Evening star., 1936-07-13
$2,671,959 NEEDED
|FOR D. c. A|RPORTS,
|N.A.A. ANNOUNCES
All U. S. Requires $780, ,0OO,.
600 for Suitable Facilities,
Association Says.
WORKS PROGRESS STUDY
is BASIS FOR ESTIMATES
Survey to Serve as Framework for
Current Operations of
Administration.

Expenditure of $4,000 900 IS
needed to bring the Nations airports
up to the standards of modern avia-
tion equipment, 1t was stated today by
officials of the National Aeronautic
Association, on the basis of a survey
by the Works Progress Administra-
ton.
The association said that an ex-
penditure of s2,671 ,959 is needed for
the District Of Columbia to provide
1t with facilities suitable for modern
air transport operations. 1t listed
only one w. P. A. airport project as
in operation within the District. This
Is the Boiling Field job. for which
s208,656 has been authorized.
No details Of the work needed to
bring the District up to par were
given in the survey. The total, how
ever, is the amount estimated as
needed for the construction of an
adequate air transport terminal.
Although the w. P. A. is not a
planning agency and has no power,
authority or funds to carry out the
plan, 1t was explained, the general
survey was made as a framework to
serve as a guide in current w. p. A.
airport operations. Already s26,059,-
4S5 has been released for airport prof.
ects and improvements and another
s45,000,000 will be spent to meet avia-
ton requirements during the 1887
fiscal year, which began July !, it
was explained.
Army May Lend Aid.
working quietly behind the scenes
IN an effort to merge w. P. A. expendi-
lures with a sound and logical ma
tlonal plan of airport construction.
the engineers secured the cooperation
OF the Army, Navy, Post ONCE De-
partment, Commerce Department and
other Government agencies who have
a stake In both peace time and war
time air activities" N. A. A. officials
explained.
The result has been rapid progress
toward a well-founded airway and air.
port system, valuable not only to
commercial air transportation and
civil flying, but to military branches
for national air defense"
1t is the hope Of engineers of the
Division Of Airways and Airports of
the w. p. A. that they will be able
to complete between one-third and
one-half of the needed airport prof.
ects listed In the national plan, it was
explained. w. P. A. has already ap-
proved projects costing s64,l75.9O2,
but of this total, only s26. 200 900 ac-
tually has been released. Much of
the new 45,000,000. which became
available two weeks ago for airports.
Will be spent in completing projects
already begun, while numerous new
airport projects will be started, ac-
cording to the decisions of local
w. P. A. administrators, it was ex-
planned.
Projects Restricted.
Although the District has been in
cluded in the national plan, no w. P,
A. construction can be undertaken on
a civil terminal here because Of the
lack of suitable governmentally owned
land upon which an airport might be
constructed. w. p. A. funds cannot
be used for land purchase for an air
port here and cannot be expended for
airport purposes on land which Is not
governmentally owned or leased, 1t
was explained.
In addition to the $20S,656, which
already has been made available for
the new Boiling Field, an additional
sl33,656 was authorized as of June
/. 1896. Virtually all of these funds
are being expended for grading Of
the landing area at the new field, con-
struction Of seawall, installation of
drainage and construction of run
| ways.