Parked planes may see better days or end of the line as airline...

Old jets come here, empty engine pods shrink-wrapped in white, tall red tails fading to pink in the desert sun.

[And Yet Peotone]

The aviation industry is in a tail-spin. Only this week trees have been felled in the area designated by some political quacks [though not by the FAA and/or airlines] for a regional 3rd airport south of Chicago in Peotone [aka: nowheresville] Illinois.
US Representative Jessie Jackson, Jr. wants Peotone to be built, goodness knows which special-interests loaded with graft and perverse corruption also want to build a major airport in the midst of nothing and to which neither The major airlines have already said that they won't support an airport in Peotone Illinois. Looking at the demographics of the region including and around Chicago, Chicago's O'Hare [ORD] is one of THE 3 busiest airports in the world. Those who fly regularly are NOT those who live in Chicago's south-side, west-side and/or southern suburbs. The communities known as Harvey, Alsip, Wentworth, Englewood, Pilsen, Robbins, Maywood, Ford Heights, Dolton, Little Village, Humbolt Park, et al, are NOT those such as which will EVER support a southern/remote airport. Those who DO fly in the area/region mostly reside in the city center, northward along the Gold Coast, up in Lincoln Park, De Paul and up along the North Shore all the way into Lake County {which borders south-eastern Wisconsin}. Depending upon the time of day, these latter residents can reach O'Hare within approximately a half an hour. An airport in Peotone could easily take 2 hours to reach. O'Hare is a MAJOR international hub with direct flights to/from all over the world. There are NO destinations south of the city-center that either business, tourists and/or residents need to reach - for all intents and purposes. Those very few who may desire to venture south of China-town/Dearborn Park can be served by the existing Midway facilities and/or by the airports in St. Louis, Champaign/Urbana, etc. There's simply no 'need' for a facility in Peotone Illinois!
While the demands upon O'Hare are likely to continue, e.g., with the need to accommodate the massive Airbus 380 and the retrofitted Boeing 747-800 class, as well as the 787, 777, et al; 'if' there's a need to expand air-service capacities the ONLY logical place to do so {apart from at O'Hare hereself} is at Milwaukee's Mitchell Field. Building a network of High-speed rail {true 'high-speed', not just faster speed} between Chicago's Loop, O'Hare, a northern suburban station - say in Glenview, Northbrook or Deerfield, Rockford, Madison and Milwaukee's Mitchell Field could allow for a viable expansion of capacity throughout the region.
Looking at the present and forecast future population demographics, the trends to the west/northwest forming a triangle between Chicago's city-center, up to Milwaukee, west to Madison and down to Rockford ARE where the regional population demographics are trending.
Peotone is nothing other than a graft-ridden boondoggle in the making by political skullduggery and motivated neither by need or practicality.
Build it and they still won't come. Continuing to focus attention {and/or funding} to Peotone only distracts attention from either viable solutions to anticipated regional aviation needs and/or toward a debacle of biblical proportions.
Peotone, yeah, right - not even close!

[Anything But Peotone]

Despite the reality of the aviation industry's tail-spin, a few political hacks in Illinois {Jackson, Jr., et al} would have an airport built in Peotone Illinois.
There's simply no justification for such a fiasco in the making. The airlines have said that they wouldn't support it {contribute to costs, buy gates and/or fly to/from there} and ALL of the population demographics indicate expanding O'Hare, and linking major areas by high-speed rail to/from it.
No, Peotone is ONLy about the potential of graft and just more perverse corruption by Illinois' political hacks.
Forget about Peotone, stop wasting taxpayer's monies. The FAA hasn't approved it and they won't approve it. Heck, even if it's built whose going to use it? All of the frequent flyers in Harvey, Maywood, Robbins, Pilsen, Little Village, Englewood, Wentworth, Dolton, Alsip, Humbolt Park, etc, etc? Yeah, right - just more political skullduggery at taxpayers expense in the dire state of Illinois.
Forget about it; Peotone. It's not like repeating it makes it any more viable. A remote venue that neither serves the flying public, business and/or taxpayers is simply a corrupt boondoggle in the making.
Please stop the nonsense and get focused on REAL solutions to real needs.

[Algore]

It's George Bush's fault

[Pelon]

If Jesse Jackson Jr. wants to be mayor of Chicago.

It would be best for him to forgot the "White elephant" Peotone airport.

I don't care what the air fare sales are I am NOT driving 2 hours to catch a deal on a 2 hour flight! It just does NOT make any sense for me and it is a waste of time and gas getting there!

It does NOT make any sense to build this boondoggle!

O'hare airport already has the capacity, is running and in place with convenient CTA trains from downtown to the terminal bypassing expressway traffic! They just slapped down another smooth runway out there to ease traffic!

Hell I would rather fly out of Gary airport which is only 25 minutes from downtown Chicago and that airport still can't airlines to go there even though it's runways are longer and safer than Midway airports!

These fools honestly believe that Peotone airport is going to thrive!

I got a better idea for that airport land and that is plant some corn and soybeans out there! That is far better use than another airport in the middle of nowhere going nowhere!

[Chris]

Anything But Peotone wrote:

Despite the reality of the aviation industry's tail-spin, a few political hacks in Illinois {Jackson, Jr., et al} would have an airport built in Peotone Illinois.
There's simply no justification for such a fiasco in the making. The airlines have said that they wouldn't support it {contribute to costs, buy gates and/or fly to/from there} and ALL of the population demographics indicate expanding O'Hare, and linking major areas by high-speed rail to/from it.
No, Peotone is ONLy about the potential of graft and just more perverse corruption by Illinois' political hacks.
Forget about Peotone, stop wasting taxpayer's monies. The FAA hasn't approved it and they won't approve it. Heck, even if it's built whose going to use it? All of the frequent flyers in Harvey, Maywood, Robbins, Pilsen, Little Village, Englewood, Wentworth, Dolton, Alsip, Humbolt Park, etc, etc? Yeah, right - just more political skullduggery at taxpayers expense in the dire state of Illinois.
Forget about it; Peotone. It's not like repeating it makes it any more viable. A remote venue that neither serves the flying public, business and/or taxpayers is simply a corrupt boondoggle in the making.
Please stop the nonsense and get focused on REAL solutions to real needs.

First off, most travelers into ORD are connectors. Due to the old hub/spoke system, they are forced to connect at ORD to get to their destinations. Secondly, ORD cannot safely or efficiently handle the volume now. I do agree, building another airport is a waste of tax dollars. Modifying and existing airport in the region makes more sense. Chicago is still a great city to visit, but for most of us, the vast amount of travel is "through" Chicago.

[mike h]

I thought I read some where long ago, that if they did build Peotone, Gary Airport couldnt work because of the landing/takeoff configurations and holding patterns.
Just makes no sense.
Let daley/Jackson build it in the lake and foul up the lake water for drinking.
As of right now all those people forced to move and nobody wants the land or we (the state) have bought all this farmland.