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More airlines expected to disappear

The American Working Group for National Policy, Inc. (AWGNP) and The Alliance of Residents Concerning O`Hare, Inc. (AReCO) have petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to produce a mid-year correction to their "FAA Aviation Forecast 2004", released in February 2005.

AWGNP and AReCO also are petitioning the FAA to cease and desist any approvals of U.S. airport expansion programs until such mid-year forecast is completed and any affected airport expansion programs are appropriately adjusted for the expected substantial changes in demands.

These petitions are based on what are believed to be gross errors in the forecast for aircraft fuel prices for the next decade. The impact of fuel prices is already problematic, and will continue to be, much higher than the FAA has forecasted. It will substantially raise air transport operational costs and force much higher passenger ticket and freight prices, reducing flight demands, considerably below that which is forecasted.

The impact of substantially reduced air transportation demand, along with the heavy debt incurred from unwarranted airport expansion, will be even more devastating to the air transportation industry`s already critical financial problems. This will fuel more economic demise, not only to the industry but, also, to the American economy, business and especially, the taxpayer who will be responsible for the $100s of billions of dollars in costs of these alleged unnecessary airport expansions.