I believe that this committee can and should assure itself that the members of the Civil Aeronautics Board understand that the sense of the Congress is that "adequate service" does not mean air service. an hour or more away from the user's home or office; that "adequate service" does not mean elimination of historic air service.

Rather, that "adequate service" means providing modern aircraft, with sufficient frequency, at convenient times of the day, at an airport which the Federal Aviation Agency and the Congress recognize as a sound investment and essential to our national air transportation system and which is as close as possible to the user.

To the extent that the Wilmington metropolitan area and other communities in downstate Delaware are otherwise found attractive to industry, air transportation may well be the critical factor which affects the choice of location.

The current status and future prospects of the economy of the Wilmington, Del., metropolitan area as reported by the Division of Urban Affairs of the University of Delaware in November 1963 revealed that

it is expected that the future growth of the area will increase the demand for both air passenger and freight service *** population and industrial growth coupled with the probable crowding of the Philadelphia Airport will probably result in a gain in importance for the Greater Wilmington Airport.

As this facility expands, one may realistically expect a concomitant growth in those industries that operate in support of or in conjunction with the Greater Wilmington Airport. (See "The Economy of the Wilmington Metropolitan Region-Current Status and Future Prospects" by the Division of Urban Affairs, University of Delaware, Newark, Del., November 1963, pp. 27-53.)

Delawareans need more air service, not less. It is vital to Delaware's economic growth and its general welfare.

Mr. Chairman, Senator Boggs, of Delaware, has included in the record a copy of Governor Terry's letter. The Congressman has included it in his testimony. I hope it will be included with his remarks. Senator MONRONEY. It will be included with his remarks, or by itself.

Mr. NORBET. Thank you.

Senator MONRONEY. Thank you very much for giving us the state

ment.

Let me see if we can get the record a little bit straight. On your present status of service, you have two air carriers today, do you not, Senator Boggs?

Senator BOGGS. That is correct.

Senator MONRONEY. One being Eastern Air Lines, that has northsouth flights daily?

Senator BOGGS. Eastern Air Lines has north-south flights twice a day.

Senator MONRONEY. That is conveyor flight?

Senator BOGGS. That is right.

Senator MONRONEY. Then, you say that

Senator BOGGS. Early in the morning. For example, one is at 6:33 a.m., and the other one is 1:14 p.m.

Senator MONRONEY. Where do they go?

Senator BOGGS. Go to Washington and into Kennedy Airport, northsouth.

Senator MONRONEY. You originate where?

Senator BOGGS. One originates in Washington, going north, and goes to Newark, N.J.

Senator MONRONEY. It would be Washington, Wilmington, Newark.

Senator BOGGS. That is correct, and the other one originates at Kennedy.

Senator MONRONEY. That is 6:35?

Senator BOGGS. Right. The other one originates at Kennedy Airport, stops at Wilmington at 1:14 p.m., and goes to Washington. Senator MONRONEY. And terminates there?

Senator BOGGS. Terminates there; right. Then we have Allegheny. Allegheny starts out at Philadelphia. It stops at Wilmington at 8:22 a.m., goes to Washington, D.C. Then, one originates in Washington, stops at Wilmington at 2:10 p.m., goes to Philadelphia. Then, one originates at Trenton and it stops at Wilmington at 3:50 p.m., goes to Washington. Then, one originates in Washington, stops at Wilmington at 9:10 p.m., and goes to Philadelphia. That is the extent of the present service.

Senator MONRONEY. In other words, you have both a scarcity of flights originating, and when they do, they originate around 6:33 a.m., or 9:10 p.m., and they are both inconvenient and scarce.

Senator BOGGS. That is correct, Mr. Chairman, and as we pointed out, Eastern is about to withdraw entirely.

Senator MONRONEY. When you say Eastern is about to withdraw, what is the present legal status of the Eastern case?

Senator BOGGS. As I understand it, the examiner has approved withdrawal, and the matter is on appeal to the Board.

Senator MONRONEY. To be replaced by anybody?

Senator BOGGS. No, total withdrawal.

Senator MONRONEY. I so assume Allegheny, I guess, would pick up the service?

Senator BOGGS. No.

Senator MONRONEY. Allegheny has already canceled its Wilmington-Pittsburgh flight under CAB sanction?

