LAST MONTH THE U.S. SENATE HELD A HEARING ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL delays. The opening remarks of presidential primary contender Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, are pertinent to Orange County, given the controversy over the proposal to convert the former El Toro Marine base to a commercial airport.
Here are excerpts of what McCain said, with emphasis added:
“Our aviation system has reached the almost untenable position of gridlock one of the most significant problems is the explosion in air travel. The airlines now carry nearly three times as many passengers as they did when the industry was deregulated in 1978. Air traffic control has not kept up with this exponential rise in passenger traffic. … We must give much greater focus to modernization of the air traffic control system.
“It is also clear to me that we need to pour new concrete and expand our capacity on the ground in order to handle the increasing number of flights. We are predicted to reach 1 billion air travelers in less than 10 years. According to the Department of Transportation inspector general, in the last five years, only three new runways were put into service at our 28 largest airports. Unfortunately, some of the very passengers that are complaining about delays are going to have to get rid of the ‘not in my backyard’ mentality and allow new or expanded airports to be built.
“I don’t believe that that there is one particular solution to this problem. However, I do believe that we must keep the pressure on and remain vigilant in our efforts to meet this ever-increasing demand and make our aviation system more efficient for the American people.”
Now, I am not advocating uncompensated sacrifice. I’d like to see a program that would generously compensate South County residents for the discomfort they might experience as a result of living in proximity to a commercial airport.
However, some South County critics of a commercial airport have explained their prior toleration of ear-splitting military jets as a matter of patriotic duty. In the spirit of McCain’s remarks above, I suggest those persons re-examine their opposition to quieter commercial jets in a similar patriotic light.
