By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

EAST END - Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley agreed to delay a council vote Wednesday on his proposed ban of scheduled passenger commercial service at city owned Lunken Airport. Earlier, an airport advisory board unanimously voted to seek the delay.

The Lunken Airport Oversight Advisory Board also unanimously voted Monday to extend the main runway southward by 900 feet and to raise weight limits for planes from 70,000 pounds to 100,000 pounds to meet needs of its corporate users.

The runway extension should be expedited, and the weight increase should be immediate, the resolution states. Otherwise, some board members warned Monday, some corporate users might pull out of Lunken.

One of those companies, Procter & Gamble, still is working on a study to determine its airport needs, said Louise Hughes, director of the company's Ohio government relations and corporate affairs.

"Those changes are prerequisites for us to consider making an investment to stay at Lunken long term," Hughes said Monday. "This progress is very encouraging, and we are optimistic that this is going to result in decisions that balance the needs of the corporate users and protect the city's interests."

The nine-member advisory board, a mix of airport users and eastern Cincinnati and Hamilton County neighborhood representatives, also urged the city in its resolution to adopt a policy at Lunken stating a preference for a Federal Aviation Administration certification that would prohibit scheduled passenger commercial service, called a Class IV.

Starting in June, the FAA is going to change future certifications for many of the nation's airports; the changes would take effect in 2005.

Lunken's new certification, the Class IV, wouldn't permit scheduled service by planes of up to 30 seats because none is offered there now.

However, the new certification appears to be up in the air. That's because there are conflicting sets of FAA rules, says Eileen Enabnit, director of the city's department of transportation and engineering.

When Lunken takes grant money from the FAA, there are several attached commitments - and one is to provide reasonable access to the airport for operators, she explained.

Lunken may be required to permit scheduled passenger service because of grants that the airport already has accepted under its current certification, she said.

Though Cranley said during Monday's meeting he wouldn't hold off calling for a vote Wednesday, he changed his mind immediately after.

He will delay it for a week, until May 19, noting that he agreed with much of what the advisory board recommended.

What's next

• The Lunken Airport Oversight Advisory Board will explain its recommendations Monday before council's Community Development Committee.

• The city has asked FAA officials to explain the new certification ramifications and answer questions.

• City Council now likely will vote on Councilman John Cranley's proposed ban on scheduled commercial service at its May 19 meeting; residents, however, still are encouraged to attend Wednesday's 5:30 p.m. meeting to speak out, Cranley says.

---

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com