6 firms bidding for Midway

Six organizations are vying for the right to turn Chicago's Midway International Airport into the nation's first privately run commercial airport. Chief Financial Officer Paul Volpe says he is "very enthused with the strong indications of interest" in Midway. Airport experts and Wall Street giants are competing for a 50-plus-year concession that could generate as much as $3 billion to shore up city pensions and rebuild Chicago's aging infrastructure. In exchange for a massive up-front fee, a private operator would pocket airport revenues that topped $130 million in 2006, including parking, concessions and passenger facility charges. That means a private contractor would be motivated to squeeze more revenue out of Midway, possibly by making greater use of its 43 gates.