What prevents the residents of the growing East Valley from being able to fully utilize their own airport? Why is there no passenger service at Mesa's Williams Gateway Airport? This airport was a former Air Force base is located just southwest of Power and Ray roads. It is larger in land area than Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport and has three runways that are longer than Sky Harbor. It is operated by an Airport Authority consisting of the neighboring entities-Gilbert, Mesa, Gila Indian Community, and Queen Creek. The latest F.A.A. environmental study for Sky Harbor hints at some of the problems. In this study, the Federal Aviation Agency considers how to land more flights per hour at Sky Harbor without seriously addressing how to quickly divert more traffic to reliever airports such as Williams Gateway Airport (WGA). Symptomatic of this attitude, Williams Gateway's control tower is still a contract tower that is staffed by non F.A.A employees and is paid for by local revenues even though WGA is now one of the 50 busiest airports in the United States.

What is responsible for all these take-offs and landings and why is Williams Gateway creating so much business in spite of the lack of passenger service? Arizona State Polytechnic ( formerly ASU East) Campus and aeronautic program as well as the Chandler Gilbert Community College flight mechanic curriculum provide consistent aviation activity. The two new Air Cargo taxi-ways and freight hangars as well as the new customs facilities have begun to attract commerce. With the near completion of the San Tan Freeway to Williams Gateway, many businesses are starting to relocate to this area. The Forest Service has recently moved their fire fighting and air tanker base to WGA and the Customs and Border Protection hangar is now complete. A few months ago, Cessna announced that it was establishing its Citation Jet Service Center at Williams Gateway Airport. This major Company joins Boeing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, US Positioning, Combat Flight, International Simulation and Training Systems, as well as other high-tech firms.

What can you as a resident do to petition for passenger service at WGA? Go to the Williams Gateway Web Site at www.flywga.org and complete and submit the traveler survey. These surveys are being used to demonstrate the need for passenger service in the East Valley and to attract a major airline to be the first provider at William's Gateway Airport. This approach is a common sense solution to relieve the congestion and delays at Sky Harbor.