Pilots blamed for 2 incidents at LAX - LA Times
Authorities say aircraft came too close to one another twice at LAX over the weekend.
In both cases, a ground radar system designed to alert controllers in the tower to impending collisions sounded an alarm.
Airbus A380's First Flights to U.S. to Include Landing at LAX - Los Angeles World Airports Media Release
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and officials of Airbus and Qantas Airways announced Tuesday that the Airbus A380's first visits to the United States will include a stop at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The scheduled landing is set to take place on Monday, March 19, 2007.
Simultaneously, two separate A380 aircraft will land at LAX and at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
While at LAX, the crews will test airfield maneuvering, mating (docking) at a terminal gate, and ground-handling services and equipment including fueling.
February 27, 2007
Additional gates promised at LAX - LA Times
As an upgrade of the Bradley terminal begins, the vow is aimed at stemming
flight losses.
Responding to revelations that airlines are increasingly taking lucrative international flights to cities with newer facilities, Los Angeles officials
on Monday announced they will build more parking spots for aircraft on the back of LAX's aging international terminal.
Under pressure from airlines, who have threatened to take additional flights elsewhere, lawmakers agreed to resurrect the project, which would install 11
new gates on the west side of the facility.
But airlines contend the project is too little, too late. When it's completed in three years, the remodel will not add any space to the 1-million-square-foot Bradley building, leaving it half the size of San Francisco's gleaming new international terminal. Northern California officials are using that facility to lure carriers away from LAX.
The Times reported last week that LAX, over the last six years, has lost 12% of the seats on its weekly international departures.
Website Editor: The airport also has lost a similar percentage of its domestic passengers.
February 26, 2007
Airport readies big welcome for United - The Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles and Palmdale officials say the first step in getting the L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport ready for the June 7 start of flights to San Francisco is to let people know the airport even exists.
To support the targeted launch of United Airlines' Palmdale service, Los Angeles World Airports is planning a $537,000 marketing blitz.
The effort that landed United and is supporting the start of operations is being called the region's best to date to finally establish airline service in Palmdale after years of false starts. It includes an incentive package valued at $4.6 million, with approximately $2 million in funding to underwrite losses incurred by United's service.
February 25, 2007
Inside OC discussion: JWA and regional air travel demand
“Inside OC” producer and host Rick Reiff led a lively discussion on the future of JWA and Southern California air transportation with Steven Rosansky, Mayor of Newport Beach and Len Kranser, Editor of this El Toro Info Site.
The program aired today and will repeat on KOCE-TV Channel 10 on Wednesday February 28 at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and Thursday March 1 at 8:30 a.m.
The segment began with film clip on the soon-to-begin physical expansion of John Wayne Airport. Airport managers said the airport is “bursting at the seams”, baggage wait times are “unbearable” and the airport is carrying “more passengers than it was designed for.”
Kranser responded that the airport was designed in the 1980’s and that newer aircraft, higher load factors and improve technology allow most airports to operate at over their original design capacity.
He contended that JWA could handle more passengers if flights were slotted into the less busy times of the day: for example, one more flight - in and out - per hour could provide service for an additional million passengers he said.
Rosansky said there was more capacity available but this would impose an additional noise burden on residents in the JWA flight paths.
The Newport Beach mayor smilingly said his city backed El Toro to “close John Wayne” and would support newer aircraft at JWA if they “take off vertically.”
Reiff challenged his guests about satisfying regional air travel demand.
Rosansky proposed that the passengers be transported by high speed rail to underutilized airports “in the desert”.
Kranser said the regional supply shortage stemmed from Los Angeles politics and the decision by former LA Mayor Richard Riordan’s successors to cut LAX expansion plans by an amount equivalent to two John Wayne Airports - pushing that onto other airports. Kranser favored greater utilization of each of the region’s existing airports, starting with LAX – before looking at “maglev to Palmdale”.
