A defiant US Senator is the main obstacle to the expansion of Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The House gave the go-ahead to a $6.6 billion expansion along with a streamlining of environmental reviews and a limit to court delays after pressure from the Speaker of the House, Chicago-area representative Dennis Hastert.
The airport plan must now overcome the objections of Senator Peter Fitzgerald who has vowed to block the bill. Fitzgerald was the sole vote against last year's $15 billion airline bailout package.
But senators throughout the Midwest support the expansion, which is also backed by carriers and traveller groups. The scheme could save airlines about $400 million a year in costs related to delays at O'Hare.
The legislation would cement an agreement between Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Illinois Governor George Ryan for a new runway configuration that would nearly double O'Hare's capacity. It also calls for the development of a third Chicago airport in the suburb of Peotone. It guarantees to keep Meigs Field on Chicago's lakefront open.
The law would prevent future Illinois governors from using veto authority over airport developments. This prom-pted outrage from constitutional conservatives. Daley insists on federal override or pre-emption before proceeding with the expansion.
Source: Airline Business
