It shouldn’t be a surprise that the vast majority of chief executives of Chicago-area companies support the plan agreed to in December by Gov. Ryan and Mayor Daley for expanding O’Hare International Airport.
After all, a year ago more than two-thirds of the CEOs surveyed said they backed efforts to expand O’Hare and break the cycle of flight delays.
The plan–which calls for the realignment of crossing runways to permit a more efficient, all-weather airport–is awaiting congressional action that would prevent future governors from altering it.
“We need the airport. It makes good business sense,” said James Hussey, president and chief executive of NeoPharm Inc., a Lake Forest-based biopharmaceutical company.
According to the CEOs surveyed, 88 percent approve of the Ryan-Daley plan, while 5 percent disapprove and 7 percent had no opinion.
Phil Condit, chairman and chief executive of Boeing Co., says the city also should be looking at ways to integrate the expansion with steps to ease travel to O’Hare.
“I believe that Chicago, or any city, needs to think seriously about developing an efficient, integrated infrastructure to greatly enhance the opportunity for economic success,” he said.