America's Most Dangerous Airports - Forbes.com
Federal Aviation Administration figures on ground incursions for 452 airports were analyzed by Forbes.com editors who examined the size of the facility, the numbers of takeoffs and landings, and the severity of the incidents as categorized by the FAA.
Topping the list of the nation's most dangerous airports are smaller fields relieving bigger congested hubs.
Two of the worst were North Las Vegas, known as Northtown, which had 63 runway incursions since 2001 resulting in six deaths. It is followed in the rankings by Long Beach/Dougherty Field, the scene of 78 incidents and no fatalities.
Busy Los Angeles International reported 95 serious incidents or collisions since 2001, giving it a No. 5 ranking on our list. The nation's fourth busiest airport had 128 runway incidents since 1997.
Website Editor: That is why Los Angeles officials gave relocation of LAX's south runway top priority despite objections from neighboring El Segundo.
February 24, 2007
Mayor Villaraigosa to Break Ground on LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal Renovation; $575.6-Million Project Is Largest in City History - Marketwire
Mayor Villaraigosa will be joined Monday by airport and airline officials in a ceremony to break ground on a long- awaited major renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The $575.6- million project is the largest in City history and is expected to help LAX retain its competitiveness as the premier West Coast international gateway, especially to the fast growing Asia-Pacific Region. Because construction work will be performed while the terminal is fully operational, project is also considered one of the most complex among U.S. airports. This is first major upgrade to LAX terminals since 1984 when the one-million-square foot TBIT was originally built.
L.A. council members seek to boost foreign tourism - LA Times
Responding to a drop in international travelers at LAX, two City Council members Friday proposed a new federal committee to boost foreign tourism in Los Angeles and at other U.S. gateway cities. See below.
February 23, 2007
Cramped and old, LAX is losing international flights to newer airports - LA Times
Eight times a week, travelers arrive at Los Angeles International Airport after a long journey from Sydney, Australia . . . These visitors . . . make Southern California their destination, stay in the area three weeks on average, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
They contribute $183 million a year to the region's economy.
Come next month, Qantas will be taking these flights, and their multimillion-dollar economic benefit, to San Francisco.
The move is just one example of a little-noticed shift in lucrative international air service away from crowded LAX to newer facilities in San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York. Since 2000, LAX has lost 12% of the seats on its weekly international departures, while other major U.S. gateways posted gains in service to foreign destinations.
Economists blame the shift on LAX's cramped and outdated terminals and lawmakers' inability to agree on a plan to modernize the airport while other cities have built gleaming new concourses.
The trend is alarming local officials, who say San Francisco International Airport may soon eclipse LAX as the highly coveted premier gateway to the Pacific Rim. This could endanger the $4 billion a year that international visitors pump into the Southland's economy.
Since 2000, service from LAX to Tokyo has plummeted 33%, for example. United Airlines slashed one out of every three nonstop weekly international departures, while more than doubling service at hubs in Denver, Chicago and Washington.
Travel wholesalers who plan itineraries for overseas groups say LAX's outmoded facilities are increasingly prompting operators to bring U.S. tours through other cities.
Not everyone is unhappy with the decline in international business at LAX, particularly critics who want to see the facility's growth limited, if not reversed. "The bottom line, as far as the general residency are concerned, is that they are very happy to see as many flights go elsewhere - the more the merrier," said Roy Hefner, a Westchester resident who is on an airport committee that studies noise and other issues.
More . . .
February 22, 2007
Air Control: John Wayne expands, but how far? – Inside OC
Is there room for any sort of expansion at JWA in the future? What are the alternatives?
“Inside OC” producer and host Rick Reiff will address both the future of JWA and of the entire Southern California air transportation market on TV with Steven Rosansky, Mayor of Newport Beach and Len Kranser, Editor of this El Toro Info Site.
The program will air on KOCE-TV Channel 10 on Sunday February 25 at 11:30 a.m., the following Wednesday February 28 at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and Thursday March 1 at 8:30 a.m. However, times are subject to change, so check times on the Inside OC home page of the KOCE website.
