Correspondence

On February 15, we issued correspondence to Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. regarding our review of Chicago Midway Airport's operations, capacity, and runway safety areas. Representative Jackson requested that we determine whether Midway Airport has sufficient capacity to safely handle its current level of operations and whether it has adequate runway safety areas. We found that: (1) Midway Airport has sufficient capacity to safely handle its current level of aircraft operations, and (2) the runways at Midway Airport did not have adequate runway safety areas; however, in September 2000, FAA had determined that it was not practicable for Midway to achieve FAA's runway safety area standards. Midway officials have begun installation of an alternative runway safety arresting system that meets FAA's guidelines. These systems should be complete on all of Midway's commercial runways by the end of this year.