Thu, Aug 31, 2006
Residents Have Fought Runway 26 Lengthening Since 1997
One group calling for Runway 26 at
Blue Grass Airport to be extended from its current 3,500-foot
length to 5,000 feet told ANN Wednesday that had the move not been
met by objections from local residents... then maybe we wouldn't be
talking about a fatal accident right now.
"If 37 families were offered the opportunity to relocate, would
49 other families be whole today?" said Simeon Hitzel, President of
New Jersey-based AeroBlue.Org. "Unfortunately, the public needs to
better organized to deliver safer air travel."
The group says a handful of local residents have blocked any
move to lengthen the crosswind runway -- which also does not meet
federal standards calling for alternate runways needing to be at
least 80 percent as long as the main runway.
The group says that had Runway 26 been 1,500-feet longer, the
Comair CRJ likely would have taken off safely from the runway.
Blue Grass airport serves over a million passengers annually...
and is but one of hundreds of airports AeroBlue.org says need
stronger measures to ensure safety improvements and runway
extensions are implemented to protect lives.
"States and cities across the country need to do more to enhance
safety at and near airports, said Hitzel. "We're working hard to
organize the traveling public to deliver safer airports and runway
improvements instead of decades of delays and highly disruptive
controversy. Our economy and our quality of life depend on safer
airports."
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