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In recent years, there has been a lot of talk of overhauling and dramatically expanding the Salt Lake International Airport. Now comes a word of caution worth heeding.
During a recent visit to Salt Lake City, native Utahn and JetBlue founder David Neeleman described the precarious nature of the airline industry. Airline budgets are tight, he said, and any attempt to increase their local operational costs to help pay for airport expansions could prove counterproductive. Such an observation from one whose innovative four-year old airline is succeeding in an industry that generally is floundering cannot be ignored.
Neeleman’s views tend to validate the course being taken at Salt Lake International. A 1997 billion dollar master plan was essentially scrapped, and another in 1999 met a similar fate. Rather than move forward with unrealistic vision, a more cautious approach has been adopted.
For its geographic location and relatively small population base, the Utah community is extremely fortunate to have the amount and quality of air travel available. KSL believes the presence of 14 airlines and a Delta hub should never be taken for granted. As well, any plans to expand, remodel and modernize the airport should be realistic and accomplished within the context of somehow keeping airline operational costs attractively low.
