Des Moines hearing examines airline prices

Arizona Senator John Mc-Cain convened a hearing this morning to discussthe high airfares charged on flights from Iowa airports.Mc-Cain has pressed for legislation which would make sure communities haveadditional access to the major airports in Chicago, New York and Washington,D.C. Mc-Cain says airfares in Des Moines and at other Iowa airports areout-of-line with actual costs.”AccessAir” C-E-O and President Roger Ferguson pressed for an end to the”slot” system which controls how many airlines may land at key airports likeO’Hare and LaGuardia.On another subject, Ferguson expressed disappointment in the Iowa Housewhich failed to endorse a 10-million dollar state loan for the start-upairline.Ferguson says his company will continue to talk with legislators aboutmaking the loan next year.