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FAA Chooses Chicago Plan on O'Hare Airport

Posted on: Thursday, 28 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

CHICAGO - The Federal Aviation Administration said in a report released Thursday it prefers the city's plan to expand O'Hare International Airport over other proposals to reduce congestion at one of the nation's largest airports.

The FAA completed its final Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed expansion of O'Hare that will add runways and reconfigure existing ones to reduce delays.

The report said that compared with other alternatives, the city's plan had the lowest level of average delays, the most savings in delay costs and minimal additional impact on air and water quality and noise levels.

The report said the FAA would continue to consider other alternatives to reducing delays.

The Environmental Impact Statement is subject to a 30-day public comment period before any final decision is made.

The city's $15 billion plan calls for building new runways, and taxiways and changing others to increase capacity and reduce congestion. The proposal calls for opening the first new runway in 2007, with the project to be completed in 2013.

The FAA's decision on O'Hare's expansion is expected in September.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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