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Southwest Airlines : "You are now free to bolt your responsibilities!"
Submitted by grant on August 2, 2005 - 6:19pm.
In mid June, Southwest Airlinesannounced that it was thinking about leaving Sea Tac Airport and relocating to King County run Boeing Field. The plan included a $130 million dollar renovation of Boeing Field or, as Southwest called is it "a nice big, shiny new expensive gift". Everyone would be a winner.... right? Not quite.
This big shiny gift also included a lot of messy, dirty and complicated strings attached to it.
(Click Read More to continue...)
You see, Southwest's biggest grief is with the Port Of Seattle, who run Sea Tac airport. If you haven't noticed, Sea Tac has had some huge renovations done in the last couple of years which include future plans to add a third runway. These costs are, in part, paid for by the airlines. Southwest says that these costs are too high.
The problem? Southwest had already agreed (actually multiple times), to fund this project. Now that the costs are a bit high, they want out. (Southwest has complained, and the ultra-business happy Seattle Times has echoed, that Sea Tac currently has some of the highest per passenger cost in the nation. The PI has shown that the cost is not even in the top seven nationwide, but is the second highest for airports that Southwest flies out of currently).
But Southwest running out on the bill isn't even the biggest problem. Fearing an increase in cost for all airlines and the desire to compete, Alaska Air and Horizon have both pledged to move an equal number of flights to Boeing Field as well. That would be a net increase of 170 flights per day from Boeing Field (can you feel the noise yet?).
Hold on, it gets worse. The port says it might now delay Sound Transit's much anticipated light rail airport link if Southwest, Alaska and Horizon all bolt some or all of their flights to Boeing Field.
Of course, we haven't gotten to the noise yet. That's the best part! An increase of at least 80 and up to 170 flights per day will represent a huge increase in noise pollution (and overall pollution) to residents of Georgetown and beyond. Residents of Magnolia, Beacon Hill, West Seattle, Queen Anne, Ballard, Fremont, Tukwila and Skyway can expect increased noise due to the new flight patterns for a busier Boeing Field.
County Executive Ron Sims, who is pushing for Southwest to move to Boeing Field, is advocating for flights to avoid residential neighborhoods by approaching Boeing Field via Elliott Bay. Of course, this approach will help flights avoid more affluent neighborhoods, but working class Georgetown and Beacon Hill won't be as fortunate.
Of course, many counter that residents near Boeing Field already are near an airport. However, fewer than 30 cargo jets of comparable size to passenger planes fly out of Boeing Field today. (Southwest has also stated that they use newer "quieter" 737s. Right. I'm sure they're so silent that a net increase of nearly 200 flights per-day will be just like listening to the summer breeze)
All of these issues, and all of the implications, brings us to a wider question- Should Seattle residents and decide the future of Boeing Field, Sea Tac Airport, Sound Transit Light Rail, airport noise pollution, and beyond or should Southwest's corporate headquarters in Dallas dictate (or "incentivize") us our own future?
It's a question Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg who heads the Puget Sound Regional Council -- a collaborative planning group in charge of looking at the regions transit -- has already asked.
Ladenburg stated that billions of dollars have just been invested in Sea-Tac Airport and that the state has just begun a four-year study to look at projected demand for commercial, cargo and recreational air service for the next 25 years.
Richard Conlin, chairman of the Seattle City Council's transportation committee, said increased traffic at Boeing Field would add millions of cars each year to the surrounding airport streets and noted that Southwest's proposal did not include money for traffic improvements. King County would likely have to flip the bill. Anyone who has seen Airport Way and the surrounding streets would agree that they are not ready to meet the challenge.
Southwest's potential great gift, and its deep impact, has now set about a chain of events which clearly points out that a move to Boeing Field is a mistake. It'll create more problems than it will solve. In fact, the only real problem being solved would be smaller profits for Southwest. (The financial stability of Boeing Field is debatable. Reports vary, but they apparently were in the red in 2004, but made a profit in 2003)
Seattle shouldn't be seen as anti-business, but it also shouldn't lose light rail to Sea Tac, take on millions of dollars in expense to get ready for a huge increase in traffic to Boeing Field, and increase the noise and air pollution for neighborhoods which, realistically, won't have the financial backing to fight back simply to get Southwest's shareholders a couple more bucks. Southwest's plans are against sane public policy and smart growth for the region and we should not allow them to dictate an important part of the future of Seattle for a better bottom line.
The City Council, Ron Sims and the Mayor should say no thank you to Southwest's generous gift. It's one we can do without.
Related Links:
Seattle Times - Southwest Airlines looks to move operations to Boeing Field
Seattle PI - Southwest's $130 million plan for Boeing Field
Seattle Times - Con: Con: County's blue-collar airport is too important to "gentrify"
Seattle PI - Sea-Tac makeover may have been too extreme for Southwest
Southwest CEO says Sea-Tac spending more than promised
Seattle Times - Airport may not get light rail
Seattle Times - Area political leaders debate noise impact
Seattle PI - Boeing Field neighbors stirring up own noise
Seattle Times - Boeing Field neighbors object to flight plans
Seattle PI - Southwest plan won't fly, transit planner says
Or, "Come On Feel the Noise" (residents of Georgetown, Magnolia, Beacon Hill, West Seattle, Queen Anne, Ballard, Fremont, Tukwila and Skyway)
In mid June, Southwest Airlines
This big shiny gift also included a lot of messy, dirty and complicated strings attached to it.
