension could damage the burgeoning shipbuilding industry in the
city. Under that proposal, one other main jet runway would be extended, a
second would be constructed, and a United Parcel Service building would be
relocated.

The second option, known as the diagonal proposal, calls for Terminals B
through F to be eliminated. They would be replaced by new terminals that
officials say would allow planes to taxi more effectively. Three existing
runways would also be replaced with ones that stretch diagonally.

That plan could cost as much as $2 billion, with funding possibly split
between the federal government, city-issued bonds and revenue from the
airport's departure tax, said city Commerce Director James Cuorato.

Though airport officials say the diagonal plan could allow for at least
35,000 more takeoff and landings per year, than the other option, known as
the parallel proposal, critics contend that it would be noisier for
neighbors and drive down the property values of nearby municipalities.

"Flight patterns would change, and we'd have airplanes flying over different
sections of the country," Delaware County Councilman Andrew Reilly told The
Philadelphia Inquirer in Sunday editions. "That directly affects the health,
welfare and safety of the residents."

The Philadelphia airport is considered the most crowded in the Northeast.
Between January and June, more flights departed late from Philadelphia than
at 30 other major airports, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation
Statistics.

City and federal officials said they plan to take their time before choosing
between the two options — and may even decide not to make any changes at
all.

"This is not something we are going to be doing in the dark of night," said
James B. Byers, an FAA specialist.

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