TKC EXCLUSIVE AND BREAKING NEWS!!! FRIENDS OF KCI: KANSAS CITY AIRPORT ADVISORY GROUP IS MOSTLY SPIN!!!

TKC NOTE: Here's an important perspective on today's airport meeting that won't earn a mention in mainstream media reports but once again reveal these meetings called by Mayor Sly are mostly for show . . .

Today's ATAG

From The Mainstream media reports @ The Airport Terminal Advisory Group (ATAG) meeting today, you get the impression the Kansas City business community is ready to throw the current airport under the bus. The meeting started at 7:40 with 8 members of 24 member advisory board present. Additional members filed in as the meeting went on but it is obvious interest on part of the board is waning. The scripts were well rehearsed and the talking points were followed, to a degree. Of the 4 business leaders who testified, Mr. Heeter was probably the most intent on a new terminal. It was obvious none of them attended the previous meeting where the Southwest Airlines executives explained how an airport operates and how you get more flights or more non-stop flights and International flights. For business people, they didn’t seem to have a very good sense of the supply and demand economics of the airline industry. I had in my hand an article which appeared recently in Ingram's magazine. They interviewed 7 local business leaders as to "Why they picked Kansas City to locate and grow their businesses". Only one businessman in the article mentioned we need more non-stop flights. He then stated everything else the city has to offer far exceeded his need for more non stop flights.

Recently the NCAA signed a contract to locate fourteen NCAA final athletic events in Kansas City. No mention of an inadequate airport? The Republican National Convention is considering Kansas City for their convention, no mention of an inadequate airport? Over 5,000 Kansas City Missouri VOTERS signed a petition stating their interest in the airport plan and all were against tearing it down. These examples far out number the four men that testified today.

The four went on to complain about no food, inadequate restrooms, crowding in terminal “B”. No one had the initiative to explain to them our aviation department jammed the two largest airlines into terminal “B” to make a case for a new terminal and make parking difficult. At one point, the chair stated "the aviation director and his team are in constant contact with the airlines as to airport business". I guess he wasn’t listening when the Southwest Executive said, at the last meeting, they have had no contact with the aviation director: and that SW guy is in charge of the local airlines advisory committee which includes all the local airlines.

One of the presenters said we should look at Cincinnati and their new airport. He must not have gotten the message the large businesses in Cincinnati have asked their employees to drive to Dayton to catch flights because the new terminal in Cincinnati caused ticket prices to go through the roof.

In the end the ATAG Chair tried again, very poorly I might add, to spin to fit his agenda what Southwest Airlines had told us the previous meeting. They would be well served to focus on other issues at hand because everybody in the room knows what the airlines said last meeting.

Dan Coffey
Citizens for Responsible Government
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