Reason for thanks at airport

As we head out over the hills and through the dales to grandma’s house, those using Philadelphia International Airport will have a new reason for thanks.

Actually, they’ll have 720 of them.

That’s how many new parking spots will become available in the airport’s economy lot. That brings the total number of parking spots in the economy lot to 6,753. And if you’re hung up on numbers, the airport now has 18,700 parking spaces available.

Of course, that’s not the number that’s on most Delaware County residents’ minds when it comes to the airport.

Their minds seemed locked on 3,000. That’s the altitude many planes will be at as they veer out over Delaware County, as opposed to hovering over the Delaware River, under the airport redesign plan being pushed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

To say it’s not a popular plan is to say the Eagles are a long shot to beat the Patriots Sunday night.

Delaware County hates this plan. It was one of the lead issues in the recent County Council race. The county has already gone to court to file a lawsuit to block the plan. One of their arguments is that the FAA did not take into account some of the environmental fallout from the plan, including the effect on the nearby John Heinz Wildlife Refuge. Another is that it’s flat-out unsafe to have flights going out at those altitudes over densely populated areas of the county.

It is also believed the plan will have a deleterious effect on property values, while making a huge swath of the county something akin to Tinicum when it comes to the noise of jumbo jets overhead.

And, if that’s not enough, the county believes the plan simply will not do what the feds claim it will do, that is make a dent in the persistent problem of flight delays at the airport.

Which is likely to be front and center in most travelers’ minds as we begin the mad dash that is the busiest travel holiday of the year.

To that end we will hear this afternoon from Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont. He has been a partner with the GOP pwers in the county in the battle against the airport redesign plan. Sestak has been banking his efforts in getting the Government Accountability Office to review the way the FAA went about devising their recommended course of action.
Sestak and another Democrat, South Jersey’s Rob Andrews, are holding a press conference this afternoon to update their efforts to fight the plan.

Just in time for holiday travel. Gobble, gobble!

Comments