Evening star., 1940-04-21

any doubt about the need for more
adequate airport facilities in Wash
ington,' Oswald Ryan. member Of
the Civil Aeronautics Authority, told
the Board of Trade recently.
He cited figures showing that
while the number of scheduled air.
line flights from Washington has
increased 80 per cent during the
past year. an average increase of
So per cent has been recorded for
New York (the only city having a
larger number of daily operations
than Washington, Chicago, Cleve-
land. Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
Thus Washington has not kept
pace with the other cities with which
it is linked in air commerce" Mr..
Ryan said. THE primary reason for
this is that the present Washington
Airport has reached its saturation
point and the common carriers of
the air have not been able to sched-
ule the regular services and extra
sections required by the increasing
demands of air traffic.
1T is estimated that some 400 900
passengers a year now enter or
leave Washington by transport
plane. With the new National Air
port ready for service, it is safe to
predict that the air traffic into and
out of this city will reach a much
larger volume and our National Cap
ital will be able to take her rightful
place alongside the other great traf-
fic centers Of the country and will
realize a more equitable participa-
ton in the benefits of the rapidly
expanding air commerce of this
Nation
This region is bearing it's share
in the expansion of private flying
activities. In the District, Maryland
and Virginia there has been a 20
per cent increase in certified pilots
and Is per cent increase in air.
planes since January l, 1899. On
the basis of the. anticipated national
increase, it is estimated that within
couple of years there will be three
times the number of licensed pilots
in this area and five times the
number of planes now licensed. The
new National Airport will be ac-
cessible to all private flyers enter
ing Washington from the rest of
the country if their planes are prop
erly equipped with radio"
Work o-ordinated.
The Interdepartmental Engineer
ing Commission in charge of the
airport project is co-ordinating the
work of the II Federal agencies
which are taking part in this great
undertaking. One of these agen-
cies, the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, has approved
final plans for the relocated Mount
Vernon Memorial Highway, which
will provide grade-separation ap-
proaches to the airport from the
highway by means Of an overpass
at the south end Of the airport area
and an underpass at the north end.
These approaches are designed in
accordance with the most modern
theories Of road building and in
some respects will represent the best
high-speed type Of traffic stream
flow handling yet undertaken. The
system Of interior roads serving the
various parts of the airport also
represents some new departures in
traffic engineering.
President Roosevelt participated
in the ground breaking" for the
Washington National Airport on
November 10, 1898, when an Army
dredge brought the first scoop Of
river bottom to the surface. If the
present schedule is maintained.
President Roosevelt will have an
opportunity, before the second an
niversary Of this occasion on No
vember 10. 1910, Of opening the air.
port for fun air transport opera
tionS,