Va. Stresses Importance Of Reopening National Airport Workers to Get Help on Jobless Benefits

By Michael D. Shear and Katherine Shaver Washington Post Staff Writers

Thursday, September 20, 2001; Page B04
Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore III vowed yesterday to get Reagan National Airport reopened and announced new rules to help 10,000 airport workers begin collecting unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, Arlington County officials estimated that county businesses have lost more than $150 million since the airport closed after last week's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Hotels, restaurants, taxi services and other parts of Arlington's travel-oriented economy are "literally limping along," said Adam Wasserman, director of the Arlington County Department of Economic Development.

The Federal Aviation Administration gave airport officials no word yesterday about National's future or any timetable for a decision on reopening it, said Tara Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates National and Dulles International Airport.

Lenny Alcivar, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta did not attend any meetings yesterday concerning National's status. "There's no timetable I can give you for opening it," Alcivar said.

With no opening in sight, Arlington officials made plans for eight charter buses to ferry passengers from Dulles International Airport to Arlington Metro stops. Gilmore (R) announced that he has appointed a Post-Attack Economic Response Task Force to assess the statewide economic impact of the attacks and to recommend action.

"We must not let these terrorists take away the livelihood of thousands of Virginians," said Gilmore -- flanked by 100 airport and airline employees -- to cheers at a news conference inside National's eerily quiet main terminal. "We are not going to allow the economy to become the victim of this terrorism. We will work to preserve our people in this state."

Workers who can show that they were laid off as a result of the terrorist attacks will no longer have to wait a week before collecting unemployment benefits and will not have to actively look for work, Gilmore said. He also directed the Virginia Employment Commission to open a satellite office at the airport. All claims for unemployment will be backdated to Sept. 9 to ensure immediate processing, he said. Gilmore said National generates $5 billion a year in economic activity and employs 10,000 workers. An additional 70,000 people work in industries or jobs affected by the airport, he said. He rejected the idea that National Airport should be treated differently from other airports because of proximity to the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other government facilities.

"We do not believe it is legitimate to make a distinction," Gilmore said. "We believe this airport is no different from any other airport in this region."

Wasserman said that the $150 million estimate of losses to Arlington businesses is conservative and that he hopes to have a more complete estimate this week. He said the county is starting bus service today between Metro stops and Dulles to help Arlington hotels and restaurants hold on to customers diverted from National to Dulles.

Charter buses labeled "Arlington-Dulles Express" will travel between Dulles and the Rosslyn, Pentagon City and Crystal City Metro stations from 5:30 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to midnight on weekends. The buses will pick up passengers every 15 minutes most of the day and every 30 minutes during the early morning and late-night hours, said Terry Holzheimer, director of Arlington's office of business investment.

Passengers will pay $5, and the county will pay the rest of the estimated $60,000 cost per week, Holzheimer said.

Bus schedules are available at 703-228-RIDE or www.commuterpage.com. "We think it's the proper thing to do for the hotel community," Holzheimer said. U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) also vowed that the airport would be reopened. He noted that President Bush had called on America to be open for business. "Being open for business means that America's airport -- Reagan National Airport -- is open for business as well," Allen said.

Allen flatly rejected the idea that National could swap functions with Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland. Saying he wanted to quash the rumors of such a swap once and for all, Allen said FAA Administrator Jane F. Garvey assured him that the idea was not being considered. "There is no way that is going to happen," Allen said. "It won't work. It's not good for national defense. That's simply not an option."

2001 The Washington Post Company