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contention has been advanced that a helicopter service will make a reasonable contribution to the travel facilities for these city-airport combinations. The only circumstance that would justify establishing a three-mile helicopter service as a substitute for the five-mile surface journey between Washington and National would be some physical impediment on the ground level. The present existence of such an impediment is not claimed. If congestion were to arise in the future, it would of necessity be accompanied by comparable congestion within the midcity area of Washington, which would hamper in equal degree the surface journey to an from the downtown heliport, wherever it is established.
The Baltimore-Friendship situation is similar as to the nine-mile distance between the city center and the airport. The Maryland parties consider the existing ground transportation as reasonable adequate for current needs, and they see a possible use of helicopter service only against the chance that the city's expanding population will assert pressure on the highway system to the point of congestion. The same comment is appropriate here as with respect to Washingtion-National; that is, congestion in the area between the city and the airport will most certainly be accompanied by similar congestion in the downtown areas adjacent to the heliport, wherever it is located.
While Baltimore-Dulles offers a time and distance relationship that would make a helicopter service attractive, it is the least likely producer of passengers among the ten markets. NCA is the only applicant