San Bernardino [airport] to Get $38M Facelift - The Business Press
In an attempt to lure passenger service to the San Bernardino International Airport, officials there are planning a major terminal-building revamp that could cost as much as $38 million.
Their plans call for a renovation of about two-thirds of the terminal's 67,200 square feet and the addition of a 17,000-square-foot concourse with four or five gates.
Website Editor: San Bernardino hopes eventually to develop the airport to serve 2.5 million annual passengers. The Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG plans on the former Norton AFB handling up to 8.7 million of the regional demand.
February 21, 2007
LAWA Issues Statement in Response to Airlines' DOT Claim - Marketwire
The following statement was issued Tuesday by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the City Agency that operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and other local airports, regarding a claim filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation by airlines currently operating at Terminals 1 and 3 at LAX
The action by
seven airlines occupying LAX Terminals 1 and 3 signifies their ongoing
refusal to pay their full and fair shares of LAWA's costs of operating
those terminals for their benefit. . .
LAWA officials have worked tirelessly to find a mutually acceptable resolution for the agency and the airlines. And, while the airlines have chosen to pursue an adversarial course, we [LAWA] continue to believe a reasonable solution is possible, one that is based on the true costs of operating at LAX and has minimal impact on the airlines and their customers.
LAWA officials have worked tirelessly to find a mutually acceptable resolution for the agency and the airlines. And, while the airlines have chosen to pursue an adversarial course, we [LAWA] continue to believe a reasonable solution is possible, one that is based on the true costs of operating at LAX and has minimal impact on the airlines and their customers.
Tustin hangar will be razed - OC Register
City Council rejects proposals for using the structure as not profitable enough.
A 17-story wooden hangar [at the former Tustin Marine airbase] first used in World War II to house blimps will be demolished after the City Council unanimously decided Tuesday night to reject four proposals for the hangar's future use.
February 20, 2007
JetBlue Unveiling Customer Bill of Rights - Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- After a drastic reboot of its flight schedule, JetBlue Airways Corp. made its first moves toward rebuilding its tarnished reputation, saying it would spend up to $30 million on new procedures for operations disruptions and introduce a customer bill of rights.
See the LA Times report In JetBlue's wake, a push for fliers' rights.
O'Hare proposes overhaul of airport roads to improve access - Associated Press
CHICAGO - O'Hare International Airport is proposing a massive overhaul to improve airport access by widening roads and doubling the number of People
Mover train cars, extending the train tracks to a new remote parking garage.
Aviation officials want to widen the main airport road and I-190. They also want to build a new ramp feeding traffic into the I-294.
February 19, 2007
Imperial Valley's growth producing a more urban economy - Sign on San Diego
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider soon whether to approve a recent feasibility study and seek funding for a proposed new airport about 15 miles east of El Centro near Interstate 8. Such a facility would focus on cargo as well as commercial flights and would include a 12,000-foot runway, said Orlando Foote, an attorney and member of the board's airport advisory committee.
The airport is not intended to be a regional solution to San Diego's long, fruitless quest for an alternative to Lindbergh Field, but it could fill that role if officials in San Diego and Imperial counties someday decide that it should, Foote said.
City asks Airbus to honor promise to LAX - LA Times
The president of the city's Airport Commission sent a strongly worded letter to Airbus' chief executive Sunday asking him to reconsider a decision to send the company's new jumbo jet to New York next month on its inaugural U.S. test flight.
"The city of Los Angeles and [officials] at LAX are prepared to welcome the A380 with open arms," Alan I. Rothenberg wrote to Louis Gallois in Toulouse, France. "But first, Airbus must remember the promise it made to the people of Los Angeles."
See LAX takes Airbus skip to heart from the Daily Breeze.
More below.
