EXHIBIT ILG-408 Delaware traffic currently generates $1,363,500 per year for Eastern Delaware passengers carried by Eastern to and from Wilmington Passenger-miles.. Delaware passengers carried by Eastern from Philadelphia Airport May 2-15, 1964: 1 325 60, 300 Passengers originated__. Passenger-miles____ Passenger-miles for the month (406,100 × 31/14). Passenger-miles for the month, both directions (899,200 × 2). Total Eastern passenger-miles per month__. 1 Passengers times interstation distances to points shown in ILG-307. EXHIBIT ILG-409 More than 40 percent of Delaware passengers flying on Eastern from Philadelphia to destination utilize flights of 1 or more stops Delaware originated passengers flying to destinations via- 1-stop flights---- 2 or more stop flights Total--- Percent of total using flights of 1 or more stops---. Source: P. 12. 374 171 89 634 41 1 All domestic destinations having more than 5 Delaware passengers in the May 2-15 period. Source: Eastern's Philadelphia Reservation card survey. Senator MONRONEY. I understand you to say three carriers formerly served this market. Senator WILLIAMS. That is true. Yes, and we fear we are in danger of losing this one now, although we understand that has been temporarily rejected, their application to cease. Senator MONRONEY. Is there an application pending to abandon service by Eastern? Senator WILLIAMS. That is my understanding. Senator MONRONEY. Before the Civil Aeronautics Board? Senator WILLIAMS. Yes. Senator MONRONEY. We will check with the Board, as they are appearing later. How long have you been dependent on just the one airline! Senator WILLIAMS. I don't have the records here, but I think it is about 3 to 4 years. Senator MONRONEY. Was that Pan American and United? Senator WILLIAMS. American. I just forgot the other. I have the three of them listed in here. Senator MONRONEY. That will be in there anyway. They were all major trunklines. Senator WILLIAMS. All major trunklines. Senator MONRONEY. What is the population of Wilmington? Senator WILLIAMS. Wilmington, it is around 100,000, but New Castle County is almost a solid city now, you know, with the suburbs. Senator MONRONEY. The metropolitan area would be what? Senator WILLIAMS. Metropolitan area there is around 350,000. Senator MONRONEY. Would you say it is an area that would normally use a large percentage of air traffic? Senator WILLIAMS. I would say the area would use a larger percentage of air traffic than you would find generally in similar population due to the fact that it is heavily industrialized. Senator MONRONEY. In the service by Eastern Air Lines, you said you had only the one line. How many flights a day does Eastern furnish Wilmington? Senator WILLIAMS. Right now I think they have it reduced to one in and one out. Senator MONRONEY. And these run at about roughly what time? Senator MONRONEY. Are these arranged convenient to the travelers or are they at hours where it is not normally within the time that— Senator WILLIAMS. I haven't heard that. I live 100 miles south of there and we don't have any service, but I haven't had any complaint as to the scheduling so much as it is the fear that they are going to cancel this one schedule that they do have, and back in 1960 they were running several schedules daily out. Senator MONRONEY. They have been dropped? Senator WILLIAMS. They have been dropped and they are now attempting to drop this one. Senator MONRONEY. Senator Morton. Senator MORTON. No. Senator MONRONEY. We do appreciate very much your appearance here. Any additional data you want to file of schedules and distances, particularly the diversion of 60 percent I believe you said that the traffic has been diverted to having to use Philadelphia Airport. Senator WILLIAMS. That is correct, and the three trunkline carriers were the American, TWA, and Eastern. Senator MONRONEY. TWA was one. You have no feeder line service? Senator WILLIAMS. Allegheny. Senator MONRONEY. Allegheny comes in? Senator WILLIAMS. Yes. Senator MONRONEY. How many flights a day do they have? Have they picked up with the discontinuance of TWA and American? Has Allegheny's flights been more numerous? Have they instituted more frequent local service than was being offered by American and TWA before they pulled out? Senator WILLIAMS. Yes; but I would rather submit for the record the actual flight schedules that they do have, because I don't have them at my disposal. Senator MONRONEY. What is the directional flow of the traffic there? I am sure there is considerable community of interest with New York, but that is a rather short haul. Senator WILLIAMS. By virtue of the location where we are, I would say mostly west and south. Senator MONRONEY. It would be south, but Eastern Senator WILLIAMS. Northeast. Senator MONRONEY. Do they connect with other flights in Washington or