Huge Airport & Airbus US Southwest Expansion Rumors

[marley.wannabee]

i've heard rumors of a HUGE airport to be built in the american southwest...
also that airbus is considering a production facility in the US southwest as well?? Isn't airbus in europe now?

Maybe i should be in the wall street journal forum or something :zzz:

 

[Smurf]

why would they build an airport in the American southwest? It's not like a lot of people there want to travel anywhere, and it's hardly an ideal position for a node (especially with NY just next to it).

 

[russ_watters]

Airbus is a European consortium, based in France. I can't think of any reason why they would build a plant in the US.

Dallas Fort Worth is one of the world's busiest airports, but its relatively new and doing fine handling the load. No reason to build another one.

 

[FredGarvin]

That rumor may be based on a view of future air travel. Certain proponents are talking about creating very large hubs for the big jets to handle long distant trips. The large hubs would then be the starting points for an extremely expanded commuter market. It's all in an effort to get costs down by limiting the flights of the large aircraft and utilizing commuter economies more.

That's just a swag though. No concrete proof here.

In regards to Airbus...I can't think of any incentive they would have in building a plant of any kind here. Why they would want to be in Boeing's back yard is a mystery.

 

[Moonbear]

Airbus is a European consortium, based in France. I can't think of any reason why they would build a plant in the US.

Dallas Fort Worth is one of the world's busiest airports, but its relatively new and doing fine handling the load. No reason to build another one.

I can only speculate since I don't know if this is just rumor or not. This could be an unusual case of people thinking ahead to future demand, since it does take a long time to build an airport. There are other airports in the US that are completely over-burdened and contribute pretty heavily to delays throughout the system. One example is Chicago O'Hare. There are a lot of flights that really don't need to go to Chicago, but use it as a hub for connections. If you take a look at some flight schedules, often you'll get the same departure and destination airport scheduled with a choice of connection in places like Chicago or Houston. Because Chicago is so notorious for delays, flights into that airport were being cut to reduce the delays. Another airport to serve as a hub could pick up that slack. As for location, it may just be that anywhere in the midwest/west would have done just as well, and simply comes down to where there is the land to do it and a community willing to agree to it.

But, no idea if this is really being planned. Could also just be a planned expansion of an existing airport.

 

[marley.wannabee]

well, airbus gets it's aluminum from ...uh, montana i think.(this could be completely wrong)
THAT could be one reason.

 

[Whaaat ?]

.Wages in Europe are very high comparing to USA,maybe that is the thinking.
Or they don't want to get allways in trouble with trade depart. over subsidies.Being based in the USA and employing americans would make life for them bit easier.

 

[mattmns]

Are the airports in la, san diego, phoenix, dallas, denver, not big enough? Or is it something that they plan on building in utah or nevada?

 

[marley.wannabee]

please take this as the completely unsubstantiated rumour that it is... but i hear albuquerque.
Why would this make sense? Well, the VAST amount of open space right along the highway south of the city. Also... the rail is right there... no more cargo across the pond. NM=cheap labour, the people here while being some of the most underpaid are very smart. I live between sandia labs and UNM, an hour and a half south of Los Alamos. Oh yeah, kirtland air force base is here too. That would supply the necessary 'defense' of a hub like this.

I'm thinking... they'd need 2 to pull this off properly.

If i were picking locations for 2 hypothetical hubs, abq is a good choice... then i think i'd go somewhere near limestone, maine for the other.

 

[mattmns]

Albuquerque, New Mexico and Limestone, Maine? I am guessing this is going to be some sort of way to get products around, and not people? Because Albuquerque is not that big of an area, and Limestone, well I have never heard of Limestone before, so I can only assume that it is not that big either. The reason I did not list New Mexico as a choice, is because its right along a line of big cities in the SW. LA/SD -> Phoenix -> Abq -> Dallas/Houston. There is Denver to the north about 500 miles. Tucson is slightly bigger than Abq, as is Colo. Springs, Las Vegas. I just think that Abq is surrounded by so many other big cities that it would not make much sense to place a World Airport there. But then again, I am not 100% sure of what this airport is going to be designed to do. So if you could clear that up for me, that would be great.

 

[marley.wannabee]

i wish i knew what it was for... i was just in a conversation about this over coffee somewhere and i thought it was interesting... for many reasons. Albuquerque wouldn't make much sense as an international hub... unless maybe mexican airspace was being used?

http://www.conway.com/wdf/trans.htm
i typed "proposed world airport" into all the web search and got that link. I haven't dug into it yet but i have also never heard of this org before. But then again, i never heard of a lot of things I'm sure. :)

 

[marley.wannabee]

I have to consider things like vast amounts of cheap or free land and defense capability. I can't think of many places along the east coast that fit this bill. Inland fla well... now with the tsunami in everyones mind(and the fact it's a lil out of the way) i don't think I'd invest in interior florida like that. Limestone mane has one of those 'downgraded' air force facilities and the land there is inexpensive.

 

[Moonbear]

Well, you couldn't stick an airport in the middle of an already highly populated city, you need to find a place where there aren't a lot of people around yet to complain about planes flying overhead (they move in after the airport is built and then still complain, as if they didn't know the airport was there when they bought the house). And, 500 miles to the nearest airport sounds like a bit much. I'm used to the East coast where you rarely have more than an hour drive to a major airport, and can actually choose among multiple airports within an hour drive. But, if you're using the airport primarily as a hub rather than destination, then it doesn't matter where it is as long as it is in a reasonable place for a lot of commuter planes from the small airports to transfer passengers onto larger flights for the remaining cross-country trip. It would take the burden off other area airports that already have enough demand for direct flights to popular cities.

