Wed, Apr 20, 2005
Decision Flies In The Face Of FAA Warning
In spite of a written warning from the FAA that it could lose
millions of dollars in grants, Wichita city council members Tuesday
night approved another $2.5 million in subsidies. Wichita has
already paid $7 million to AirTran to keep the airline flying to
and from Atlanta every day -- a move city leaders say reduces air
fares.
As ANN has reported since Sunday, the
FAA's director of airport compliance, Charles Erhard, sent
city leaders a letter earlier this month, accusing them of
discriminating by paying some airlines but not others at
Mid-Continent Airport. The subsidies paid to AirTran aren't paid to
Delta, which flies the same Wichita-Atlanta daily
route. The FAA gave Wichita 30 days to "remedy
the situation."
But at last night's meeting, Mayor Carlos Mayans said, "We
have, in the past, been discriminated against, rate-wise." He was
quoted by the Wichita Eagle.
There was a further sign that Wichita City Council members were
unfazed by the FAA warning. They refused to consider reconstituting
the airport authority, even after one FAA official suggested that
would probably solve the whole problem. Wichita disbanded its
airport authority in 1999. Now, the city council itself acts as the
airport board. The FAA's beef centers on its finding that the city
council can't offer subsidies to some airlines and not others
because it is the airport board. That, says the
agency, amounts to "unjust discrimination" against carriers like
Delta.
In fact, the FAA's investigation was prompted by a complaint
from Delta. DAL representatives Tuesday said they don't want the
city to stop its subsidies to AirTran. Instead, Delta's Doug
Blissit want subsidies for their own airline.
"We're only looking for a level playing field," Blissit told the
council.
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