January 27 - February 2, 2014
San Diego International Airport breaks international passenger record for second consecutive year
International passenger traffic at San Diego International Airport set a record in 2013 for the second consecutive year, increasing 21.5 percent over 2012 with 627,596 total international passengers served.
In addition, total passenger traffic at SDIA in 2013 reached its highest level since 2008, with 17,710,241 passengers served. That represents a 2.7 percent increase compared to 2012.
See last week's report below on LAX foreign travel.
Area's removal from Superfund site clears way for Great Park homes in Irvine - OC Register
Nearly 2,000 acres of the former El Toro Marine base are being removed from the federal Superfund cleanup list, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.
The 1,900-acre area, once contaminated by military use in past decades, is now fit for the planned construction of thousands of homes as well as commercial and retail properties, the EPA statement said.
The cleanup began in the late 1990s and cost the U.S. Navy $165 million. Some 650 acres remain to be cleaned up, and that will cost $50 million more, EPA officials said. That area will likely take several more years to be cleaned up.
Gold Line Authority Studying Extension To Ontario Airport - LA.Curbed.com
The Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority is determined to get that light rail line to beleaguered Ontario Airport. The authority, currently stretching the line to Azusa with hopes of a 2015 or 2016 opening, has published the final environmental impact report for a further extension to Montclair and is now starting the environmental study process on an approximately $950-million extension to Ontario Airport.
The $1.5-million study will look at the best way to get the transit line into the small airport—a process that should be a lot less complicated than getting train service to massive LAX. This advance is tempered by a move by a subcommittee of the San Bernardino Associated Governments, which placed a Gold Line extension low on their list of rail priorities.
SanBAG, involved in the Montclair and Ontario extensions because they cross into San Berdoo County, think extending the Metrolink commuter line to Redlands and double-tracking Metrolink lines near Upland, Claremont, and Fontana are both more important projects than the Gold Line, mostly because there is zero money earmarked for construction of the Montclair or Ontario spurs.
Metro also placed the extensions low on its list of priority projects for the next three decades, and while this could change if voters extend the Measure R transit/freeway tax at the ballot, SanBAG is reluctant to even pay for studies at this point. The Gold Line Authority is spearheading the airport study with their own reserves and sent out a statement saying they will work with SanBAG to convince them of the Gold Line's importance, especially in getting more fliers to Ontario.
January 20 - January 26, 2014
LAX sees more foreign travelers - OC Register
A record 17.9 million foreign travelers passed through Los Angeles Intrnational Airport last year as the economy improved.
Airport officials say it's the largest international passenger volume since 2005, when the airport handled 17.5 million foreign travelers.
JWA posts 2013 results
John Wayne Airport is the first commercial airport in the region to post statistics for 2013. The airport served 9,232,789 passengers for the year. This is a 4.2 percent gain over 2012.
The volume was achieved with a 1.4 percent increase in commercial operations.
The airport had its best year in 2007 when 9,979,699 passengers were reported.
January 13 - January 19, 2014
The four New York metropolitan-area commercial airports have set an all-time record in 2013 for the number of passengers flying in and out. - ABC News
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the airports saw a total of 111.6 million passengers last year.
Kennedy Airport had approximately 50 million passengers. LaGuardia had 27 million, Newark had 34 million and Stewart had 320,000.
In 2012, the number of passengers at all four airports was 109.4 million.
The 2013 record surpassed the previous mark, set in 2007. That year, 109.4 million passengers used the airports.
Website Editor: See article below about SoCal air travel lagging its previous record level.
January 6 - January 12, 2014
SoCal regional air travel continues its slow recovery but still lags prior record
9-11 not the only factor
Passenger statistics for 2013 are trickling in with all of the Southern California commercial airports reporting passenger volume through November with the exceptions of Bob Hope Airport and San Diego's Lindbergh Field which have posted results through October.
The data indicates that total air travel in the region has picked up by a little over 2 percent during the past year, when compared to the same period in 2012.
The combined passenger volume for the seven airports - LAX, San Diego, John Wayne, Ontario, Bob Hope, Palm Springs and Long Beach - still lags behind the record pace set in 2000, prior to the 9-11 attack. After 13 years, total travel has crept to within about 1 percent of where it had been.
While 9-11 had a sudden, major and long lasting impact, with security hassles making many potential passengers rethink their travel plans, it was not the only reason why volume has not lived up to once rosy forecasts. The extent to which the economy can be blamed for Southern California's air travel slump will be easier to judge once statistics are available for all regions thoughout the nation. National statistics may reveal that non-stop flights on newer aircraft from inland airports have cut into Los Angeles' position as a Trans-Pacific leader. Outdated facilities at LAX have facilitated competition from airports further north along the west coast. While LAX has shown the greatest Southern California volume increase in 2013, it has done so at the expense of most of the region's smaller domestic airports as carriers consolidate their operations.
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