Delta CEO says airlines still need more help from Congress WASHINGTON (AP) =97 The head of Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday that the= =20 entire airline industry could go bankrupt if the government doesn't pick up= =20 costs for aviation security. Leo Mullin, Delta's chief executive, said=20 Congress ought to pay for aviation security and eliminate the $2.50 tax=20 levied on each segment of a flight. "Without these steps, the government=20 will by default come to own the airlines," Mullin said at a lunch sponsored= =20 by the Aviation Safety Alliance. He said he expects the airline industry to= =20 lose about $10 billion this year because of higher security costs and fewer= =20 passengers. Before Sept. 11, airlines paid for passenger screening, but=20 after the attacks the government took responsibility and airlines agreed to= =20 reimburse the cost. Mullin said revenue losses due to security restrictions, new bulletproof=20 cockpit doors, seats taken up by federal air marshals and the $2.50 tax=20 cost Delta $670 million last year. Congress has twice helped the airlines=20 since Sept. 11. In November 2001 President Bush signed into law a $15=20 billion aid package that included $5 billion in cash assistance and a $10=20 billion loan guarantee program. Last month, Congress enacted a law to extend government-issued war-risk=20 insurance and to limit liability against companies for the terrorist=20 attacks. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. =97 chairman of the House aviation=20 subcommittee =97 said the law would save airlines $1 billion. Denver-based= =20 airline consultant Michael Boyd said airlines are being squeezed by=20 security costs. But, he said, Mullin "might as well go to the Salvation=20 Army and ask them to pick them up." The federal budget suffered a $159=20 billion deficit for the 2002 budget year, and some analysts have said war=20 with Iraq could cost between $99 billion and $1.9 trillion over a decade.=20 Pia Pialorsi, spokeswoman for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., incoming Senate=20 Commerce Committee chairman, said it's too early to tell if Congress would= =20 agree to more aid for airlines. "Senator McCain will look at the financial= =20 state of the industry," she said. Mullin said one element of the aid=20 package =97 the $10 billion loan guarantee program =97 has outlived its=20 usefulness. He said he had no reason to disagree with the loan board's=20 recent decision to reject a request by United Airlines for a $1.8 billion=20 loan guarantee, and that no more loan guarantees should be issued. "We=20 ought to call it quits on that," Mullin said. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (TnT News) http://www.tntmirror.com/ (TnT News) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************