From Associated Press:
CHICAGO - Alarm in the aviation industry over a projected 10 percent drop in domestic flights this winter hasn't derailed plans to open multimillion-dollar runways at three U.S. airports Thursday.

Despite global economic woes that have fewer people taking to the skies, airport officials in all three cities are heralding the new capacity as crucial to alleviating congestion and delays, especially in the long term.

They say that's well worth the more than $450 million spent on the runway at Chicago's O'Hare International; the approximately $350 million spent at Dulles International, just outside of Washington, D.C.; and the more than $1 billion for Seattle-Tacoma International.

3 airports opening new runways amid economic woes - News- msnbc.com