"Third Chicago Area Airport Makes Marketing Plans"

Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Will County, Ill., Wins Approval for Airport, Makes Marketing Plans
The Chicago (IL) Tribune


One day after the Illinois Department of Transportation announced
federal approval to proceed with a master plan for a south suburban
airport, Will County officials said they will start marketing the
airfield to potential users.

"If it happens, when it happens, the airport will be an economic boon
for the Chicago area," said John Greuling, president and chief executive
of the Will County Center for Economic Development. "To maximize its
potential, however, we need to measure who the airport's users will be,
and we need to take a pro-active marketing approach to promote the
airport to potential passengers and cargo shippers."

Greuling spoke Tuesday before the Will County Board's Legislative
Committee, which is considering legislation to create a Will County
Department of Aviation to oversee construction and operation of the
proposed airport in eastern Will.

The development center is serving as a consultant to the county on
marketing strategies for the proposed airfield. Greuling said a survey
will be sent to as many as 5,000 public and private companies in Will,
southern Cook, Kankakee, Kendall, Grundy and DuPage Counties to identify
business travel and air freight usage.

"Hopefully, the survey will give us a profile of the end user for the
south suburban airport," Greuling said. The information could help
attract cargo and passenger airlines. "At some point, we've got to sell
this airport to the airlines," he added.

Other potential steps in the marketing effort include attending aviation
trade shows across the country and inviting meeting and convention
organizers to the area to make them aware of plans for the airport.

As for potential passengers, Greuling noted that 2 million people live
within a 45-minute drive of the airport site.

Will County wants to be the governing body that oversees the airfield's
development and operation. The county is proposing to build it at a cost
of $433 million with a combination of federal funds and private money.

A competing proposal by U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) calls for
building the airport solely with private funds and having it governed by
a commission made up of mayors from Will, southern Cook and Kankakee
Counties.

Greuling said the sooner the legislature approves creation of a county
aviation department the sooner the county's marketing team can begin
negotiating with potential users.

The FAA's approval for an airport master plan is "good ammunition" with
which to interest airlines in serving the airfield, Greuling said.

"But we need the authority to be established so we can negotiate" such
items as gate fees, he said. "Until then, the airlines won't talk to
us."


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