FAA says Tulsa's airport authority violated policy

The FAA says the Tulsa Airport Authority violated federal policy by getting involved with a loan for Great Plains Airlines. <br/><br/>The Department of Transportation has been investigating allegations

Thursday, June 10th 2004, 5:35 am

By: News On 6

The FAA says the Tulsa Airport Authority violated federal policy by getting involved with a loan for Great Plains Airlines.

The Department of Transportation has been investigating allegations that airport officials used a real estate transaction to help Great Plains get around a ban on subsidies. The investigators accuse airport officials of inflating the cost of a runway project by $10-million, and trying to purchase land that was not needed.

The money was apparently going to be used to pay off a bank loan on part of the land. Airport officials have not responded.