If an airline approached Washington Dulles International Airport with major expansion plans tomorrow, the airport's independent governing authority would convene a meeting, hire engineers to design the project and issue revenue bonds to pay for it.
With only one governing body calling the shots, the process would be over in months, perhaps even weeks, depending on the complexity of the project.
If the same airline approached Baltimore-Washington International Airport, it would encounter what some say is an understaffed and underpaid airport administration that must navigate a labyrinth of state agencies and political barriers before embarking on a major capital project.
The added layers of oversight can delay construction for several months - enough time for market conditions to change and for the airline to lose interest, say some former airport officials and industry consultants.
"There's just so many steps that are mandated by law," said Nicholas J. Schaus, who retired as deputy administrator at BWI in 1999. "Just to hire an architectural and engineering firm or consulting firm, if things go extremely well and you can do it in eight months, that's a highly successful procurement. That's really flying."
Concerns about the bureaucratic and political constraints inherent in running a state-owned airport have dogged BWI almost since the day Maryland bought the airport from Baltimore in 1972, making it one of the few state-run airports in the nation.
Despite a history of strong political support, airport administrators since the 1970s have been frustrated by state salary caps that make hiring key personnel difficult and a budget process that sometimes delays progress.
The recent ouster of the state's top aviation official amid similar complaints is just the latest chapter in the debate over whether Maryland should follow the lead of other states and turn BWI over to a more autonomous airport authority or to a market-savvy private operator that would function largely outside the realm of state politics.
The issue is the subject of a study being conducted by state transportation officials at the request of lawmakers.
"Obviously, a lot of the stuff that's going on now has really brought a lot of issues to the forefront," said Neil Shpritz, executive director of BWI Business Partnership Inc., an economic development association for companies surrounding the airport. "The whole industry has changed a lot. I don't know which is the best way to do it, but it needs another look."
