Major airlines against a third airport are suspicious of letters received from the state hinting they should prepare to buy liquor licenses if booze is sold on flights at O'Hare and Midway. Airline execs note liquor on many airplanes isn't available when flights are in Illinois airspace. They also wonder if this is punishment for opposing the third airport backed by Gov. Jim Edgar. Illinois Liquor Control Commission Executive Director Arabel Rosales, formerly on his staff, assures us it's not. "This has nothing to do with politics," she said. "This is a revenue issue."

Next? Local hero Chris O'Donnell, on a Far East promotional tour, is riding high as Robin in "Batman Forever." INC. wonders if Chicago actor Billy Zane will be our next mega-comic book hero in the movies. Zane is slated to star in Paramount's "The Phantom," which begins shooting in October for a summer '96 release. Robert Evans will produce.

P.S.: Estimates of $53.3 million for the opening weekend of "Batman Forever" are better than figures for previous Batman flicks. The original in '89 grossed $40.5 million for the first weekend. In '92, the second opened at $45.7 million. We're told four Chicago theaters did more than $100,000 apiece last weekend.