Besides, if you put an airport in, then the city will grow with it.

And while we're having fun wildly speculating about hypothetical airport locations...

I'm not sure about Maine. Two problems come to mind with that location. First, weather conditions would be pretty bad during the winter, so would limit the airport's capacity. Second, unless flights could head into Canadian airspace, wouldn't flight routes wind up all having to go through an already crowded corridor that includes flights originating from airports in MA, NY and NJ?

 

[spender]

If they finally decide to build new airport, they better build something decently looking like they build in Europe.
Some of the main US airports reminds me of Greyhound bus terminals.

 

[Moonbear]

If they finally decide to build new airport, they better build something decently looking like they build in Europe.
Some of the main US airports reminds me of Greyhound bus terminals.

Oh, you mean like that really pretty airport in France that collapsed? No thanks, I'll take sturdy and functional over pretty. Just make sure it has a big foodcourt in each terminal and I'm happy.

 

[Smurf]

I always considered Vancouver to be the prettiest International Airport I've been too (and I've been to a few - only one american though)

No thanks, I'll take sturdy and functional over pretty. Just make sure it has a big foodcourt in each terminal and I'm happy.

Well of course, wouldn't be American without a healthy dose of propogandized consumerism.

 

[spender]

Just make sure it has a big foodcourt in each terminal and I'm happy.

Food court with Mcdonalds stand, plus reinforced seats and heavy duty escalators for fat Americans.

 

[Moonbear]

Food court with Mcdonalds stand, plus reinforced seats and heavy duty escalators for fat Americans.

I heard that with so many obese people, airline fuel bills are really increasing because of the added weight on the flights!

I really don't care what they put in the foodcourt, just as long as I have more choices of places to eat at next time I'm stranded in an airport for 8 hours! I could have headed over to the international terminal, but when you can't walk far from the gate or else miss your chance to play flight roulette when the flight gets cancelled, that isn't as much of an option.

 

[spender]

In some Japanese and European airports one can rent small room and take a nap for few hours and also take shower.It is not expensive, nothing refreshes more like a shower after long flight.

 

[Moonbear]

I always considered Vancouver to be the prettiest International Airport I've been too (and I've been to a few - only one american though)

Vancouver is a really pretty airport, except there was nothing but a Tim Horton's with a VERY LONG line in the terminal they locked us in for international flights. I say locked us in because they actually had glass dividing even the two sides of the terminal, so I had access to only about 5 gates while waiting for my flight. There was no option to go back to the main terminal without waiting another hour to return through security. It was a really weird place. Once you check in at the ticket counter, you can't even wander around a bit and get a bite to eat if you're early, you are directed to immediately enter customs (because for some strange reason, for flights headed to the US, they do the US Customs and Immigration in Vancouver rather than when you arrive in the US). So, I never got to see much of the airport other than when I arrived there, at which time I really wasn't interested in lingering around to tour the airport.

 

[spender]

(because for some strange reason, for flights headed to the US, they do the US Customs and Immigration in Vancouver rather than when you arrive in the US).

Yeah ! what the deal with the American customs at the Canadian airports,same thing is in Toronto.

 

[Moonbear]

Yeah ! what the deal with the American customs at the Canadian airports,same thing is in Toronto.

The Canadians must think we Americans have cooties or something and want an excuse to sequester us away from the rest of the travelers as quickly as possible. We might be contagious. That, or maybe it's just easier to confiscate the Cuban cigars before they leave Canada so the customs agents can enjoy smoking them without it being illegal.

 

[Smurf]

It's an unfortunate set-back of America's new Anti-Terrorism laws, and unfortunately Paul Martin went along with it. It's the American's fault.

 

[spender]

It's an unfortunate set-back of America's new Anti-Terrorism laws, and unfortunately Paul Martin went along with it. It's the American's fault.

No you are wrong Smurf, US customs were operating at Canadian airports long before 9/11.
You have no idea how much Canada is unfortunately absorbed into the USA.

 

[Smurf]

Oh well, at least I tried to blame it on them...

 

[marley.wannabee]

hehe, yeah. hehe, digression rules. :)
moonbear, yeah i am thinking that maine is not the BEST location. Maybe if there is a huge chunk in the corners area of virginia, Tenn, & NC... i just don't know that area well. I never even considered the winter conditions. I like maine less and less. Not to say i don't love maine... great state, good fishin' but yeah, the weather is a tad unpredictable.

 

[spender]

I don't actually understand original post's name. Why world airport ? America is not the whole world.Maybe to Americans is but there is also Europe, Asia,and nations there becoming more important than USA.

 

[franznietzsche]

Oh, you mean like that really pretty airport in France that collapsed? No thanks, I'll take sturdy and functional over pretty. Just make sure it has a big foodcourt in each terminal and I'm happy.

Mmmm, food.


Airport food...

 

[franznietzsche]

No you are wrong Smurf, US customs were operating at Canadian airports long before 9/11.
You have no idea how much Canada is already absorbed into the USA.

you mean its still separate?

I'm kidding. Please don't hurt me.

 

[russ_watters]

I really don't care what they put in the foodcourt, just as long as I have more choices of places to eat at next time I'm stranded in an airport for 8 hours! I could have headed over to the international terminal, but when you can't walk far from the gate or else miss your chance to play flight roulette when the flight gets cancelled, that isn't as much of an option.

Heh, as you know, I just flew out of Cinci and to the right of my gate was a Chinese food stand and a sit-down bar (yeah, I'm going to get Chinese and then get on a plane ). To the left was an ice cream shop and a sit-down bar. I had to go about 200 yards to get a day-old tuna sandwich from a coffee shop. Terrible.

Being from Ohio, I blame you.