(Click Read More to continue...)
You see, Southwest's biggest grief is with the Port Of Seattle, who run Sea Tac airport. If you haven't noticed, Sea Tac has had some huge renovations done in the last couple of years which include future plans to add a third runway. These costs are, in part, paid for by the airlines. Southwest says that these costs are too high.
The problem? Southwest had already agreed (actually multiple times), to fund this project. Now that the costs are a bit high, they want out. (Southwest has complained, and the ultra-business happy Seattle Times has echoed, that Sea Tac currently has some of the highest per passenger cost in the nation. The PI has shown that the cost is not even in the top seven nationwide, but is the second highest for airports that Southwest flies out of currently).
But Southwest running out on the bill isn't even the biggest problem. Fearing an increase in cost for all airlines and the desire to compete, Alaska Air and Horizon have both pledged to move an equal number of flights to Boeing Field as well. That would be a net increase of 170 flights per day from Boeing Field (can you feel the noise yet?).
Hold on, it gets worse. The port says it might now delay Sound Transit's much anticipated light rail airport link if Southwest, Alaska and Horizon all bolt some or all of their flights to Boeing Field.
Of course, we haven't gotten to the noise yet. That's the best part! An increase of at least 80 and up to 170 flights per day will represent a huge increase in noise pollution (and overall pollution) to residents of Georgetown and beyond. Residents of Magnolia, Beacon Hill, West Seattle, Queen Anne, Ballard, Fremont, Tukwila and Skyway can expect increased noise due to the new flight patterns for a busier Boeing Field.
County Executive Ron Sims, who is pushing for Southwest to move to Boeing Field, is advocating for flights to avoid residential neighborhoods by approaching Boeing Field via Elliott Bay. Of course, this approach will help flights avoid more affluent neighborhoods, but working class Georgetown and Beacon Hill won't be as fortunate.
Of course, many counter that residents near Boeing Field already are near an airport. However, fewer than 30 cargo jets of comparable size to passenger planes fly out of Boeing Field today. (Southwest has also stated that they use newer "quieter" 737s. Right. I'm sure they're so silent that a net increase of nearly 200 flights per-day will be just like listening to the summer breeze)
All of these issues, and all of the implications, brings us to a wider question- Should Seattle residents and decide the future of Boeing Field, Sea Tac Airport, Sound Transit Light Rail, airport noise pollution, and beyond or should Southwest's corporate headquarters in Dallas dictate (or "incentivize") us our own future?
It's a question Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg who heads the Puget Sound Regional Council -- a collaborative planning group in charge of looking at the regions transit -- has already asked.
Ladenburg stated that billions of dollars have just been invested in Sea-Tac Airport and that the state has just begun a four-year study to look at projected demand for commercial, cargo and recreational air service for the next 25 years.
Richard Conlin, chairman of the Seattle City Council's transportation committee, said increased traffic at Boeing Field would add millions of cars each year to the surrounding airport streets and noted that Southwest's proposal did not include money for traffic improvements. King County would likely have to flip the bill. Anyone who has seen Airport Way and the surrounding streets would agree that they are not ready to meet the challenge.
Southwest's potential great gift, and its deep impact, has now set about a chain of events which clearly points out that a move to Boeing Field is a mistake. It'll create more problems than it will solve. In fact, the only real problem being solved would be smaller profits for Southwest. (The financial stability of Boeing Field is debatable. Reports vary, but they apparently were in the red in 2004, but made a profit in 2003)
Seattle shouldn't be seen as anti-business, but it also shouldn't lose light rail to Sea Tac, take on millions of dollars in expense to get ready for a huge increase in traffic to Boeing Field, and increase the noise and air pollution for neighborhoods which, realistically, won't have the financial backing to fight back simply to get Southwest's shareholders a couple more bucks. Southwest's plans are against sane public policy and smart growth for the region and we should not allow them to dictate an important part of the future of Seattle for a better bottom line.
The City Council, Ron Sims and the Mayor should say no thank you to Southwest's generous gift. It's one we can do without.
Related Links:
Seattle Times - Southwest Airlines looks to move operations to Boeing Field
Seattle PI - Southwest's $130 million plan for Boeing Field
Seattle Times - Con: Con: County's blue-collar airport is too important to "gentrify"
Seattle PI - Sea-Tac makeover may have been too extreme for Southwest
Southwest CEO says Sea-Tac spending more than promised
Seattle Times - Airport may not get light rail
Seattle Times - Area political leaders debate noise impact
Seattle PI - Boeing Field neighbors stirring up own noise
Seattle Times - Boeing Field neighbors object to flight plans
Seattle PI - Southwest plan won't fly, transit planner says
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