Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-2nd) said Thursday that the decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reduce the number of flights out of O'Hare International Airport beginning November 1 will seriously hurt the economy.
"A bad situation is about to get worse," said Jackson in a news release. "Studies show that every cancelled 747 costs a local economy about $500,000 in lost business," he said.
In the release, Jackson cited figures about the growth of the nation's aviation industry.
"The nation's aviation industry is growing at 4 percent per year, but Chicago's has grown at only 2 percent due to constrained capacity," he said. "Starting in November, we'll see the first-ever decrease in Chicago's aviation industry excluding the post 9-11 period."
His solution to the problem is to build the Abraham Lincoln Airport in Peotone, a south suburb 40 minutes from Chicago. It would be built through a public-private partnership and would be operational within four years.
Jackson's spokesman Kenny Edmonds said that Jackson presented his airport proposal to FAA administrator Marian Blakey last Friday.
"She complimented the Congressman on his comprehensive plan," Edmonds told the Defender. "The plans could be in the works soon."
Article copyright REAL TIMES Inc.
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