Week of February 23 - March 1, 2009
Landings at LAX are growing safer, quieter - LA Times
Up to half the aircraft that land at Los Angeles International Airport each day now use an arrival technique that saves fuel and reduces noise and air pollution in neighborhoods along the eastern approaches to the nation's fourth-largest airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced.
Officials said Thursday that the technique also increases the safety of landings, one of the most critical phases of a flight.
The procedure, known as continuous descent approaches, allows airplanes to glide into LAX under minimum power instead of making a string of stair-step descents that require pilots to rely on their engines to repeatedly speed up and then slow down to level off. The FAA estimates that on average, about 300 to 400 of the 800 aircraft that land daily at LAX use continuous descent.
"It's like taking your foot off the gas at the top of a hill and just gliding straight into the airport from 18,000 feet on a smooth, controlled path to touchdown," said Walter White, an FAA manager who headed a team that developed the procedure.
Virgin America seeks new investors - USA Today
Facing larger-than-expected losses and restive hedge fund investors, Virgin America could be the nation's "most endangered airline," according to USA TODAY. Investment bankers are searching for new investors in Virgin America, a sign, analysts say, that the airline's two original hedge funds are looking to cash out. Virgin America CEO David Cush says the search for additional investors is merely "prudent" in the current economy.
Website Editor: Virgin's presence has created price competition in Southern California with flights from LAX to Boston rivalling JetBlue's, and low prices to San Francisco. Orange County's airport management allocated over 3 percent of next year's seats to Virgin after advancing the carrier from the John Wayne Airport waiting list of new entrants.
KC officials begin talking about taking KCI private - Kansas City Star
Privatizing Kansas City International Airport could earn an estimated $1 billion for city operations and construction projects, supporters of the idea say.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Skaggs confirmed Tuesday that city officials hope to pursue — and quickly — one of the few remaining spots in a federal program to privatize airports.
“What benefit is it to Kansas City, Missouri, to own the airport — other than to say we own KCI?” Skaggs asked. “We derive no benefit from it here at City Hall whatsoever.”
“To date, we really haven’t found any negatives,” Aviation Director Mark Van Loh said, “other than the perception that you’re losing your airport.”
In fact, he said, Kansas City should apply for federal approval within the next month or risk being shut out by other cities.
Chicago recently became the first city to strike such a deal, agreeing to lease Midway Airport for 99 years. In return, the city will receive more than $2.5 billion.
Other governments recently have expressed interest in similar deals including the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Long Beach Airport in California.
Passenger traffic falls 31% at LA/Ontario International Airport - LA Times
Battered by the deepening economic recession, the number of passengers at LA/Ontario International Airport continued to plunge in January, falling by an unprecedented 31% compared with the same month last year, new figures show.
What is happening at Ontario "is not surprising to me. We have a tough situation, no doubt about it," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX, Ontario and Van Nuys Airport, a general aviation facility.
Ontario International used to be one of the fastest-growing airports in Southern California and a cornerstone of a policy to regionalize air travel by spreading the growth in passengers from busy LAX to other airports in the Los Angeles area.
Jack Keady, an aviation consultant based in Playa del Rey said, "Ontario is dependent on Riverside and the Inland Empire, where foreclosures are high, unemployment is high and there is no job creation. People are afraid to spend money today on discretionary travel."
If trends continue, the drop-off could be so severe that one of the airport's two terminals would no longer be needed, a dramatic setback for Ontario's plan to accommodate more than 10 million passengers in the future. More than $275 million was spent building the terminals, which were financed with bonds. They opened in 1998.
Website Editor: Had Orange County spent the billions of dollars it planned to sink into El Toro Airport, it would have been a financial disaster.
San Diego air travel drops in January
After completing calendar year 2008 up slightly, air travel at San Diego's Lindberg Field dropped by 11.0 percent in January compared to the same month last year.
January was rough at LAX and ONT
Domestic travel at LAX was off 9.9 percent in January from the previous year. International travel fell 14.3 percent. In total, the airport served 4,268,383 passengers or 11.3 percent fewer than in January 2007.
At LA/Ontario airport, January traffic was off by 31.2 percent.
It was Ontario's slowest month in the eight years that this website has been keeping data. The total of 364,893 passengers was below the airport's traffic in September 2001 when flights were grounded due to the 9-11 attacks and in the months that followed.
Palmdale airport land may become a solar farm - LA Times
After buying 17,750 acres in Palmdale for an intercontinental jetport that has not gotten off the ground, Los Angeles airport officials say they might finally have a use for much of the property: a solar power facility capable of generating up to 100 megawatts of clean energy.
The DWP and Los Angeles World Airports, which owns the property, would have to curry favor with Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose district includes Palmdale Regional Airport. Although Antonovich said he has welcomed solar facilities into his district, he also noted that property owners were required to sell their land decades ago specifically to make way for the airport.
Leasing or selling airport land for a purpose other than aviation would require approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration. Federal regulations require that land purchased for an airport be used for aeronautical purposes.
The Air Force might also have to approve the change if there is a potential for the solar facility to interfere with military operations at Edwards Air Force Base and Plant 42, an Air Force aerospace facility next to the Palmdale airport property.