Senator BOGGS. That is correct.

Senator MONRONEY. How long ago was that?

Senator BOGGS. It is still on reconsideration.

Senator MONRONEY. Still being flown?

Senator BOGGS. No, not being flown. They terminated it 2 years

ago.

Senator MONRONEY. In one of the statements-I don't know whether it was Congressman McDowell's-it mentioned some 80,000 Eastern Air Line reservations had been made in the Wilmington area through the Philadelphia Airport. Is that correct?

Mr. NORBET. That is correct. Mr. Beckman.

Mr. BECKMAN. The record in the case, Senator, showed that there were 80,000 Delaware air travelers going to and from points on the Eastern system. Eastern was actually carrying about 39.000 of them. the balance being carried by Eastern's competitors at Philadelphia Airport.

Senator MONRONEY. That is a verifiable figure?

Mr. BECKMAN. That was adopted by the examiner and embodied by the examiner in his initial decision.

Senator MONRONEY. Are there any other airlines coming in, or are these the two prospects that you have?

Senator BOGGS. No.

Senator MONRONEY. Have you asked them for better and more frequent service, particularly Eastern, on the run between Washington and La Guardia?

Mr. BECKMAN. Yes, sir, we have asked them. They have not improved. They have only deteriorated service. It has gone down from nine to six flights.

Senator MONRONEY. What is the metropolitan population of Wilmington? I believe it was testified to be about 600,000.

Senator BOGGS. The area on the map, Mr. Chairman, I pointed out here, covers that the Wilmington Airport could serve about 800,000. Senator MONRONEY. That is your metropolitan area?

Senator BOGGS. It includes part of New Jersey, comes across Delaware Memorial Bridge, as you can see, right to the airport, by southern New Jersey, part of Maryland, and part of Pennsylvania surrounding here, that Wilmington Airport is centered to.

Senator MONRONEY. This presents, of course, the same problem that we are running into in many places where you have a choking up of your traffic patterns and your aviation is not competent with bigger planes to serve many of these stops.

I wonder if there has been any interest there in helicopter commuter service, since most of your flights appear to terminate either in Washington or in New York, rather than flowing westward?

Senator BOGGS. I am going to ask Mr. Beckman to answer that.

Mr. BECKMAN. The direct answer to your question, sir, is that we, of course, have always been interested in helicopter service, but there has been no indication of expansion.

I would like, if I may, to point out to the question of the feasibility of providing service to Wilmington. Eastern is, today, operating about 150 flights a day that virtually overfly the Wilmington Airport. About 50 of these are already scheduled into intermediate points in the Boston-Washington corridor. These are flights that are already making more than one stop at points like Providence, Hartford, Baltimore. They already reflect Eastern's judgment, we feel, that service to intermediate points gains passengers that result in more of a net gain than the loss that might occur with the stop.

So with this volume of equipment already being used in this corridor, there is no question, we believe, that Eastern can do a fine job at Wilmington and gain substantially by it.

Senator MONRONEY. Do you have any hope that when the new equipment comes on there will be an opportunity for increased frequency

of service?

Mr. BECKMAN. Yes, sir. In terms of hope as to whether Eastern will do it, so far, their attitude has been one of withdrawal and ignoring what we think is the opportunity at Wilmington. In terms of Eastern's ability, there is no question. They are already upgrading to 727's service at many of their satellite airports.

Senator MONRONEY. On this question of adequacy of service, do you have any figures as to the actual boardings of passengers on either Alleghany, or on Eastern?

Mr. BECKMAN. Yes, sir.

Senator MONRONEY. Are those in any of the briefs?

Mr. BECKMAN. There were 92 O. & D. passengers in 1959 on Eastern. Senator MONRONEY. How many?

Mr. BECKMAN. Ninety-two daily O. & D.

Senator MONRONEY. Ninety-two average daily, originating?
Mr. BECKMAN. Originating was 51.

Senator MONRONEY. On and off?

Mr. BECKMAN. O. & D., 92, and 88 in 1960. This has now dropped down to about six originations in 1964 with withdrawal of service. Senator MONRONEY. Give me those figures again. In 1964, it was 92?

Mr. BECKMAN. In 1960, it was 88.

Senator MONRONEY. Ninety-two in what year?

