This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE 1/25/05

What’s happened to our airport?
Medford’s airport has grown into a hub for air travel out of Southern Oregon.
They have not only lengthened their runways to be able to handle virtually any type airplane.....they have three airlines operating out of their facility, and now they plan to add another.
In addition they are planning on a $35 million dollar terminal building.
Not too many years ago, Medford’s airport was just a stopping place while three different airlines flew out of Kingsley Field.
Today...we have only Horizon...flying to Portland. Period.
At one time we had the second longest runways in the state.
I can remember the big fiasco over a free trade zone. It was initiated locally, but then began to share planning with Medford...and then...Medford had it and we didn’t.
A year ago the plans called for the fire fighting facility to be moved from Medford to Klamath Falls.....it didn’t happen. Why?
It’s only fair to ask why.
At one time Medford offered $100,000 to one airline to fly into Medford....they also unleashed a public relations effort that paid off in further airlines....and in grant money to expand their runways.
I was on the City council when we put funding together to replace the old terminal building at the airport with a new facility. We had great hopes and plans for the airport....but something went radically wrong, apparently.
It’s only fair to ask whether the Air National Guard effort at the airport is controlling future growth of the civilian capacity.
Certainly, we value the air national guard and what it represent not only to our safety but to our economy as well.
It seems to me that the city could well take some of that million dollars a year they get from the co-gen operations to supplement the airport....not just improve the terminal building....but bring at least an air service that would carry our people south....not have to fly to Portland in order to go south to San Francisco and other points...or drive over the hill to Medford to make those southern connections.
At Medford...we have an airport that is frequently closed during the winter months. In the past many of those flights were diverted to Klamath Falls...but apparently not any more.
The Jackson County Airport Manager, Bern Case, has really turned that airport into a Southern Oregon hub.
His comment is worthy of repeating. He said; “An airport is either growing and getting better or its atrophying.”
Looking back on the history of our own airport one would have to admit that as far as civilian needs are concerned our airport has gone backward.
It’s only far to ask the big question.....why?

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.