IN the early 1990s, then-Rep. Bob Wise dusted off an old idea to see if it would fly this time. And thus began the second debate over a single airport that would serve Huntington and Charleston.

Voters in Kanawha County killed the idea the first time around in the 1960s.

The second time around, a new state agency was created, the Public Port Authority, and it began pursuing construction of a new regional airport. Sites were identified. Studies were conducted. Claims were made.

Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper led the opposition. He argued that the project was not viable. Besides, Charleston already had a regional airport - Yeager Airport - minutes from the Capitol.

With an official price tag of $370 million and the likelihood that the actual cost would be twice that, the proposal needed tough scrutiny. It was un-helpful that the authority did not always adhere to the state's open meetings law.

At the time, the idea was tempting. Proponents argued that if the area built a transpark, airlines and air freight companies would come. In an area where the economy is flat and economic prospects few, saying no was difficult.

But the numbers did not add up.

The West Virginia project stalled. And on 9/11, as the World Trade Center collapsed, so did this project.

IN the early 1990s, then-Rep. Bob Wise dusted off an old idea to see if it would fly this time. And thus began the second debate over a single airport that would serve Huntington and Charleston.

Voters in Kanawha County killed the idea the first time around in the 1960s.

The second time around, a new state agency was created, the Public Port Authority, and it began pursuing construction of a new regional airport. Sites were identified. Studies were conducted. Claims were made.

Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper led the opposition. He argued that the project was not viable. Besides, Charleston already had a regional airport - Yeager Airport - minutes from the Capitol.

With an official price tag of $370 million and the likelihood that the actual cost would be twice that, the proposal needed tough scrutiny. It was un-helpful that the authority did not always adhere to the state's open meetings law.

At the time, the idea was tempting. Proponents argued that if the area built a transpark, airlines and air freight companies would come. In an area where the economy is flat and economic prospects few, saying no was difficult.

But the numbers did not add up.

The West Virginia project stalled. And on 9/11, as the World Trade Center collapsed, so did this project.

The Federal Aviation Administration had other, more serious, problems to attend to. The airline industry, which had never supported the transpark idea, was reeling, and committing to a new airport was out of the question.

The FAA found that the cost of the project would exceed the benefits of building it.

Now, 10 years after the debate reached its peak, saying no has proved to be wise.

Rising construction prices would have driven up the cost of building the airport, while rising jet fuel prices would have driven business down.

Moving airlines to a new airport would have left the 130th Airlift Wing of the National Guard alone at Yeager. That might have made the attempt by the Pentagon to shut the wing down a success.

Good public debate produced a good outcome.

It's important to study big ideas thoroughly, as this one was. Looking ahead and being optimistic are good things, but doing the math is just as essential.