Lambert expansion will be vital in years ahead

While some continue a media-fueled debate about the wisdom to proceed with the $1.05 billion runway expansion at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, we subscribe to the forward-looking views of seasoned airport development professionals like Airport Director Kevin Dolliole and RCGA President Richard C.D. Fleming, as well as other air service industry officials who are aware of the current dynamics in the industry. According to the International Air Transportation Association, an industry group based in Montreal that represents 270 airlines, more than 1.7 billion people worldwide fly annually on business or leisure trips. Developing places for a growing number of aircraft is a very slow, lengthy process, but St. Louis has now taken a step to put itself ahead of the curve.

Dolliolle states flatly that the benefits of runway expansion will last decades. As traffic continues to grow at Lambert, a strategically important location in the Midwest, the airport’s dual airstrips will become more than a convenience – they will be vital. Fleming, who has served in similar roles to his current position in both Atlanta and Denver, scolds critics of the runway project. He says they should take this special moment to “smell the civic roses” and congratulate those responsible for putting St. Louis in a more competitive aviation position nationally, despite many difficult challenges and shifting circumstances. Fleming’s comments go far beyond simple boosterism. They cut to the heart of the question of whether St. Louis wants to benefit in the future from the unarguable benefits of a world-class airport.

Michael Boyd, a national aviation consultant, explains that this new runway makes the airport more efficient for existing air carriers, as well as offers an attractive future option for Lambert’s most active operator, American Airlines, to Chicago’s overcrowded O’Hare, whose new runway has been in the planning stage for 30 years and now is estimated to cost $13.5 billion, with construction not yet in sight.

If St. Louis had not acted several years ago, this vital infrastructure project would not now be possible. In addition, this just-completed, on-time, on-budget project has already brought tangible benefits to St. Louis and local companies. The Lambert expansion has been a boon for several minority-owned firms, many of whom took advantage of the Expansion Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) progress, a model program that encouraged and facilitated the growth and development of some of these firms.

We acknowledge that there were painful disruptions in some of the communities that surround Lambert, but there was a compelling need and no available alternatives to upgrading the airport. On balance, St. Louis has made a wise, prudent decision that was clearly justified by our need for a modern airport if the region is to move forward economically. Had we not seized this opportunity to expand our transportation infrastructure, we would have consigned St. Louis permanently to second-tier status in air service. St. Louis deserves better.