When county supervisors voted this week for a true international flavor to the proposed El Toro airport, they obviously overlooked global political reality. You see, if somebody wanted to start domestic air service from, say, El Toro, all they d basically need is a few planes, a few million to lose and landing and takeoff slots at other U.S. airports. But if somebody wanted to fly from El Toro to , say, Tokyo or London or other foreign ports, get Madeline Albright on board. International air travel is burdened with protectionist, anti-consumer regulations that literally take the State Department to navigate. Air-travel treaties are negotiated over years, almost like peace pacts, with threats of trade retaliation in the background.
Any airport courting a global presence better be ready for a long line.
Take San Jose International . On Monday, American Airline said it s applying to start service from London s Gatwick Airport to the heart of Silicon Valley. If American gains that route, and that might take a year, San Jose International Airport will then have two overseas flights. Yes, just two. The value of having even one international flight to a community cannot be overlooked, says spokeswoman Marily Mora, putting San Jose s spin on the situation.