Not content with destroying the convention business, Shortshanks moved to cripple another economic engine in the Chicago area by making it harder to do business here:
The Daley administration on Wednesday defended its decision to sharply increase landing and rental fees at O’Hare Airport, but said there’s wiggle room to appease airlines now refusing to finance the city’s massive runway expansion project.
Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino flatly denied that the 38 percent increase in landing fees and 17 percent hike in rental rates were primarily being used to fund pre-payment of debt not scheduled to mature until after 2030.
However the controversy came to a head, Andolino stressed that there’s room to maneuver if the airlines are willing to re-start talks aimed at bankrolling Phase 2 of the O’Hare expansion project.
Sounds like the airlines may have drawn a line in the sand. What if the airlines drop 25 or even 50 flights into and out of O'Hare on a daily basis and instead go to Denver, Atlanta, Dallas or Kansas City hubs? Daley's runway project is already a year or two behind schedule and billions over budget and it's only in Phase I of four phases. O'Hare is about the region's largest employer - Daley can't afford any missteps there.
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