Interview: Mary Rose Loney

A conversation with Mary Rose Loney, president and chief of the DIA Partnership, which advocates for the airport and the region that surrounds it.

THE DENVER POST, MARCH 4, 2007 - Former Chicago Aviation Commissioner Mary Rose Loney is leaving Travelways, Inc. to return to her first love - this time as a consultant advising major airlines and cities like Chicago in the throes of airport expansion.

Q: When you looked at what was happening at DIA during the recent blizzard, did you think, "I feel their pain?" or "I would have done it differently?"

A: I had great empathy for them because I know how hard it is to keep an airport safe and fully operational during such a significant snowstorm. When I was an airport director at Chicago O'Hare and Philadelphia International Airport, I used to worry incessantly about safety, particularly out on the airfield during whiteout conditions when you have large pieces of equipment and large teams of people out there. I commend the mayor and airport manager for closing the airport. Safety was never compromised.

Q: How did the blizzard impact your holiday plans?

A: My plans changed, but it was a blessing for me. Instead of traveling back East for the holidays, I met strangers who helped me dig out of my alley, as well as neighbors I hadn't known before but who invited me to have Christmas Day dinner with them.

I experienced the hurricanes of 2004 in Florida and lost power for 25 days. I also lost a significant portion of my house. It took me almost two years to rebuild. It took me less than a half-day to get shoveled out of my house, so I'll take snowstorm odds anytime.

Q: What prompted you to leave your aviation consulting business in Florida to lead the DIA Partnership?

A: First of all, it was the opportunity to relocate to Colorado. I spent a significant part of my adult life in airport management out West, so the opportunity to return to the West and, particularly, to make my home in Colorado was really enticing.
Second of all, Denver International Airport. Having run airports for 22 years, I know the significance of DIA to our national aviation system. The partnership represents a great opportunity to advocate for DIA while also promoting economic growth across the region.

Q: Now that you've been on the job for two months, what are your priorities for the group?

A: Our focus is threefold. DIA recently launched the update of its master plan because it is reaching its 50 million passenger threshold. The plan will focus on the full build-out of DIA, and the partnership will be participating in that process.
Our second focus is on opportunities for aviation job growth in our area. We agree with the Metro Denver Economic Development Council's focus on the aviation industry as a target for job growth.
Third of all, we intend to focus on public-policy issues, particularly those that affect transportation funding and priorities as well as the future of our national aviation system.

Q: Do you see these goals as a significant change?

A: This is a new focus for the partnership. I bring to the region what I like to call an airport-centric focus because of my 28 years of experience in the aviation industry. This is really a new and a more concentrated focus on DIA as our core asset and how to leverage our core asset for the maximum benefit of the region.

Q: Are there things Denver and the region can do to draw aviation-related jobs?

A: When you look at opportunities to grow aviation jobs, it's important to broadcast the type of growth capabilities that DIA has as businesses make decisions about where they are going to locate. They need to know that the airport infrastructure is going to serve their business travel as well as their distribution requirements.

Q: If you had a magic wand and could immediately change one thing about DIA or the region around it, what would it be?

A: Create more aircraft gates at DIA and more automobile parking.

Edited for space and clarity from an interview by staff writer Kristi Arellano