LONG-TERM PLANNING NEEDED NOW

GAO said wayports would be "located on the fringe or outside of a major congested metropolitan areas. Building wayports may not face the degree of opposition that building new airports would-especially from local communities-because wayports would be further away from large urban centers. Some studies have suggested that wayports would be less costly than comparable airports built in major metropolitan areas. They could provide more open competition among airlines and would result in less airspace congestion".

FAA contracted for a long-term study but used a near-term evaluation to form it's position. The long-term study titled "CHALLENGE 2010" recommended building 4 to 6 Wayports. It was prepared by respected industry officials. FAA would not send the report to Congress even though directed by Congress to make a long-term study of Wayports. USDOT infomed House and Senate Oversight Committees in a 2002 response to GAO's report they "would evaluate the feasibility of new airports (i.e. wayports) both in terms of their potential contribution to overall National Airspace System (NAS) performance and economic viability".  These studies have never been prepared.

Wayports would be strategically located to supplement the hub & spoke system at new sites, former military airfields or underutilized airports that could become the economic nucleus of new airport cities. Wayports would overcome land and development costs, environmental concerns and opposition associated with developing new airports. O&D and connecting passengers would be delivered to wayports by all airlines including low-cost and regional. Many would come by highways and high speed rail. Passengers would drive further to wayports to avoid congested inner city terminals and surface transportation. Cargo operations could be the primary activity until passenger traffic builds up. Private interests may be interested in developing Wayports which will save local, state and federal funding.

If a wayport system is to come on line in the next 10 years, sites must be identified and land, airspace and airways reserved and protected. New sites cannot be implemented if FAA does not protect them as they do existing runways.Wayports would be phased in on a scale to meet demand.

Wayports should have been evaluated as an alternative to new runways at existing airports since a precedent was set in FAA's approval in 1992 of new runways at D/FW. USDOT/FAA Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) approved for new runways at D/FW Airport included Wayports as a "feasible"  alternative (See DEFINITION). FAA stated in the FEIS that Wayports studies were being prepared. 

Expansion of existing hub & spoke airports could be avoided by reducing or relocating activities including passengers, cargo and mail to a Wayport. This would provide hub airports with additional capacity at minimum cost. Reducing activities at hub airports will make them available to local passengers with less delay and congestion. It would allow local passengers, U.S. and Express mail and cargo to expand and overcome concerns  of those who fear losing business if connecting flights are reduced.

Peotone is a new airport that meets Wayport criteria. It's in a rural area on the fringe of the Chicago Metro area. It's planned for 20,000 acres but will use a smaller amount in a first phase development. It will off load congested and landlocked airports in the Chicago and Northeast Corridor. Peotone could be the first Wayport in America. 

Orlando International Airport (OIA) is an example of vision and long-term planning. It's a role model for what next generation airports look like. Only two new hub & spoke airports were built in the last 50 years at greenfield sites, OIA was built on an abandoned military base. It is the equivalent of new site. OIA has over 90% origin/destination passengers making it the fourth busiest O&D airport in the U.S. behind Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. Orlando has more O&D passengers than Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, JFK and Boston. It is the third largest land mass airport in the U.S. with 14,000 acres with two 12,000 ft. long runways that can be  extended to 16,000 ft. The airfield and terminal provide massive long-term capacity.  It's ready for next generation new large aircraft like the Airbus A380 and the B-747-8. Orlando is the largest tourist destination in the America with the largest rental car market in the world. It's economically strong because O&D passengers generate revenue to the airport and community as compared with connecting passengers who rarely leave the airside gate area.  Its' the kind of airport that serves the community rather than an airport where up to 80% of passengers use it for connections who could care less where they connect as long as flights are on time.