REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
NEW RUNWAY OPENING
CHANTILLY, VA
NOVEMBER 20, 2008
8:45 AM
Good afternoon. Thank you, Charles Snelling, for that kind introduction. And
thank you, Jim Bennett, for hosting this great event.
It is an honor to once again be with Governor Kaine. He’s a leader who
understands the needs of the travelling public, and I thank him for his
commitment to improving transportation in Virginia.
I’d also like to recognize Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell. Under his
leadership, the FAA is modernizing American aviation and preparing our skies for
the century ahead.
And with this new runway, Dulles is paving the way for its future.
You could say Thanksgiving is coming early this year for travelers visiting
Washington. But instead of cuts of turkey, we’re serving strips of concrete.
This runway, the first new one since the airport opened in 1962, will be able to
handle growing traffic without growing gridlock. It will make it possible for an
additional 100,000 planes to take-off and land at the airport each year.
Most important, the added capacity means passengers on those planes will face
fewer delays getting into and out of Washington. That’s welcome news as the
holidays approach.
This project will also allow Dulles to make needed repairs and upgrades to its
Center Runway next summer, without causing increased delays.
This new runway is a testament to the power of planning and the wisdom of
foresight. Indeed, we wouldn’t have the time to celebrate runway openings if
every project went at smoothly as this one—there would simply be too many.
Those who built this airport had the foresight to plan for growth. And when the
need arose, this project was designed, funded and built quickly and efficiently.
Indeed, this runway is a model for the nation.
I just cleared the first plane to take off from the new runway. With a single
take off, we are launching a new era for this airport. Local leaders have worked
hard to build and improve air service in Washington, and deliver better travel
connections, a healthier economy, and a cleaner environment.
And so has the Bush Administration. In the aftermath of 9-11, we acted quickly
to put new security measures in place. We’ve implemented new safety
technologies, techniques, and standards. As a result, aviation in America is
safer today than at any period since that first flight took off at Kitty Hawk.
Considering the record numbers of passengers and cargo filling our skies, that
is simply remarkable.
To accommodate this growth, we have expanded the capacity of our aviation system
by adding new runways from coast to coast. Since 2000, we’ve opened 11 new
runways at America’s busiest airports, making it possible for an additional 1.6
million planes to take off and land each year.
Today, we are opening three more runways, not just here in Washington, but also
at Chicago O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma airports. Combined, these new strips will
allow for an additional 330,000 take offs and landings every year.
All told, we’ve invested almost 50 billion dollars in airports, runways, and
aviation technology. We’ve launched a ground-breaking effort to modernize
air-traffic control from radars and radios to satellite-based navigation and
communication.
This NextGen system is already transforming the way America flies. When it is
fully deployed, it will allow our airports and our airways to safely handle the
growing numbers of passengers and flights coming in the years ahead.
We have acted aggressively to clear congestion and protect passengers. Over the
last year, we’ve taken more than 30 different actions to break the bottleneck in
New York that is causing delays to ripple throughout the entire system—including
employing market mechanisms.
We’ve proposed slot auctions and other vital reforms to our aviation system that
will encourage better use of existing facilities, make it easier to invest in
new technology and facilities, and reduce congestion across the aviation system.
Our efforts have been driven by a single purpose: improving the air travel
experience. In the last week alone, we’ve announced new proposals to protect
travelers when their planes are held on the tarmac. And we’ve increased the
amount of compensation for cancelled flights, lost baggage, and other consumer
issues.
And just two days ago, President Bush announced that we would be opening
military airspace for Thanksgiving Express Lanes again on the East Coast, and
also in the Midwest and other regions so families spend less time traveling and
more time together this holiday season.
Hopefully, thanks to this new runway, travelers suffering heartburn will have
Grandma’s dinner—and not their trip—to blame.
I am proud of the dedication that has gone into the building of this project.
This new runway will mean Washington’s gridlock will be confined to Congress,
not our skies.
Thank you, again, Governor Kaine, for your friendship, and thank you to everyone
who made this day possible.
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Briefing
Room