February 18, 2007
Sky Harbor expects to get go-ahead to build $1.1 bil people-mover train - The Arizona Republic
Rather than crawling through morning traffic on the always congested Sky Harbor Boulevard and fighting for mere inches of curb space at the constantly crammed Terminal 4 [travelers at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport will] hop on a driverless, automated train, and within four minutes arrive at the terminal.
On Tuesday,the Phoenix City Council is scheduled to give the go-ahead to build a $1.1 billion people-mover system that will ultimately make it easier for travelers to get into, out of and around the airport.
Website Editor: LA Mayor James Hahn hoped to build a people mover at LAX but his motivation was different. LA wanted to restrict the number of users of its airport while Phoenix wants to expand to serve future demand.
February 17, 2007
NPB, County, El Toro opponents share concerns about SCRAA – El Toro Info Site comment
During the El Toro fight, South County leaders were wary of Southern California Airport Authority (SCRAA) authority to regionalize air travel through eminent domain and control of airport operations. They saw SCRAA as a pro-El Toro tool.
In December, the County expressed similar concerns when SCRAA was reactivated at the request of LA Mayor Villaraigosa who seeks to regionalize air traffic.
This week, the Newport Beach City Council – concerned about regional pressure to increase the utilization of JWA - passed a resolution taking a similar position.
Los Angeles wants to spread flights to other airports but Orange County isn’t buying it.
February 16, 2007
November 2006 Airline Traffic Data: Eleven-Month System Traffic Up 0.7 Percent from 2005 – Bureau of Transportation Statistics
U.S. airlines carried 683.8 million scheduled domestic and international passengers on their systems during the first 11 months of 2006, 0.7 percent more than they did during the same period in 2005, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Thursday reported in a release of preliminary data.
U.S. carriers operated 9.7 million domestic and international flights during the first 11 months of 2006, 3.1 percent fewer than were operated during the same period in 2005. Domestic fights were down 3.6 percent from the previous year while international flights were up 2.9 percent.
The BTS data is for domestic carriers only. It ranks airlines and airports without regard to traffic on foreign airlines. By this limited criteria, LAX was the fourth busiest in the nation and ranked 8th in foreign travel. (Table 17)
February 15, 2007
LAX decries Airbus' plan change for A380 - LA Times
The airport expedited a $9-million upgrade for the first U.S. flight. But now it will land in N.Y.
LAX officials were counting on using the occasion of the A380's first U.S. visit to help boost the image of the outdated airport and its oft-criticized facilities.
L.A. flights affected by storms back East - LA Times
As a winter storm system paralyzed air traffic in much of the Midwest and Northeast on Wednesday, travelers at Los Angeles International Airport encountered dozens of canceled and delayed flights. Cancellations affected more than 8,000 travelers flying in and out of LAX, said airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles.
DFW International Airport Sets All-Time Record for International Cargo In 2006 - DFW media release
DFW International Airport announces it has set an all-time international cargo record in 2006 with 281,486 metric tonnes, a 12.9 percent increase over the previous year. The Airport added two new international cargo carriers, a new international cargo destination and a 400,000 square foot new cargo facility.
The Airport added seven new weekly flights to Asia raising the Airport’s total weekly Asian-bound cargo flights to 39. Cargo tonnage to Asia topped 193,679 metric tonnes, a 21.1 percent increase from 2005.
A total of 756,598 metric tonnes of cargo crossed DFW’s airfield during 2006. [LAX handled 2,103,082 Tons, a figure that was down 1.6 percent from 2005.]
February 14, 2007
JWA on a new timetable - OC Register
The timetable for an ambitious expansion of John Wayne Airport will be reshuffled, and the design of planned buildings might be tweaked, partly because of high construction costs, officials say.
The sequence in which a new terminal and parking structures are built will shift, though the overall schedule won't change, with work starting in spring and finishing in 2012.
To keep the current expansion within budget, officials might rethink architecture or amenities, and new parking could be scaled back if demand is lighter than expected. The scope of the project remains largely the same. Six new gates will still be added, allowing the transportation hub to accommodate 10.8 million passengers annually.
