United, American say they're committed to O'Hare expansion CHICAGO (AP) =97 United and American airlines said Thursday they have no=20 plans to ask for a significant delay in the expansion of O'Hare=20 International Airport, despite their financial difficulties. American=20 Airlines is bleeding money =97 nearly $3 billion in the first nine months of= =20 this year =97 and United Airlines is reorganizing under Chapter 11=20 bankruptcy. "We're obviously preoccupied with getting our reorganization=20 plan and getting our costs down," United spokesman Joe Hopkins said=20 Thursday. "But we're committed to O'Hare and the runways project. This is a= =20 long-term construction project spread over 10 to 12 years. We hope to=20 emerge from bankruptcy in 18 months and shoulder our share of the burden,"= =20 he said. American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said the world's= =20 largest carrier has sought expansion of O'Hare for more than a decade. "We= =20 remain committed to improvements and modernization at O'Hare and we will be= =20 working with the city to see that the runways are built as quickly as=20 possible in light of the financial realities facing the industry," she=20 said. Hopkins said United has not told Chicago it needs to change the=20 timetable of the proposed expansion. John Harris, deputy commissioner of=20 the Chicago Aviation Department, said neither United nor American had told= =20 the city it wanted to back out of or significantly delay O'Hare expansion.= =20 The city's aggressive timetable for the airport project has an eight-runway= =20 reconfiguration being completed in about 15 years. The plan, announced last= =20 December, would nearly double the airport's capacity, from 900,000 yearly=20 flights to 1.6 million. The project would need United and American to back= =20 airport revenue bonds, issue their own debt and collect passenger ticket= taxes. 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 *********************************************************