go on across? Senator WILLIAMS. Washington, New York, and of course, your international traffic would have to go to New York. But the great difficulty, as I pointed out in Philadelphia Airport, is not so much the distance as it is the availability, because it is almost impossible to get over there with any reasonable length of time due to the congestion of traffic and the fact that you go through all of these small towns. There is no freeway through there. Senator MONRONEY. The New Jersey Turnpike doesn't connect up? Senator WILLIAMS. The New Jersey Turnpike is over on the eastern side of the Delaware Rixer, and the airport is on the western side, so you don't gain anything by using the turnpike at all. Senator MONRONEY. It is still an hour and a half from the time you land at Philadelphia before you are home in Wilmington? Senator WILLIAMS. And that is pretty much the minimum time, yes. Senator MONRONEY. How many miles is that? Senator WILLIAMS. I would guess it is 15 to 20 miles. It is not the distance so much as it is the travel. Maybe, 15, 20 miles, maybe 25. Senator MONRONEY. We do thank you very much, Senator Williams, for your courtesy of appearing here and giving us the benefit of your information on this matter. Our next witness is the senior distinguished Senator from Tennessee who made such a fine statement on the floor of the Senate on this problem. He has been one of the leaders in urging that the committee take a look at this situation and the diminution of service to our intermediate sized cities. We are delighted to have you, Senator Gore, and you may just proceed in your own way. STATEMENT OF HON. ALBERT GORE, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE Senator GORE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I wish to congratulate the committee upon its interest in this subject that is of great concern of necessity to the country. I appreciate the opportunity of appearing before the committee. It has been generally recognized that development of commercial aviation is so affected with the public interest as to justify the expenditure of tax funds. Each year we spend millions of dollars for the construction of airports and facilities and for the development and operation of safety equipment and for control of the airways. We subsidize the development of aircraft indirectly through the defense program and we are now proposing financial assistance in the development of a supersonic airliner for commercial application. Our commercial airlines have been the beneficiaries of operational subsidies which in effect guarantee the profitability of certified carriers. This is done in the interest of insuring service adequate for the public convenience and necessity. Though their primary function may be to make a profit, nevertheless, the primary programs of the Government, and the programs from which they vastly benefit and through which they have been able to develop this highly profitable industry looks first to the public interest. Senator MONRONEY. The public convenience and necessity is one of the tests that they will render as quid pro quo, would you not say, to them having the right of a protected market to agree that people can't just go in and automatically serve a community with airplane service? It has to be approved and put on a route by the Civil Aeronautics Board. But in exchange for that route protection and the other aviation aids that you mentioned, including the early day subsidies, and now the very expensive air traffic control system, all of those go with allowing the service to a community on the basis that will serve the public convenience and necessity required in those areas. Senator GORE. I agree, and even though people are willing to serve the public convenience and necessity, sometimes they are unable to obtain certification. A group of very estimable gentlemen in Tennessee spent considerable money to establish the need for airline service only to fail in the application for a certificate. So, as you say, it is not easy. They have a protected monopoly and with that goes the necessity of serving the public. Of course, the same is true in principle with utilities of other types, railroads, trucklines, electricity, gas pipelines, but with the protected monopoly, the protected rights, goes the responsibility of serving the public interest. Our technological progress has been marked indeed. It has been achieved through the combined efforts of the aircraft manufacturers, the airlines, and the Federal Government. Our planes are bigger, faster, and more sophisticated as each year goes by. We establish new speed records from coast to coast quite frequently and several classes of service are available usually on the same flight. Extras such as first-run movies and various other types of frills are the order of the day. |