THE NATIONAL AIRPORT SYSTEM INTRODUCTION This Nation has the finest, safest, most efficient and most widely used airports in the world. This network of over 9,900 public and private airports, comprising the national airport system, has contributed greatly to the unprecedented era of prosperity enjoyed in this country during the past 25 years. It has provided to American business and the traveling public a freedom and ease of movement unknown in the history of man. The national airport system plays a vital part in the defense and security of the country and is utilized extensively by the military. Anyone who has traveled by air during the past year recognizes, however, that there are serious problems of congestion at many of our Nation's airports which could impede the present and future growth of air transportation and restrict the Nation's mobility to an intolerable extent. The present airport congestion problem is overshadowed by far by the threat of virtual strangulation of these vital arteries of transportation based on the predicted growth in air traffic and the radical changes in aircraft technology that are certain to occur in the next 10 years. The Federal Government has played an important role in the development of the existing national airport system by providing grantsin-aid under the Federal Airport Act, initially enacted in 1946. Current authorization for grants-in-aid under this act will expire at the end of fiscal year 1970. Serious doubt has arisen since the last extension of the Federal Airport Act about its effectiveness in light of today's traffic and technology and the financial capacity of State and local governments to provide the financial resources for the development of new airports and the improvement of existing airports during the next 10 years. The most recent congressional appropriations for airport development, which have been less than the amount authorized, presage congressional disapproval of appropriations out of the General Treasury for airport development. To consider the extent and severity of present airport problems and to determine the magnitude of future development needs arising from the tremendous predicted increase in traffic and change in aircraft technology, the subcommittee held 4 days of hearings beginning August 28, 1967. Representatives from all segments of aviation-the users, the operators, the traveling public and the leading Federal officials responsible for air transportation, the Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board, testified before the subcommittee. The purpose of this interim report is to present to the full committee a summary of the views of the various aviation interests, a discussion of the scope and severity of present and future problems confronting air transportation, an analysis of possible solutions, and the tentative conclusions and recommendations of the subcommittee. Additional hearings will be necessary to explore in greater detail certain areas where statistical and financial data were lacking. The tentative conclusions and recommendations do not represent in any way the firm or fixed view of the subcommittee, because the presentation of additional facts might warrant substantial change. The subcommittee presents this interim report as a working paper for subsequent hearings to be scheduled as early as practicable and to establish the broad guidelines upon which detailed legislation can be developed this year. HISTORY OF THE FEDERAL AIRPORT ACT The Federal Airport Act (Public Law 377, 79th Cong., 60 Stat. 170), enacted in 1946, established a program of Federal aid to provide a system of public airports adequate to meet the needs of civil aeronautics. The act authorized grants-in-aid to State and local governments on a matching basis for the construction, development, and improvement of civil airports. The annual authorization and appropriations have varied and to some extent been uncertain. Despite the vast amount of Federal funds granted, the amount has always fallen short of the demand. The amount available in any one year has never exceeded $75 million. During the 1950's, Federal assistance was available for both terminal area development and runway construction. Since 1961 the only items eligible for Federal assistance have been those related directly to safety, such as runway and taxiway construction, land acquisition, and the purchase and installation of safety devices such as high intensity in-runway lighting. Passenger terminal facilities are not now eligible items for Federal grants. Under this grant program, 2,249 public airports have been developed or improved with the expenditure of almost $1.2 billion in Federal funds. This has been a significant, but still small, part of the total investment made by State, local, and Federal Governments in the national airport system amounting to almost $6 billion. The money has been used for the construction and development of small airports in thousands of communities across the country serving general aviation users, as well as for the development of more than 500 airports serving the airlines. Over the last 3-year period, 144 reliever airports have been included in the grant program. This is the result of the $7 million a year set-aside for such airports which was incorporated in the 1961 extension of the Federal Airport Act. These airports have helped to alleviate the congestion at the major hub airports serving airline passengers. In fiscal year 1968 the Federal Aviation Administration announced its grants-in-aid program to provide $70.2 million in matching funds for the improvement of 386 airports. To illustrate the magnitude of demand for Federal assistance the Administration received 778 requests for aid totaling $339.3 million. Based upon the improbable assumption that only half of the requests for 1968 were absolutely vital, the Federal assistance provided amounted to less than half of even that amount. And the amount requested was strictly for items eligible under the Federal Airport Act and did not include equally essential and desperately needed terminal area facilities. The experience under the latest extension of the Federal Airport Act indicates that reliance can no longer be placed upon the appropriations process and the use of general funds, if the Federal Government is to participate to the extent it should in assisting State and local communities to undertake needed airport development. The amount authorized for fiscal years 1968, 1969, and 1970 has been $75 