‘Instant Airports’ and ‘Empty Sky’

* Re “Empty Sky Above Instant Airports,” Feb. 20:

There are just too many similarities between the MidAmerica Airport boondoggle near St. Louis and the current situation involving the proposed El Toro International Airport to be ignored. Maybe the Orange County Board of Supervisors could learn from St. Clair County’s experience.

St. Clair gambled by building an airport without prior airline commitment and lost even though, as stated in the article, the county supposedly designed the airport with the expectation of five years of negative cash flow and no passengers.

As the article states, “pouring concrete and erecting steel beams is one thing, but persuading airlines to provide service is another.”

Airlines would not be in business very long in this highly competitive market if they made other than sound business decisions.

Therefore, if the airlines will not commit to El Toro in advance, this should give the supervisors sufficient reason to pause and reflect, and ultimately lead them to conclude that the reuse of El Toro as an airport is a bad decision and gamble which should be dropped.

DAVID MELVOLD

Irvine

* Congratulations on the fine investigative reporting in the article.

The backers of the international airport at El Toro are caught up in the same hysteria going on across the country to build airports and believing that, “If you build it, they will come.”

The Denver-based aviation consultant quoted in your article makes an astute observation: “Building airports is in many ways the S&L; scandal of the ‘90s.”

Interesting correlation here: the same Board of Supervisors who got us into the billion-dollar bankruptcy is the very one pushing us into another financial (and environmental) disaster.

LUCILLE WALKER

Irvine

* Your article, “Empty Sky Above Instant Airports,” was a subtle way of expressing your disapproval for conversion of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station to a commercial airport. Subtle as a sledgehammer.

Sure, you only mentioned El Toro three times, but each time with a very negative comment. And the implication is that it would probably turn out as MidAmerica has to date, with no airlines. I disagree.

El Toro is not within 25 miles of an international airport, as is MidAmerica. Orange County has no international airport, and the closest and most frequently used by Orange Countians (except those far enough south to use San Diego) is Los Angeles International Airport. It is 45 crowded freeway miles and at least $90 round-trip by shuttle from my home. If I’m going abroad or want a wide-body jet, LAX is where I must go now.

If the airlines are not smart enough to fly out of El Toro when it becomes a commercial airport, you can be sure that people who are now compelled to commute to LAX will mount an effort to get international and transcontinental service out of El Toro. And I’ll bet that a lot of those who will use it will be from south Orange County.

JOHN W. KRAUS

Newport Beach

* Those of us in North County cities should not be influenced by South County residents’ goal to stop the proposed El Toro Airport.

South County residents’ arguments against it have been carefully created and orchestrated to fit their self-serving agenda. Each of their arguments can be refuted logically with facts.

Don’t let the emotion and intensity of their opposition be misrepresented as being correct. They want to sway all of us to their position.

However, there are reasons why the majority of Orange County political, business and union leaders are in favor of the new airport. It is good for the future of Orange County!

ANNA OLSON

Anaheim

* Thank you for objective reporting concerning the proposed airport at El Toro. While it is likely the ultimate fate of El Toro will be decided in the courts, it is important the citizens of Orange County be knowledgeable about the facts both for and against the proposed airport.

If only we could get the supervisors of Orange County to read The Times, maybe their votes would be more enlightened and reflective of the sentiments of the citizens of Orange County.

MICHAEL HAMILTON

Coto de Caza