Mr. BECKMAN. In 1959.

Senator MONRONEY. And it has dropped now to six?

Mr. BECKMAN. Six originations; about 12 or 14 O. & D.

Senator MONRONEY. You attribute that, of course, to the infrequency of service?

Mr. BECKMAN. Yes, sir.

Senator MONRONEY. What would you estimate would be an adequate number of flights to make possible the restoration of service to cities such as Wilmington?

Mr. BECKMAN. We think about six flights a day with Electras could be put in there without any trouble and do a good job, and this pattern was discussed with the traffic managers of the Du Pont Co., president of the Bank of Delaware, which has extensive travel service, and other leading figures of Delaware, and they think if that kind of a service were put in, there would be substantial use made of it.

Senator MONRONEY. You would have to justify that. You would have to originate a good deal of traffic to the west of you because there is nothing to the east, and that would be probably flights to Pittsburgh

Mr. BECKMAN. No, sir, this is solely north-south service of Eastern. Senator MONRONEY. That is being flown today, but just better service.

Mr. BECKMAN. We are talking about Eastern, alone, sir. If they would just put in about 6 Electras a day, we think we could get 120 to 150 passengers a day without any trouble.

Senator MONRONEY. That would fly north-south.

Mr. BECKMAN. Of course, we would like to see Alleghany come back in and out some east-west service in. The Du Pont Co., alone, has about 90 people a day going to the west.

Senator MONRONEY. Alleghany runs no farther west than Washington?

Mr. BECKMAN. Yes, sir. They discontinued east-west service on the theory they were already providing west service through the Philadelphia Airport. Go up and overnight in Philadelphia, and then go out to Pittsburgh.

Senator MONRONEY. Philadelphia Airport is really the main excuse they give in the retardation of service?

Mr. BECKMAN. Yes, sir.

Senator MONRONEY. That takes an hour and a half, I believe the witness has testified.

Mr. BECKMAN. And much longer from Dover and points south. Senator MONRONEY. How much of the population area, you show on your map, is south of Wilmington?

Mr. BECKMAN. I don't have that precisely, sir.

Senator MONRONEY. Estimate it.

Mr. BECKMAN. I would say it is about 30 percent-30 or 40. Senator BOGGS. One-third of the population area that I mentioned. Mr. BECKMAN. But this is the area of development. There is no area for Delaware to grow north. This is the only way it can grow

south.

Senator MONRONEY. Senator Morton?

Senator MORTON. No.

Senator MONRONEY. Senator Bass?

Senator BASS. No questions.

Senator MONRONEY. Thank you very much, Senator Boggs. The next witness, the Honorable Samuel Friedel, U.S. Congressman from the Seventh District of Maryland.

We will take Mr. Friedel later. Apparently he hasn't arrived. The next witness is the Honorable Joseph M. McDade, Congressman from the 10th District of Pennsylvania.

Congressman McDade, we welcome you at these hearings and you may proceed in your own way.

STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH M. McDADE, U.S. CONGRESSMAN FROM THE 10TH DISTRICT, PENNSYLVANIA

Mr. McDADE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Initially, I want to commend the chairman and members of the subcommittee for taking an interest in this problem which is really so vital to hundreds and thousands of American citizens. I think it is fair to say that this committee will be the last hope of those people. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am pleased to appear before this distinguished subcommittee considering the adequacy of trunkline service for medium-sized intermediate cities. I have come to discuss the trunkline service at the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Airport.

This airport is located just outside the small community of Avoca, on the northern border of Luzerne County, adjacent to the southern border of Lackawanna County. The two largest cities served by this airport are Scranton, with a population of approximately 110,000 people, and Wilkes-Barre, with a population of approximately 65,000. In actual fact, of course, the airport services a much wider population than this. If the eight counties surrounding the airport are considered-and these counties do use this as their home airport-the population serviced by the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Airport comes to just over 900,000 people.

The region encompassed by this circle about the airport is one that is located at the northern sector of the Appalachian region. It is one that has suffered greatly from the decline of the coal industry, a decline that produced substantial and persistent unemployment. For many years the people of my district, have worked day and night to bring new industry into the area.

We have succeeded and are succeeding today, and the adequacy of trunkline service at the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Airport must be meas