"U.S. airports expanding as traffic rebounds"

Thursday, August 12, 2004

U.S. airports expanding as traffic rebounds
The San Antonio (TX) Express-News


IRVING, Texas -- Airports have had to deal with a frigid economy, the
2001 terrorist attacks and layers of new security, but now a new
challenge looms, officials said Wednesday at the Texas Transportation
Summit.

With air traffic rebounding to levels prevalent before the attacks, more
room will be needed at airports.

That's good news for officials who continued working on expansion plans
despite hard times.

The terrorists lost, said Charles Isdell, director of the Philadelphia
Airport System and a panelist at the summit.

"Our country showed that we can take a shot in the belly and bounce
back," he said.

Philadelphia this year began handling more air passengers than it did
before the terrorist attacks, and a federal study released in June
identified it as one of five airports that doesn't have enough capacity.

Philadelphia officials in recent years have been adding boarding gates
and plan to build new runways, Isdell said.

Airports that don't expand face increased crowding and delays. Or
flights could be cut back, a strategy the Federal Aviation
Administration is trying to implement at Chicago O'Hare International
Airport.

Chicago has the world's busiest airport as far as number of flights, and
congestion there is causing scheduling problems at airports around the
nation, FAA officials said.

Other overcrowded airports are Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Newark
Liberty and LaGuardia, according to the study, which was prepared by
FAA.

In just nine years, 15 airports -- including San Antonio and Houston
Hobby -- are expected to reach capacity. Three more likely will become
overcrowded by 2020.

However, the study didn't take into account detailed expansion plans in
many cities, such as San Antonio and Houston, said Steve Urlass, an FAA
analyst and a summit panelist. The study is being updated.

San Antonio and Houston officials on the panel presented growth plans
they said would meet needs well into the future.

Kevin Dolliole, San Antonio's airport director, said construction will
begin in 2005 and last several years to add passenger gates and another
parking garage.

The $426 million project, which includes other improvements, would boost
capacity by at least 30 percent.

And it'll look good and be more convenient, Dolliole said. For example,
Internet cafes and work areas will be near gates.

Urlass said San Antonio has a good plan.

"They're doing what they need to do," he said.

Passenger traffic at San Antonio's airport is fast approaching pre-9-11
levels, Dolliole said. Activity the first six months of this year have
been especially promising, with a 6.5 percent increase over the same
period last year.

"It's not a spike," he said. "It's a trend."


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