http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/0415gateway0415.html

Sky Harbor to get some relief Mesa's Gateway closer to sharing the load

Ginger D. Richardson, Justin Juozapavicius and Art Thomason The Arizona Republic Apr. 15, 2006 12:00 AM

Phoenix is poised to become an operator of Williams Gateway Airport, a significant move that solidifies the airfield's future role as the primary reliever to Sky Harbor International Airport.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Sky Harbor Airport Director David Krietor are expected to announce Monday that the city is prepared to make a financial commitment to join the governing authority that owns Williams Gateway in Mesa.

Such a deal is significant because it would give Phoenix a major voice in how and when the fledgling commercial airport would begin to alleviate congestion at Sky Harbor, which had a record 41.2 million passengers pass through its gates last year. The East Valley also stands to benefit because having Gateway as a reliever airport means new jobs, tax revenue and economic growth.

Details of the agreement that would give Phoenix a seat on the Williams Gateway Airport Authority were a closely guarded secret Friday, but it is clear that city officials are willing to pony up cash for the next several years in order to have a say in Gateway's development.

Mesa, one of the governing board's current members, contributes $2.5 million to the airport's operating budget. But it has considered substantially reducing its subsidy because of budget woes. That could open the door to Phoenix being an equal partner on the board.

The authority's other members include Queen Creek, Gilbert and the Gila River Indian Community, but they each contribute $450,000 or less annually.

The level of the member's commitment is important because it determines how much clout they have on the board in terms of voting.

"We've been partners with Williams (Gateway) for quite some time," Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten said. "But I think if they'll agree to it, we'll step up to the plate a little bit larger than we have in the past."

Williams Gateway has been widely touted as a reliever for Sky Harbor for more than a decade. But this marks the first time Phoenix has taken a serious interest in joining its governing authority.

Historically, Phoenix officials have been loath to support anything that could be construed as counterproductive to protecting Sky Harbor's economic viability.

But now, the city seems increasingly willing to partner and work together.

"The demand for air service in the Valley is growing so rapidly that we are not concerned of a threat to Sky Harbor," said Deborah Ostreicher, an airport spokeswoman. "We're interested in the sustainability in Valley aviation as a whole."

The impending announcement comes just days after Sky Harbor received federal approval to move forward with its own $2 billion-plus expansion plan. That expansion includes the demolition of aging Terminal 2 and the construction of a new 33-gate terminal in its place.

The construction should allow Phoenix to accommodate the Valley's air service requirements for up to 20 years.

But what happens after that is unclear.

Williams Gateway just launched its first regularly scheduled commercial service last week when Vision Airlines of Las Vegas began flying to North Las Vegas Airport. But at some point, officials say, Gateway will have to offer more.

That is because Phoenix's airport is already the nation's seventh-busiest in terms of passengers and is expecting to see its operations expand from slightly more than 555,000 takeoffs and landings annually to slightly more than 670,000 by 2015.

But no one is saying just how or when service at Gateway will be expanded.

For east Mesa resident Pat Haruff, who lives three miles from Gateway, it can't happen soon enough.

"It's wonderful news," Haruff said of the possibility of expanded commercial service in the East Valley. "Getting to and from the airport is easier here."

Terms of the agreement should be released Monday.

The proposed deal would still need to be approved by the Phoenix City Council, but it appears that the other members of the Williams Gateway Authority are in agreement.

"Phoenix has been a resource to us, but to have them in actual partnership . . . is phenomenal," Mesa Vice Mayor Claudia Walters said.

"The potential for making air travel (easier) and more accessible is tremendous."

But although officials with both cities said Friday that they are eager to work together, it is clear that Mesa won't be acquiescing to its bigger neighbor on key decisions.

"We're smart enough, we're not going to give away the store to Phoenix," said Roc Arnett, president of the East Valley Partnership. "But, at the same time, we need some help."

Phoenix, for its part, is eager not be perceived as a bully, even as it makes an aggressive move to have a greater say in the region's air operations.

"Some people, or the critics, will say, 'Oh, here comes big bad Phoenix looking to take over Williams,' " Bilsten said. "But, in truth, we can't be so myopic to say that air service in the Valley is only about Sky Harbor."