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."

FMI: www.aeroblue.org