B767PILOT

Then build the future and make Burke redundant. Remember, this is a runway issue. They already exist- albeit in a terrible place. There two parallel one over 5,000 and the other over 6000. And these runways aren't in another county. It isn't that easy. I suspect you would have an easier time decommissioning Lost Nation or Loraine County. Well, after the 2020 Census you may have an easier time closing Burke as the Regions importance and population further erode

That was 2002. And by the way, did the FAA disclose what the conditions precedent would be to not be wedded?

Tell that to the FAA. Give another 5-10 years and you may have a case - especially if a Hopkins replacement is ever built. Unfortunately you do have to project the future somewhat. Like I said, once those runways are gone they ain't coming back. At some point in the unprojected future, you may need the capacity. Where would you add it? Whose backyard will be selected? Dont get me wrong, Burke's land could be a great gem for the City but right now the resource has direct replacement.

A reliever may have been closed but Lunken is still open. Lunken is a closer comparison to Burke. It's not a question of shifting traffic. It's a question of runways as a resource. Once closed, it cant reopen after the runways are gone. Granted, there are no capacity issues at present, but it Burke closes, the options shrink when capacity does become a problem.

Great place for a second hotel. I always thought that the present hotel was too small. A 1,000 room hotel would have allowed for bigger conventions. Maybe this will correct that. I wonder if Hilton would be interested?

Burke is not going to be closed in the foreseeable future. Basically, there are no alternatives to it. Yes, Hopkins has plenty of capacity and Burke is underutilized but the fact remains that Burke provides additional runway capacity and facilities that will not be easily replicated. Runways are horribly expensive to litigate and construct. Akron-Canton is over 50 miles away and Cuyahoga County is poor substitute. Plus Burke does have a terminal and I beleive is designated as an airport of entry. There are arguements brought up about Meigs Field in Chicago. This is a bad comparison. Chicago has both Ohare and Midway and others. Meigs was not necessary and could be closed. Perhaps one day Loraine County could be enlarged, but with residential growth nearby, that is now probably not possible. The FAA is not going to permit Burke to be closed - returning money or not.