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DOT 167-08
Contact: Brian Turmail, Tel.: (202) 366-4570
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Three New Federally Funded Runways Open In Washington
Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports
A Week Before Thanksgiving
New Runways Latest Success in Bush Administration’s Efforts to Expand Aviation
Capacity, Improve Air Travel Experience
New runways at three of the nation’s busiest airports mean countless travelers
will experience fewer delays and better service one week before the start of the
Thanksgiving holiday travel season, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters
announced today. Peters, who is scheduled to attend all three runway openings
noted they were the latest in a series of measures the Administration was taking
to improve air travel.
“These new runways are a testimony to the power of perseverance, the wisdom of
foresight and the audacity of action,” said Secretary Peters. “Taken together,
they will cut delays, improve service and help make the flying experience better
for millions of travelers.”
The Secretary said the new runways opening today at Washington Dulles, Chicago
O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports would allow for an additional
330,000 take-offs and landings each year. She added that the runways, which were
built with $643 million in federal airport improvement program funds, also will
help reduce delays at the three airports and in other communities served by the
facilities.
Secretary Peters said the runways are the 12th, 13th and 14th facilities opened
since December of 2001. She added that over the past eight years the federal
government has invested over $50 billion in new runway and taxiway projects, new
airport facilities and new air traffic control technology.
“There’s nothing a pilot likes more than to touch down or take off on a new slab
of concrete,” said Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Bobby Sturgell, a
former commercial pilot who also is scheduled to attend all three openings.
Secretary Peters said that the Department of Transportation also has taken 30
different actions to break the bottleneck at the three New York airports that
experience record airline delays during the summer of 2007. Those measures
include redesigning the region’s airspace routes, setting hourly caps at two of
the three airports, lowering the cap at the third and committing tens of
millions of dollars to expand and improve taxiways.
“Our efforts have been driven by a single purpose, improving the air travel
experience,” Secretary Peters said. She added that earlier this week President
Bush announced the opening of military airspace for the Thanksgiving holiday, as
well as new proposals to protect travelers from extended tarmac delays, and
increase the amount of compensation for lost baggage and a range of consumer
issues.
“Hopefully, thanks to these new runways, travelers suffering from heartburn will
have Grandma’s dinner, and not their trip, to blame,” said the Secretary.
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For the Dulles Fact Sheet - click here http://www.dot.gov/affairs/DullesFactSheet.htm
For the Chicago O'Hare Fact Sheet - click here http://www.dot.gov/affairs/Chicago O'Hare Fact Sheet.htm
For the Seattle-Tacoma Fact Sheet - click here
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/SeaTacFactSheet.htm