Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport Expands

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is planning for some big-time growth, which will include:

• Groundbreaking yesterday for a third north-south runway costing $237 million that has been six years in the making.
• A $1.7 billion, 30-year master plan to reconfigure and expand the airport, beginning next year with an $8.2 million phase mostly to improve Terminals 1 and 2.
• Comair anticipates expanding temporarily into Terminal 1 in the next few years to accommodate peak-hour flights. The change would mean some passengers would have to shuttle from Terminal 3 to Concourse C, then shuttle again to Terminal 1. Eventual plans call for Comair to be housed in the new Concourse D, which won't be built for years, and for Concourse C to be razed.

Does it make sense to expand an airport in a receding economy? Experts say it does, especially in light of the long lead time in planning and constructing improvements. Also, you have to create the capacity to attract new opportunities--at least that is the theory, which has proven to work for many other major airports.

Others airports are also expanding, especially those in the Midwest, despite the nationwide slump. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is building a 9,000-foot runway, a portion of which is already open. Indianapolis International Airport is undergoing a dramatic renovation, including a new terminal.

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