Airport officials propose freeway, rail connections - S. D. North County Times
Freeway ramps that drop air travelers directly onto Lindbergh Field from Interstate 5 and a transit station that lets people take trains or express buses to their planes could emerge as top priorities for the regional airport board.
Website Editor: While airport operators in Los Angeles, Burbank, Long Beach and Orange County look for ways to avoid serving larger numbers of passengers at their airports in the future, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority appears intent on dealing with expected future demand.
February 13, 2007
Barely Seated, [San Diego] Airport Board Talking Legacy - Voice of San Diego
As it sits down Tuesday at a retreat to plot out its future, the authority's new board faces a stark reality: Most members may not have a job by year's end. Legislation introduced by state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, would require all board members to be elected officials. Just two of the nine sitting members are elected.
After the failed Miramar ballot initiative, the authority's focus is now on Lindbergh Field and what can be done to maximize its 661 acres. How that happens will be a topic Tuesday -- and throughout the year. If this board leaves a legacy behind, it will be its plan for Lindbergh Field's future.
Skeptical Orange County resists SoCal airport alliance - OC Register
About 6.4 million O.C. travelers drive to LAX for flights each year.
Efforts to organize Southern California's airports into an administrative body that will divvy up the region's air traffic are meeting resistance in Orange County.
John Wayne Airport can't handle any more passengers without exceeding a cap on travelers agreed upon with residents, officials said this week.
"My residents -- at least those that are under the flight pattern -- will go ballistic if anything changes," county supervisor John Moorlach said.
Website Editor: This story went out from Associated Press and appeared in several newspapers yesterday. See below. While the dateline was Santa Ana, it contains data - regarding the estimated number of O.C. passengers using LAX, and the number of future air travelers from Orange County - that has the fingerprints of Los Angeles sources all over it.
February 12, 2007
Promising growth for Ontario - LA Times editorial
ExpressJet's gamble at the Ontario airport may pay off for Inland Empire passengers and businesses.
For years, any grand vision for Ontario's humble airport looked increasingly like a pipe dream. Though Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had encouraged passengers and carriers to use the modern Inland Empire facility as a way to relieve the aging and overcrowded L.A. International Airport, his charm didn't work so well with airlines: In 2006, Ontario lost flights and saw fewer passengers than in 2005.
But last week, Ontario may have gotten the jump-start it needs to eventually transform into the major regional airport that L.A. officials long for. ExpressJet Airlines, a little-known carrier that formerly operated only feeder flights for Continental Airlines, announced a major expansion at Ontario.
OC says it can do little to cut LAX traffic - Daily Breeze
An alliance [Southern California Regional Airport Authority] is studying options, but a key Orange County official says restrictions keep John Wayne Airport from absorbing more flights. . . . Orange County itself has refused to even take a seat on a regional alliance working to encourage the growth of smaller, suburban airports.
"We're willing to participate," said John Moorlach, an Orange County supervisor who would represent the county on the regional aviation alliance. But, he added, "if the purpose of (the alliance) is just to help LAX reduce the number of flights using their airport, then we're not interested."
"We have a number of questions," Alan Murphy, Orange County's airport director, told a working group of the regional alliance last week. "We want to talk about protections of the (alliance) members."
Website Editor: We agree with Supervisor Moorlach that John Wayne Airport should not be expanded "just to help LAX."
Now that the Board of Supervisors have given Newport Beach a veto over a second runway at JWA, there is no possibility of the OC airport taking a significant bite out of the traffic at Los Angeles. However, we would like to see a few more flights to more destinations for the benefit of Orange County residents. The agreed upon JWA cap is 10.3 MAP. Let's allow the airlines to serve that number of passengers.
