Bill Would Ban Meigs-Like Closures

In the dark and gloomy night that's become general and business aviation over the past two years, there may be a little light shining in Congress. FAA insiders call it "The Meigs Provision."

It's part of the FAA reauthorization bill that, if it survives, is supposed to prevent bozo-esque politicians from arbitrarily shutting down airports. When we say bozo-esque politicians, we refer to the likes of Mayor Richard Daley; when we say airports, we specifically refer to the forced, no-notice closure of Meigs Field in Chicago earlier this year.

Mouthing concerns about terrorism just minutes from the Loop (the heart of downtown Chicago), Daley sent bulldozers in the dark of night March 30th to carve huge "X's" in the Meigs runway, rendering it unusable. The aviation community was outraged. But there was nothing it or the FAA could do. Daley's was a done dirty deal.

Since the destruction of Meigs' runway, GA aircraft have been forced to operate from O'Hare, Midway and other airports around Chicago. The resulting congestion has caused big problems at the Elgin (IL) TRACON. There were just four ATC-related errors reported in 2002. Since Daley bulldozed Meigs, that number has risen to 20 so far this year.

"The closure of Meigs and the new mix of small and large aircraft we are seeing is bogging down Midway and making our job incredibly more complex in the airspace around Midway, Meigs and O'Hare," said Ray Gibbons, president of the controllers union at the Elgin FAA center.

Meigs wasn't the first and won't be the last airport threatened by politicians who are unsympathetic to the plight of general aviation. St. Petersburg (FL) holds a vote next week on whether to turn Albert Whitted Airport into a recreation area. Airport supporters say the deal is really a sham to cover the sale of at least half the airport property -- which, like Meigs -- sits adjacent to a sparkling body of water -- to developers. Never mind the federal and state grants to Whitted that would have to be repaid.

Under the "Meigs Provision," that sort of thing wouldn't be permitted without a stringent FAA review. "The closing of Meigs is one of those things that has really been a terrific problem from all of our standpoint," FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said. "The legislation would prevent an airport like that from being converted without other considerations being made."

Under the proposed legislation, local governments would have to give the FAA at least 30 days' notice before shutting down an airport. Failure to comply would cost local governments $10,000 a day for each day the facility remained closed.

It's the second major boon to GA contained in the pending FAA Reauthorization Bill. As ANN recently reported, several senators have asked members of the subcommittee steering that piece of legislation to grant $100 million to GA operators hardest hit by the fallout from 9/11. The major beneficiaries from that grant would be individuals and companies shut down or severely hampered by creation of the Washington ADIZ.

FMI: www.faa.gov