The truth is that the government wanted to benefit the airplane companies, for military considerations, by boosting air travel over train travel, out of fear that airline makers couldn’t stay viable in peacetime.
Interesting. The original motive for the Interstate Highway System was originally supposed to be related to national defense also. Now it is heavily used by everyday commuters and used by giant trucks which compete with the railroads while beating the pavement to bits and blowing small cars halfway off the road.
Ironic that Eisenhower, who pushed the Interstates, later bashed the military-industrial complex.