February 11, 2007
Newport Beach City Council to support AWG and Airfair efforts to control JWA - NPB agenda item
On Wednesday the Newport Beach City Council will vote on a resolution: "that the City Council commits to immediately commencing discussions with Airfair and the Airport Working Group to ensure that the ideas and opinions of everyone are reflected in the ongoing effort to control JWA impacts. "
Website Editor: In 2001, the city granted $3.7 million to the AWG to fight against the Great Park alternative to an airport at El Toro. The expenditure of public funds was contrary to state law because Measure W was on the ballot. The "educational expenditure" might have flown if - like now - there was no ballot before the voters.
Cessna lands at El Toro - OC Register
A small Cessna that encountered engine problems landed on a runway at the former El Toro Marine Corp base this afternoon, Irvine police said.
The plane, which was reportedly being used for flight training, took off from John Wayne Airport and was circling above Irvine when the engine began failing, Irvine Police Sgt. Jay Ostrow said. The pilot asked to land at El Toro, which is designated as an emergency landing strip, Ostrow said.
February 10, 2007
Fancy flights on the ascent - OC Register
The number of private jet flights going to and from John Wayne Airport tripled over the past decade. Private jet flights soared while commercial traffic leveled off and other non-commercial flights declined by more than a third.
February 9, 2007
Local airports post better than average ontime stats for 2006 - El Toro Info Site report
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics report that last year, 19.95 percent of all flights nationwide were delayed on takeoff. Newark airport in New Jersey had the worst record with 25.25 percent of departures delayed.
LAX had 18.25 percent delays - a number that has climbed for each of the past three years. Burbank had 16.97 percent late, Ontario 16.67 and John Wayne 15.68.
Delays are often caused by problems elsewhere, such as weather. See also the report below.
Airline service experiencing a bumpy ride - LA Times
A new government report confirms what many travelers already suspected — 2006 was a tough year to fly.
The performance of U.S. airlines in categories such as on-time arrivals, baggage handling and passenger bumping was the worst in years, according to the annual industry report card released Wednesday by the Department of Transportation.
February 8, 2007
LAX flights diverted after malfunction - LA Times
A system that gauges visibility on runways at Los Angeles International Airport during heavy fog failed early Wednesday, forcing air traffic controllers to divert about six flights to other airports - mostly to Ontario.
February 7, 2007
JetBlue Airways Launches Coast to Coast Sale With $99 Fares
JetBlue Airways launches a three-day, Coast to Coast sale, offering customers $99 one-way sale fares on select transcontinental routes including Long Beach to Boston, Washington DC and Ft. Lauderdale.
Sale fares are valid for travel Monday through Wednesday and/or Saturday, and must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. MST, Thursday, February 8, 2007. Sale fares are valid for travel completed by March 27, 2007, and require up to a 14-day advance purchase.
February 6, 2007
Ad campaign for Palmdale, Ontario airports is lifting off - Daily Breeze
A pair of suburban airports will get the full Los Angeles star treatment this spring, their names flashing across television screens, Internet sites -- and maybe even Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles World Airports is launching a $3.4 million advertising blitz to draw attention to the smaller airports in Palmdale and Ontario.
ExpressJet chooses the less-traveled path - Press-Enterprise
More flights at LA/Ontario International Airport as a result of ExpressJet Airline's new 14 nonstop routes from Inland Southern California will mean less traffic at LAX, more passengers using Ontario and a better chance for Los Angeles to land the 2016 Olympics, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
Website Editor: While Los Angeles officials are excited that the new airline may siphon traffic from LAX, the impact may not equal the hype.
Let’s do the numbers: If ExpressJet flies 29 trips a day at Ontario, on its 50-seater planes with an 80 percent load factor, it will carry about 400,000 annual passengers. That is considerably less than one percent of the 61 million passengers at LAX. It will not put much of a dent in the L.A. airport’s traffic.
But the new service could be a convenience for passengers, especially from Orange County. None of the 14 new cities to be served from Ontario can be reached non-stop from JWA. It will be no surprise if North O.C. travelers - headed for Colorado Springs, San Antonio, Tucson and the other destinations on the ExpressJet list - opt for Ontario.