million annually. The amount appropriated was $66 million for fiscal 1968, and $70 million for fiscal 1969. The House Appropriations Committee in its report on the Department of Transportation appropriation for fiscal 1968 stated: The committee is well aware that the airports in our major cities are growing more and more congested and that this airport congestion is a major factor in the safety and convenience of air travel. Notwithstanding, the committee does not feel that the grants-in-aid program as authorized provides the best means for coping with this problem. Although significant assistance has been provided to State and local governments for airport development under the Federal Airport Act, the expiration of the act at the end of fiscal year 1970, the low level of funding in previous years, the uncertainties inherent in the appropriations process, the magnitude of future expenditures required, the present demands on the Federal budget which will not abate in the foreseeable future, and the size and prosperity of those who utilize our Nation's airports suggest a change in the nature and amount of Federal assistance for airport development. FUTURE AIRPORT NEEDS All the witnesses before the subcommittee agreed substantially on the magnitude and the absolute necessity of future airport development in the United States. By the end of 1973 an additional $3 billion must be invested in the national airport system. Another $3 billion will be required by the end of 1975 making a total estimated investment over the next 8 years of $6 billion. This will require the expenditure of as much money over an 8-year period as has been expended in total during this century for development of the national airport system. This total, of course, includes terminal area and airport access needs as well as runway development. The present FAA 5-year plan for fiscal years 1968 through 1972 includes development at 548 air carrier airport locations within the United States, 11 of which are new locations. The plan also includes the development of 225 reliever airports around high activity air carrier hubs. The Federal share of this development alone would amount to $1.53 billion. This does not include the matching funds from State and local governments for runway needs, nor does it include any of the amount that must be spent for passenger handling facilities. Airport congestion has been and will be caused by the astounding growth in air transportation. During fiscal years 1962-66 the number of passengers enplaned by U.S. scheduled air carriers rose from 66.6 to 114 million, a 71-percent increase. The actual number of passengermiles flown increased from 42.5 to 76.4 billion. The aircraft fleet has changed from a predominantly piston fleet to pure jet. Today commercial air transportation accounts for more than 60 percent of the intercity travel by common carrier in the United States. Over 90 percent of overseas passengers traveling to and from the United States move by air. The amount of air cargo carried by U.S. airlines has doubled, rising from 1.6 billion revenue ton-miles to 3.5 billion. At the same time the general aviation fleet has risen from 84,000 to 104,000 aircraft. The number of turbine-powered general aviation aircraft has quadrupled. This growth is dwarfed by that predicted for the immediate future. Passenger travel will triple within the next 10 years to a total of almost 400 million passengers a year. Air cargo is expected to reach six to eight times its present volume. The air carrier fleet will increase by about 1,000 aircraft and the aircraft types will change radically. The next 10 years will see the advent of the jumbo jets carrying from 350 to over 500 passengers and the introduction of the supersonic aircraft whose speed alone will triple aircraft utilization. The general aviation fleet will double to about 200,000 aircraft in operation within the confines of the United States. Listed below are some of the charts presented to the subcommittee by the Federal Aviation Administration containing the statistics upon which the FAA forecast has been based. They are conservative estimates and show dramatically the magnitude of the problem facing our airports from anticipated traffic increase alone. THE NATIONAL AIRPORT PLAN, 1968-72-NATIONAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS The following chart prepared by the FAA for the subcommittee shows the investment that will be required for the development of general aviation airports through the 1978 timespan: ESTIMATED FUNDING REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORTS 1 Total construction costs for all types of development presently eligible for FAAP assistance at airports exclusively serving general aviation. * Recommended development contained in the 1966-67 national airport plan. 3 Preliminary estimate of additional and continuing development needed to meet forecast general aviation growth through 1980. The funding required for development of air carrier airports will exceed $5 billion during the same time period. The amount required in the New York City area alone will in all probability exceed threequarters of a billion dollars. Chicago is planning improvements at O'Hare Airport that will run close to $300 million and is also considering the construction of a new airport that will cost at least another $300 million. Dallas and Fort Worth are planning a new $250-million airport. A new airport at New Orleans will cost almost $350 million. Los Angeles has a $500-million airport expansion program. Equally staggering sums will be required for airport development at hundreds of medium- and small-size cities in the United States to cope with existing jet aircraft and the new and larger jets to be put into operation in the next 2 or 3 years. The introduction of short-haul jets, such as the DC-9, the BAC-111, and the Boeing 737, by the local service airlines has necessitated a new round of extensive runway lengthening and strengthening at the several hundred air carrier airports in smaller communities. The small general aviation airport must also be improved as the business aircraft fleet becomes predominantly turbine powered. Most of the money that will be needed for development at air carrier airports will be for terminal area needs. The following_table contains the best estimate of the Airport Operators Council International as to the amount that will be needed for terminal area development, as opposed to runway construction and improvement: 89-854 0-68 |