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Although the helicopter probably cannot compete with taxi or limousine service between the East Side Airlines Terminal and La Guardia Airport or between the proposed West Side Airlines Terminal and Newark Airport, its flexibility will make possible operations from the West Side Terminal to La Guardia Airport and New York International Airport, and from the East Side Terminal to Newark Airport, thus saving many passengers the time required to traverse the congested midtown area.

Slightly more than 55% of mid-Manhattan passengers have local origins or destinations on the East Side, of whom 25% use Newark Airport. If, in the future, Newark Airport handles a higher portion of the region's air traffic, the percentage of East Side passengers using Newark (therefore possible users of an East Side-Newark aerocab service) may increase somewhat. Some 75% of West Side passengers now use La Guardia or New York International Airport. Although the percentage of West Side airline terminal building and with the addition of airline schedules at Newark, a large percentage, (perhaps as much as 30% of West Side passengers) will continue to use La Guardia and New York International Airports. These are potential users of aerocab services.

During the period of 1952-1975 the volume of airline passengers at Port Authority airports will increase from an estimated 6,900,000 to an estimated 14,800,000. Thus aerocab services will be introduced in an expanding total market and its growth will be assisted by the trend towards increased air travel.

The fares which will have to be charged for aerocab services will make it more expensive than limousine, but cheaper than taxi service unless two or more persons are riding together. A baggage weight limitation and a chare for excess baggage will further limit the patronage, particularly in the case of international passengers. The time savings which aerocab service will make possible seldom will exceed a quarter of an hour so that aerocab patronage will have to come from those travelers to whom time and convenience have a relatively high value. Consequently, the principal users will be persons traveling for business reasons. Although development of aerocab services will be favored by the fact that almost 40% of business travelers have local origins or destinations in the mid-Manhattan area, maximum convenience and time savings will not be realized until aerocab operations reach a high frequency of service. For some years to come, then, operators of aerocab service may find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. A high frequency of service will require operating with small and medium equipment which will require fares in the neighborhood of 30 cents per mile. On the other hand, 30-40 place equipment which will make possible fares of 20 cents a mile may not generate sufficient traffic to support the necessary high frequency. The

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