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HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM       231
 
Senator MONRONEY. Let's not publish it twice. I don't recall that it has been. The Chicago Helicopters have not testified as yet.

Mr. DOWNES. No, but this is part of my summation.

Senator MONRONEY. You put it in. If you put it in, we won't have to have it put by the Chicago helicopter group.

Mr. DOWNES. I don't believe they are submitting it.

Senator MONRONEY. OK. I thought you had said it was already put in.

Mr. DOWNES. This study had been made as a service to the scheduled carriers serving Chicago, and to assist them in the development of an effective pattern of airline schedules to serve all parts of the Chicago Metropolitan area.

The study has been made in great depth and detail; however, its basic point is to show how approximately 25 percent of today's Chicago air traffic could be relocated at Midway in order to provide a two-airport pattern of service that would be of benefit to the traveling public and to the air carriers themselves.

To date we have visited the general offices of most of the domestic airlines serving Chicago in order to discuss this study with them and we have been encouraged by the general reception we have received.
                 
MIDWAY AIRPORT MASTER PLAN

I would also like to report that the city has employed Landrum & Brown, the city's airport consultant for may years and, we believe, the best airport consultants in the United States, to undertake a detailed master plan study as to the future needs of the Midway Airport as a modern major air terminal. The study is now underway. We would not make the foregoing expenditures if we were not certain that Midway will soon see more airline service and again become one of Chicago's major air terminals.

I wish to point out that, even today, Midway is capable of handling a large volume of air traffic, including the Boeing 727 and all of the small- and medium-size jets that are rapidly coming into service.

Senator MONRONEY. Right at that point, may I inquire: Because of the noise level, of the flight patterns, are you able to accept at Midway 707's and DC-8's?

Mr. DOWNES. The runway at Midway is not long enough.

Senator MONRONEY. It is 5,000 feet.

Mr. DOWNES. It is 5,700 feet between the thresholds.

Senator MONRONEY. So it doesn't matter whether there is a noise problem or not. You are hemmed in by an inexpandable runway length.

Mr. DOWNES. The way the runway is now constituted. However, the study that Landrum & Brown is making is going to indicate to us how the airport will be able to accommodate the present family of medium-range jets.

Senator MONRONEY. You have the great DC-9 coming out, which will be one of the most revolutionary planes, I think in the business, putting back short-haul from a pure jet standpoint. You have Caravelles there now.

Mr. DOWNES. United puts Caravelles into Midway when it happens to execute their scheduling convenience.