Tue, Jun 27, 2006
FL Congressman Says Yes... Er, No...
When it comes to all
things aviation. one of America's most powerful voices belongs to
Florida Republican Congressman John Mica. And you know what he's
saying these days? The US government will upgrade airports to
accommodate the Airbus A380 over his dead body.
The Financial Times says Mica (right) figures it'll take up to a
billion dollars to retrofit as many as 18 airports so that they can
land and support the superjumbo.
In Mica's words... it would be "patently unfair" to use taxpayer
dollars on beefing up runways, taxiways, air bridges and terminals
to take on the double-decker plane... the biggest commercial
aircraft ever.
Why? Because of the ongoing World Trade Court row over
government subsidies to plane makers.
"Until a US airline chooses to acquire and operate the passenger
version of the A380, foreign airlines that operate A380 passenger
service to and from the US should pay for any needed infrastructure
improvements at the airports they serve," Mica said.
Mica may have to eat his words, however, since the very same
upgrades will be necessary for airports to accommodate the new
Boeing 747-8 International.
New York's JFK, San Francisco International, LAX, and Miami
International airports are all working out the details on necessary
upgrades now.
Trade groups say Mica's estimate is overblown. One consultant
for ACI America says not all airports will take the most expensive
path to handling super-jumbo jets... an assumption the General
Accountability Office made when Mica commissioned its report.
Still... the Florida Congressman and head of the House aviation
subcommittee says until a domestic US airline buys an A380 -- and
that hasn't happened yet -- he's not inclined to pass on any
funding requests to his fellow members of Congress.
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