Heck Orange County doesn’t seem to want to serve them anyway. See the Daily Pilot story below.
The Fresno Bee says ExpressJet could face rough takeoff
In a sobering assessment, an aviation analyst is skeptical that ExpressJet will be able to survive flying from Fresno and other cities to destinations that other carriers ignore.
Demolition under way at El Toro - OC Register
Building by building, former Marine facility is being torn down and recycled.
Planners tour El Toro, Tustin bases - OC Register
Officials who are working to redevelop former military installations around the country tour the two Orange County sites Monday.
February 5, 2007
Newport looks to secure JWA growth limits - Daily Pilot
With the legal agreement that caps flights at John Wayne Airport set to expire in eight years, Newport Beach officials are moving to consolidate support from residents to prevent any further expansion of the airport.
The City Council later this month will consider officially declaring support for two citizens' groups — Airfair and the Airport Working Group — and opening a dialogue with the groups.
At a regional level, the key will be encouraging passengers to use airports in Palmdale and Ontario — and figuring out ways to get them there, said Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach [Costa Mesa]. He represents the county on the Southern California Regional Airport Authority, a position that's brought him more than 250 letters from mostly Newport Beach residents asking for permanent caps on flights at John Wayne Airport.
February 4, 2007
The Central Park of Southern California - NY Times
Ken Smith, a landscape architect based in Manhattan, is known for projects like the tiny terrace he designed on Sutton Place, where he was limited to “planting” plastic flowers in pipes mounted on a brick wall.
But every two weeks or so, he flies to Southern California, where he is designing a park that is the size of about a million Manhattan terraces — 1,347 acres. Called the Orange County Great Park, it will cover a large swath of what had been El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Ground — much of it buried under runways — was broken last summer, and construction is scheduled in phases over at least 15 years.
February 3, 2007
LA Board of Airport Commissioners to vote on Palmdale service
On Monday, the Board of Airport Commissioners will vote to approve the selection of United Airlines to operate twice-daily 50-seat regional jet service between LA/Palmdale Regional Airport and San Francisco and to move forward on negotiating the terms of an agreement to subsidize the service.
The commission will also vote to increase marketing consulting services. The agenda item states:
LAWA staff requests
this funding increase for consulting services because the largest
single expansion of service by an airline at LA/Ontario International
Airport ("LA/ONT") and the introduction of scheduled commercial
regional jet service by a major U.S. airline at LA/Palmdale Regional
Airport ("LA/PMD") are both planned to commence before the end of the
current fiscal year.
Website Editor: The ONT expansion will come when ExpressJet begins operating from Ontario in April.
The launch of unprecedented service expansions at both LA/ONT and LA/PMD during the next several months, the most significant step to-date in the plan of the Mayor of Los Angeles to develop a more balanced distribution of air traffic throughout the Southern California region, necessitates an unprecedented level of advertising and marketing support from LAWA, to increase the likelihood that these new services succeed from the outset at both airports.
Website Editor: The ONT expansion will come when ExpressJet begins operating from Ontario in April.
The launch of unprecedented service expansions at both LA/ONT and LA/PMD during the next several months, the most significant step to-date in the plan of the Mayor of Los Angeles to develop a more balanced distribution of air traffic throughout the Southern California region, necessitates an unprecedented level of advertising and marketing support from LAWA, to increase the likelihood that these new services succeed from the outset at both airports.
ExpressJet introduces new non-stop service to an array of U.S. cities from San Diego - Media Release
On Monday, the San Diego Airport Authority will introduce ExpressJet, Inc., a brand new regional airline, which will provide non-stop air service from San Diego to 9 new cities in the nation. This will be a 20% increase in destinations served from San Diego International Airport by non-stop flights.
Officials are keeping mum on where the service will fly but destinations from San Diego apparently will include Fresno, Colorado Springs and Omaha.
