Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-08
Mobile Lounges to Haul Passengers
To Jet Planes at Chontilly Airport
BY JOHN W. STEP
star star writer

Federal officials and their
private consultants yesterday
unfolded g dream" airport
that efyisages the latest in pas
senger conveniences and the
most unitarian In Jet plane
servicing for the proposed new
washington international Air
port at Chantilly. Va.
A key feature Of the opera
ton will be mobile lounges
bus like transportation for
travellers between the terminal
building and their aircraft
that will reduce walking dis
tances to as little as $50 feet.
These lounges" will fasten
to the same floor level as the
main lounge Of the terminal.
Their passengers aboard, they
will then move carefully across
the pattern Of taxing planes
to transport travellers between
aircraft and terminal without
exposing them to the elements
and saving them all that ex-
ira walking.
The average hike from ticket
counter to plane for the 1888
commercial passenger was 1000
feet.
Other Features Revealed II.
In a press conference con-
Quoted by the Federal Aviation
Agency, officials explained the
new airport will also provide
these additional features:
1. A concentrated refueling
and servicing park on aprons"
Immediately facing the termi-
nal building.
2. A heliport. conveniently
located in front Of the term!-
nal, to ferry passengers to and
from the international Air
port, Washington and WASH
,ington National Airport. A pos
sible touchdown point for this
service in Washington would
be Hams Point, engineering
consultants suggested
8. A fringe of trees and
shrubbery would surround the
9,600-acre tract, Of the air
port to deaden the sound Of
the transcontinental Jets and
screen the airport scene from
surrounding residents.
In addition, the architecture
Of the terminal building itself
will be something revolutionary.
Aside from the fact that the
structure will be small to off
set the cost Of the mobile
lounges, it will be esthetically
pleasing. Details were with
held, however.
The new features in them
selves will mean no increase in
fares, it was emphasized.
Parking for $500 Cars
Whatever the ultimate de-
sign of the terminal building, it
will have an initial total Of
100000 square feet of floor
space. This footage may be
doubled in 10 years under al
lowances for expanding the ia
cilities. Automobile parking
space has been designed to
handle $500 cars.
Mr.. Pyle also said the FAA
has virtually completed land ac-
QUESTION for the new airport
and that there is little likeli-
hood that any additional land
will be needed.
Scope Of the land acquisi-
ton gives assurance to sur
rounding communities that
they can develop with the mini
mum possible interference from
the airport" he said.
Likewise. the airport is as
sured that community develop
ment will not interfere with air.
port operations inasmuch as
the degree Of land acquisition
provides for 150-foot clearance
at any point on the airport
boundary"
BY 1875 Washington Inter-
national expects to take care of
81 million passengers annually
taking 100000 flights.
Because of the mobile lounge
concept of getting passengers
from terminal to plane, the jets
and other aircraft may be
parked as far away as 1000
feet. This means the sound of
jet combustion will be far less
in the terminal building and
the jet blast will be entirely out
Of range.