Yes, airports are difficult to live near. Yes, they’re noisy, and they are responsible for air pollution.
But they are also a necessity in this world. The movement of people and cargo across the country (and the world) is a fundamental part of our economy.
The same people who raise holy hell every time the FAA or municipal airport authorities have the gall to propose a new runway (or taxiway) which might reduce air traffic congestion and improve the safety of millions of air passengers, are the same type of people who want electricity, but don’t want to see power lines in their backyard. They’re the type of people who want their trash picked up from the curb in front of their house, but don’t want to hear the sound of a dump truck plowing down their street. They want the shuttle van to pick them up on time to take them to the grocery store, but then they scream bloody murder when a school bus drops off little tykes in their neighborhood.
Without air travel, where would this country be? Are we supposed to get rid of all airports and travel around this country by train or car only? How are we supposed to get to places like Europe or Hawaii? By boat? It’ll take two weeks. You’d have to take an entire month off work or school just for the travel portion of your vacation.
Oh, and by the way, airports also generate tens of thousands of jobs for the local economy.
