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LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic

March 10, 1999, Wednesday SUNRISE EDITION

SECTION: ;NEWS; Pg. 13

LENGTH: 1115 words

HEADLINE: Airports Hope for Windfall Construction funds in Nebraska and Iowa could triple under House legislation

BYLINE: MATT KELLEY, CHRIS OLSON

SOURCE: WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

DATELINE: Washington

BODY:
Federal funding for airport construction would triple in Nebraska and Iowa under a bill expected to pass the House Transportation Committee this week.

The bill - sponsored by Rep. Bud Shuster, the Pennsylvania Republican who is chairman of the transportation panel - would authorize $ 14.8 million for five Nebraska airports, up from $ 4.9 million this year.

In Iowa, funding would grow to almost $ 18.3 million, up from $ 6.1 million.

"It would be a windfall," said Don Smithey, executive director of the Omaha Airport Authority. Omaha's Eppley Airfield would be eligible for $ 7.1 million in federal capital improvement funds, up from just under $ 2.4 million this year.

Smithey said the additional money could be put toward a five-year, $ 70million runway expansion project included in Eppley's 20-year master plan. Smithey said the extra funding would reduce the construction time and lessen the probability of passenger fees to pay for it.

Other airports eligible for the boosted funding include Lincoln, Scottsbluff, North Platte and Grand Island in Nebraska, and Des Moines and Sioux City in Iowa.

"It definitely excites me," said Rick Meter, Scotts Bluff County director of public works and airport manager.

But while airport administrators look forward to the prospect of longer runways, better noise control and improved buildings, they also understand the political realities of passing such legislation in Washington.

Shuster, as the centerpiece of his bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, wants to funnel virtually all fees and taxes collected from airlines and airline passengers directly back to airports and aviation. To make his case, Shuster is using an argument similar to the one he made last year to direct revenues generated from fuel taxes directly into highway spending.

By taking the Airport and Airway Trust Fund "off budget" - in effect walling it off from other federal spending - Shuster argues that the money would be used for its intended purpose: to increase airport capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety.

Overall, the bill would boost the FAA's Airport Improvement Program from $ 1.95 billion to $ 5 billion annually.

Not surprisingly, Shuster's bill is drawing support from airport administrators.

"Ten percent of the money used to purchase every airline ticket goes into the Aviation Trust Fund," said John Wood, executive director of the Lincoln Municipal Airport. "All of that fund is not being used for airport improvements, but it should be."

The legislation also has the support of both Nebraskans on the House Transportation Committee: Reps. Doug Bereuter and Lee Terry, both Republicans. Staffers said Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, another member of the committee, also will vote for the bill.

But Shuster's effort is expected to run into its biggest hurdle outside the House.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is pushing his own FAA reauthorization, a bill that does not move aviation funds off budget.

Overall, McCain's bill would authorize $ 2.4 billion for the FAA's Airport Improvement Program, substantially less that the $ 5 billion in Shuster's bill. Staffers said the Senate also may be more reticent about moving all aviation taxes off budget.

McCain, a Republican, and Shuster are expected to lock horns over their competing bills during conference negotiations.

In addition to the disagreement over funding, McCain and Shuster will have to work around lawmakers who oppose provisions set up to increase the number of flights into four of the nation's busiest airports. Senators and representatives from northern Virginia, Illinois and New York probably will oppose efforts to boost the number of flights serving Washington D.C., New York City and Chicago.

Staffers for Boswell and Rep. Greg Ganske, R-Iowa, said increasing the number of flights into larger airports, especially Chicago, could help invigorate now-lagging competition in the Des Moines market.

The House and Senate could not reach compromise on a long-term FAA bill last year and opted instead to pass a six-month extension that expires at the end of this month.

Airport officials trying to plan future improvement projects are hoping the issue is resolved sooner rather than later.

Lincoln Municipal Airport would be eligible for almost $ 3.2 million under Shuster's bill, up from about $ 1.1million this year.

Three smaller Nebraska airports - in Scottsbluff, Grand Island and North Platte - would be eligible for $ 1.5million, up from $ 500,000 this year.

In Iowa, the Des Moines International Airport's available funding would increase from $ 1.9 million to almost $ 5.7 million. In Sioux City, the Sioux Gateway Airport would be eligible for just under $ 2million, up from $ 657,000 this year.

"We have been tracking this legislation and hope it can be enacted before there is a lapse in federal funding at the end of March," said Wood, of the Lincoln airport. "An extension in federal funding through May would give a more realistic time frame for the bill to go into effect by June 1."

A project to rehabilitate a runway and some associated taxiways at the Lincoln Airport in two years could be moved up to next year if the additional federal funding becomes available, Wood said.

Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island, Neb., could use increased federal funding for terminal expansion and upgrading of runways in anticipation of future jet service, said Sandra Chollar, the airport's administrative assistant.

"The Hall County Airport Authority discussed funding for future projects at its meeting today," Dan Fisher, the authority's vice chairman, said Tuesday.

"We are in the process of doing a study on the airport's needs. Increased federal funding couldn't come at a better time."

The North Platte Airport also has uses for any increased federal funding, said Kent Penney, former airport manager and current director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics.

"Most of the projects for the North Platte Airport are safety-related," Penney said. "The airport has a need for runway pavement rehabilitation and a wildlife control fence to protect from deer activity in the area."

The need for full use of the Aviation Trust Fund affects every airport in the country, Penney said.

"Each airport has its capacity or safety needs," he said. "But it is important that every airport receive all of the funding that was intended to maintain runways and facilities used by travelers nationwide."

LOAD-DATE: March 10, 1999