ExpressJet routes for ONT available - Press-EnterpriseDespite efforts by LA/Ontario Airport officials to remain mum about ExpressJet's new 14 non-stop routes before a press conference scheduled for Monday, the airline started selling tickets on its Web site Thursday and posted all the routes.
ExpressJet will have non-stop flights between Ontario and Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colo.; El Paso, Texas; Fresno, Kansas City, Monterey, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Omaha, Neb.; San Antonio, Spokane, Wash.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Tulsa, Okla.; according to the airline's Web site.
Service will start between April 2 and May 14 depending on the route
February 2, 2007
Outlying airports to take some pressure off LAX - LA Times
Providing lift to a decades-long effort to redistribute air traffic among the region's airports, a new airline [ExpressJet] will announce Monday the largest expansion in L.A./Ontario International Airport's history, with nonstop service to 14 cities not served by carriers there now.
At the same time, Los Angeles officials will unveil plans to reopen L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport with the first scheduled commercial flights in nine years.
Association of Defense Communities to Study Economics of Public Private Partnerships at former Tustin and El Toro bases
The Association of Defense Communities Winter Forum will include tours of the Tustin and El Toro base redevelopment projects. On February 5 members of the AID - military leaders, government officials, private sector and non-profit members from around the country will hear presentations by Irvine City officials on the history of the ten year-long public and political debate about transforming the base into an international airport or redeveloping it into a major metropolitan park and housing. They will get an overview of the Great Park project.
Cross Border Terminal Movement - Voice of San Diego
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority continued inching forward Thursday in its consideration of building a cross-border airport terminal to allow U.S. passengers to access Tijuana's airport.
But the deeper the authority gets, the more apparent the project's challenges become.
The authority agreed Thursday to spend a maximum $385,000 to study whether any demand exists for a terminal that would allow San Diego passengers to more easily access flights out of Tijuana, where flights serve different destinations -- including twice weekly direct service to Tokyo.
Audit faults agency that runs LAX taxi operations - LA Times
A nonprofit agency managing taxi operations at Los Angeles International Airport handed out cash to the managers of cab companies but could not document why. It paid employees who were allegedly injured on the job, but never filed required reports with the state. It paid tens of thousands of dollars to lawyers and contractors with no evidence that it got sufficient services in return.
Those are among the problems at Authorized Taxicab Supervision identified in an audit by City Controller Laura Chick.
February 1, 2007
Will it be Eltorite, G-Parkxite, Agranate, Lennaral or ToroStone?
The folks who brought us the World’s Largest Photograph and the Great Orange Balloon have a new gimmick to keep us amused while we wait for the Great Park to be built.
A press release received in our email announces a contest starting tomorrow, February 2. Sponsors are “offering cash prizes, personal recognition and more to the individual who can ‘Name That Stone’” by submitting the most creative name for the large stackable concrete landscape stone resulting from demolition of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) runways.
Almost 20 acres of runway - out of an estimated 900 acres - have been broken since the ceremonial concrete busting photo-op in May.
The broken up material has been left in place awaiting an Air Quality Management District permit for recycling.
Details of the fun contest will be posted on a new website, www.RecycleElToro.com.
Victorvile, Calif., BNSF Railway to Explore Building Intermodal Facility - Commercial Property News
The two entities will explore building the facility at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorvile
U.S. losing out on international tourism largely because of airport hassles - The Associated Press
Visiting the United States is not as popular as it used to be, mainly because of delays and difficulties in getting visas, long lines at Customs and aggressive promotional campaigns from other countries.
Travel executives told a Senate panel on Wednesday that people are going elsewhere for those reasons. Long lines at Customs also were blamed for the United States losing the 2007 Pan American Games to Brazil and were a big worry for the U.S. Olympic Committee as Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, compete for the 2016 Olympics.
Fewer international visitors are coming to the United States since theSept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, despite an initiative announced a year ago by top government officials.
