US Airports Growing

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Airport projects take years to complete.  That explains why many projects seem to be ill timed.  A slowdown in the airline industry means that a lot of improvements recently made to airports around the nation will seem to not be needed at this time.  However, these new improvements could help ease the air congestion for the coming holiday season.  Despite a drop in the number of Thanksgiving travelers compared to last year, it will still be crowded at major airports in late November and for the second half of December. 

What are some of the major airport improvements?

1. New runways in three major airports.  The always-crowded Chicago O’Hare will have a new place for take-offs and landings.  So will Washington D.C.’s Dulles International and Seattle-Tacoma.  Despite asking for more runways in the past, airlines are currently complaining about the additions because much of the cost of the projects is passed on to the airlines through higher airport fees and passenger taxes.  Higher fees are the last thing that struggling airlines want to deal with.  

2. New terminals recently opened in Detroit and at JFK.  Indianapolis has also constructed a new terminal.     

3. There are more plans in the works.  The biggest is a new terminal at Las Vegas McCarran International.  However, plans for the project have been stalled after airlines complained about additional airport fees.  

Some airport fees are expected to rise more than 50% as a result of construction projects.  Some could reach more than $7 per passenger.   

But most airport development projects take the long-term view.  Who knows what the travel climate will be in 10 years.  Despite noise about high-speed trains and other forms of transport, air travel will still be the way to get from one place to another quickly.  Some analysts expect the annual number of air travelers in the US to double or even quadruple in the next 20 years.  Airports need to keep on pace to service them.