Air travel woes prompt budget crunches at Arkansas airports LITTLE ROCK (AP) =97 Little Rock National Airport has postponed its request= =20 for money to extend one of its runways, citing increased security costs=20 coupled with less revenue available from airlines. Travel is up slightly=20 since the months following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. But 11%=20 fewer people boarded planes at the airport in January 2003 compared to=20 January 2001, prior to the attacks, said airport spokesman Philip Launius.= =20 Budgets are also tight at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill=20 and at Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Little Rock airport could pay as=20 much as $2 million for security for the current budget year, double what it= =20 spent prior to the attacks. The airport is due $300,000 from the federal=20 government for a partial reimbursement. Most airlines are experiencing=20 financial woes; American Airlines has raised the possibility of seeking=20 protection from its creditors. Little Rock's airport has not yet reached=20 financial agreements for the year with airlines. The airport projects=20 income of $23.9 million for its 2003 budget, $100,000 less than one year=20 prior. The biggest single source of money for the airport is parking, which= =20 is estimated at $5.9 million for the year. The sum is the same as last=20 year, but 11% less than previously budgeted. Passenger facility charges =97= =20 $4.50 from every airline ticket purchased =97 will bring in $4.7 million,=20 also flat from last year. Highfill airport manager Kelly Johnson says the=20 facility had to double its police force. She said that and other security=20 enhancements have taken money that otherwise would have been spent on=20 improvements. Little Rock's airport has not abandoned the $7.1 million=20 runway project. The airport is spending $2.2 million in passenger facility= =20 charge money to relocate Roosevelt Road to create room for the runway. The= =20 airport is also making other improvements. Still, the airport is keeping=20 $400,000 in the bank as a security contingency fund. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.tha.gov.tt/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************