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BTC Applauds Congressional GAO Request

Wright Amendment controversy requires permanent solution

RADNOR PA., May 11, 2006–The Business Travel Coalition (BTC) applauds the action taken today by U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) and Representative Kay Granger (R-TX) in requesting a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the highest and best use of a Dallas Love Field closed to commercial airline traffic <link>.

On April 24, BTC called on the North Texas Congressional delegation to initiate a request for an independent and expert GAO analysis. BTC now calls on all Members of the House of Representatives, who are concerned about duplicative and wasteful federal spending, to sign on to this GAO request.

According to the Coalition, cities, airport authorities and Congressional leaders from all regions of the country are now expressing concern over the Wright Amendment controversy, including implications for U.S. taxpayers who could be asked to continue, and likely increase, funding for two airports just eight miles apart when the main international airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International, is greatly underutilized. 

BTC chairman Kevin Mitchell asked, “Why should taxpayers be asked to subsidize one company’s operation at an airport that was agreed to be closed by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth in the 1960s under the direction of the federal government in order to avoid wasteful federal spending?”

In April, BTC issued its findings that the best public interest option for business travelers and U.S. taxpayers would be to close Love Field to commercial airline traffic, allowing for full aggregation of commercial operations at underutilized DFW.  BTC’s findings are summarized in a chart that can be accessed at http://btcweb.biz/wright.pps. Visit BTC’s Wright Amendment Center at http://btcweb.biz/wright.htm for additional information.