Chicago's O'Hare still world's busiest airport

CHICAGO -- O'Hare International Airport has kept its title as the world's busiest airfield, according to preliminary figures from the Federal Aviation Administration.

O'Hare logged 922,787 takeoffs and landings in 2002 -- a 1.2 percent increase over the previous year's 911,861 and a record, the FAA says.

Hartsfield Atlanta International had 890,923 flights, while Dallas-Fort Worth International came in third on the FAA list with 777,386.

Hartsfield took the crown as world's busiest airport in 1999 and kept it in 2000 before O'Hare took it back in 2001. O'Hare had held the bragging rights for 38 years before 1999.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says the record number of flights at O'Hare demonstrates the need for his proposed $6.6 billion expansion plan.

Carter: Attract more tourists to south Georgia

PLAINS, Ga. -- Former President Jimmy Carter says Georgia needs to be more competitive in attracting tourists to its mountains, beaches and historic towns such as the small farming community where he grew up.

Carter, who served as Georgia governor from 1972 to 1976, says he has been distressed since leaving office at the amounts the Legislature budgets to promote tourism.

"When I was governor, Florida was No. 1 and Georgia was second," Carter said. "Now we are at the bottom of all the Southeastern states."

Carter has asked the state to improve funding for tourism -- the state's second-leading industry behind agriculture.

Parts of Carter's hometown in Plains, and his boyhood home in nearby Archery, have been designated National Historic Sites, where thousands of visitors come to learn about his life.

--From wire reports