Airport focuses overseas
Gary looks to spark interest of Chicago's international trade group
Trade leaders from 10 nations, including Austria, France, India, Poland and Spain toured Gary/Chicago Airport on Thursday to see how it could fit in their trade and travel routes.
" Olivier Vasserot of the French Consulate in Chicago said he was impressed by the little-known airport and would pitch it to French businesses.
"The goal of our visit here is to have more information about the airport," said Vasserot, France's economic and commercial counselor for the Chicago/Detroit areas. "I think Gary Airport is a device which deserves to be known."
Vasserot said the airport would not work for French passenger airlines giant Air France because it lacks connecting flights to other U.S. destinations. But he said it sure was a lot easier to drive to than Chicago's two airports and could become the airport at which the French land when they vacation in Chicago or Indiana.
The Chicago International Trade Commissioners Association held a tour, meeting and lunch at the airport. Several local business leaders and World Trade Council representatives were also on hand to tout the airport's potential as an international terminal for passenger and cargo traffic.
"I know that the people who came today were very successful in making some contacts," said Carolyn Moore of Laughing Cat Productions, a marketing, and video firm based in Munster and also a member of the Northwest Indiana World Trade Council.
Airport administrator Paul Karas said the Gary airport is geographically situated as the nearest airport for millions of the 9 million people in the Chicago area. Karas noted a drive to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago can take three hours, while the Gary airport is located 1 1/2 blocks from the South Shore passenger railroad, a half mile from the Amtrak line, and sits in a network of highways, including the adjacent Indiana Toll Road.
"We have two airports for 9 million people. It's not going to get any better, it's only going to get worse," Karas said. "It's this geographic segmentation that's going our way because look at the alternatives."
Karas said the recent, abrupt closing of Chicago's small airport at Meigs Field has already boosted corporate air traffic to Gary. Boeing Inc. has moved all five of its executive jets into Gary, after splitting them with Midway Airport in Chicago.
"Chicago is nothing if not a transportation center. The Gary airport is a big part of that. The Chicago area needs more airport space. We can provide relief," Karas said.
However, the Gary airport is limited by a 7,000-foot runway with a large train embankment at one end. He said the 670 acre airport's top priority was relocating the railroad tracks, buying as many as 250 acres of property, and expanding the runway to 8,900 feet.
A new terminal with 43 gates could also be built on the new land, and trains could be re-routed to the new terminal, enhancing access beyond the web of highways.
Gary has other attractive features such as landing fees about 25 percent of those at O'Hare, cheaper facilities to rent, and fuel costs about 50 percent less than in Chicago.
By Jeff Tucker
Post-Tribune correspondent
