Allentown, Pennsylvania: It's time to move on from a possible sale of Queen City Airport

Opinion > Letter To The Editor 

The zealous quest that selling Queen City Airport would be the financial solution of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority and would benefit Allentown managed to waste a lot of the authority's time "jousting with the windmill" for a sale of this valuable asset — an asset not only to aviation but also to the public and the City of Allentown. I have been adamant that all one had to do is read the Federal Aviation Administration's 2000 deed and agreement.

Negatively, the perception of divisiveness within the board has affected our FAA grant of $551,000 to design a new taxiway at Queen City and who knows what else?

On the positive, this managed to activate the local general aviation community, our local, state and federal representatives, and aviation organizations that are alarmed at the loss of smaller airports in the interest of development.

Allentown's approach should be that of cooperation to enhance the Queen City Airport and to assist the authority in the improvement and lease of this property for aviation-related uses, businesses and jobs.

Authority board members have a fiduciary responsibility to all three airports — Braden Airpark, Queen City and Lehigh Valley International — and not sacrifice one for another as an easy way out or as a panacea for a local entity.

Frank J. Kovacs Jr.
Bethlehem
The writer is a Lehigh-Northampton
Airport Authority board member and
private pilot whose plane is housed in
a hangar at Lehigh Valley
International Airport.

http://www.mcall.com/opinion/letter