By Jack Houvouras
HQ 42 | SUMMER/AUTUMN 2001
Earlier this year I found myself sitting in the office of Huntington businessman Bill Campbell discussing local news, golf and other topics, when he inquired about the contents of the next issue of the magazine. When I informed him we were preparing a cover story on the controversial regional airport, he became animated.
“Jack, second chances in life are rare, and this is one of them,” he asserted. “I hope this time our leaders make the right decision.”
That “right decision” is to build a new regional airport between Huntington and Charleston. (The proposed site is located three miles off of Interstate 64 in Lincoln County and just 25 minutes from both cities.)
Campbell should know. As a leader in the first regional airport debate in the mid-1960s, he watched with dismay as voters in Cabell and Putnam Counties cast their ballots in favor of the proposed Midway Jetport (it also was to be located between Huntington and Charleston) while Kanawha County voters said “no.” That vote was the end of the Midway Jetport dream, a dream many believe has been given a second chance.
As contributing writer Jim Casto so eloquently details in his cover story on page 28, there are five primary reasons why our region needs a new airport.
First of all, the regional airport will provide better air service, thus eliminating most puddle-jumpers. The new facility will cost far less than the proposed upgrades to Yeager Airport, saving the state millions of dollars. The airport will provide safe, reliable air service, unlike the small mountain top airports in Huntington and Charleston. A regional airport will allow both cities, as well as most of southern West Virginia, to compete in a global marketplace. And, most importantly, a new airport will create thousands of good-paying jobs.
With so many obvious reasons why a new airport would forever change the quality of life throughout the region, it is baffling why a small faction of leaders in Charleston have spent millions of dollars and filed countless lawsuits trying to kill the project. After all, the airport would benefit Charleston as much as Huntington, maybe even more. Perhaps Charleston’s opposition to the new airport was best summed up by one of their business leaders who recently proclaimed: “If a regional airport is to be built, it must be in Charleston. Period. After all, this is the state capital.”
I don’t think I am overstating the case when I say the construction of a new regional airport in Lincoln County is the most crucial economic development issue that Huntington and Charleston have ever faced, or will ever face. This time, however, the decision to build a new airport will not be in the hands of the voters. Instead, our elected officials will have the power to say “yes” or “no.”
How can you help? How can you ensure that the mistakes on the 1960s aren’t repeated in the 21st century? Simply call, write or e-mail your elected officials – most notably Gov. Bob Wise, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Nick J. Rahall. A list of their phone numbers, addresses and e-mail accounts can be found on page 34 in this magazine.
The opportunity to build a promising future for our children and grandchildren is at hand. The time to act is now. After all, second chances in life are indeed rare.