Los Angeles officials began buying land in Palmdale in the early 1970s for a global airport that could handle 100 million passengers a year and accommodate SSTs, the supersonic passenger planes that are no longer in service. The property cost more than $100 million.
Week of February 16 - February 22, 2009
Long Beach airport traffic picks up in January
Long Beach airport served 220,256 passengers in January, an 8.3 percent increase over last year.
Aircraft landings were up by 2.7 percent.
Allegiant Airlines will land at LAX, not Ontario or San Bernardino - Press-Enterprise
Allegiant Airlines, the only U.S. airline to report a profit in all four quarters of 2008, has flown past Ontario International Airport and San Bernardino International Airport to land at LAX.
The airline will have two planes based at LAX to fly between Los Angeles and eleven destinations including: Bellingham, Wash.; Des Moines, Iowa; Fargo, N.D.; Grand Junction, Colo.; McAllen, Texas; Medford, Ore.; Missoula, Mont.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Springfield, Miss.; and Wichita, Kan, said airline spokeswoman Tyri Squyrescq.
The airline has 68 destinations nationwide - including Palm Springs International Airport, San Diego and Santa Barbara -- and only flies non-stop between them.
When Allegiant was shopping for a new Southern California airport, most didn't work.
"Ontario was an option for us, but quite frankly, was too expensive," Squyres said.
San Bernardino International Airport was another option but, "it was a little too far and didn't have the brand recognition that LAX would offer."
Long Beach Airport, John Wayne Airport in Orange County and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank: Each were too congested and constrained by how much they can grow.
LAX offered name recognition, room to grow and less costly operations despite having higher landing fees.
SFO bucks downward trend in passenger traffic - Pleasanton Weekly
San Francisco International Airport has reported an overall increase in passenger traffic during 2008, despite a bad economy and national trends in declining air travel, airport officials announced recently.
Airport officials credit the increase to the expansion of domestic airlines catering to low-cost travel, such as Virgin America, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. These carriers charted a 55.9 percent increase in 2008 traffic compared to a 2.2 percent decrease for domestic travel on non-low-cost carriers.
The announcement coincided with the initiation of AeroMexico's new non-stop service from San Francisco to Mexico City.
Website Editor: Other major airports with increased traffic in 2008 included Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International and North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas.
In Southern California, both San Diego and Long Beach airports showed modest upticks in passenger traffic.
JWA slump deepens
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport decreased in January 2009 as compared to January 2008. In January 2009, the Airport served 592,370 passengers, a decrease of 16.2% when compared to the January 2008 passenger traffic count of 707,126.
It was the airport's slowest January since 2002, in the immediate aftermath of the 9-11 attacks.
Commercial Carrier flight operations decreased 11.9%, while Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations decreased 3.0% when compared to the same levels recorded in January 2008.
John Wayne Airport is operated under an access control plan created to keep the airport from reaching its negotiated (million annual passenger) MAP Cap. The plan year runs from April 1 to March 31. In the current 2008-09 plan year, passenger traffic is one million passengers below last year's rate.
Stimulus funds could fuel Anaheim's fast trains - OC Register
2 projects, to San Francisco and Las Vegas, might be eligible for some high-speed rail money.
Anaheim's two high-speed rail projects could get a funding boost if President Barack Obama signs the $787 billion stimulus package today.
Included in the stimulus package is $8 billion for high-speed rail projects. Anaheim has two rail projects on the burner. One is a train that would travel from Anaheim to San Francisco, and the other would travel from Anaheim to Las Vegas.
A high-speed train carrying passengers from Anaheim to Los Angeles in about 20 minutes could be a reality as soon as 2015, Darrell Johnson, director of rail programs for Orange County Transportation Authority, said, marking the first leg of the line connecting Anaheim to San Francisco.
"This would be the gateway to the rest of the state without having to get into your car or deal with our already congested airports," Johnson said.
Week of February 9 - February 15, 2009
There's some gold in the stimulus for Orange County - OC Register
There's a treasure hunt starting. And the place people are looking is in the 1,000 page $787 billion stimulus bill Congress is sending to President Barack Obama's desk.
One windfall might end up being a gift of sorts [to Orange County] from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Reid got $8 billion included in the bill for high-speed rail.
The reason this line item is important for the O.C. is because one of a handful of projects around the country eligible for some of that money is the 269-mile Maglev – that stands for magnetic levitation – train proposed to go from Anaheim to Las Vegas.
That corridor could get money as could the $40 billion high speed rail line planned between Anaheim and San Francisco.
It [also] seems that included in this measure is something that lets people buy certain bonds without them being subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax. Because the AMT is being waived on the kind of bonds that Orange County will be selling in order to do the John Wayne Airport expansion, the county can likely sell the $400 billion in bonds it needs for the expansion at a lower interest rate than without this provision. It could save the county $3.5 to $4 million in interest every year, adding up to $100 million to $120 million over the life of the bonds.
Website Editor: My questions concern whether there is long term stimulus from funding a train that shifts people's recreational spending from L.A. to Las Vegas or from facilitating expansion of an airport that has no plans to to serve more passengers.
Heathrow most tedious international airport, U.S. rudest: poll Yahoo! News
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) – Flying into Heathrow or New York's JFK? Then steel yourself for the world's longest passport queues, the lengthiest wait for luggage and some of the rudest passport staff, a global survey shows.
Online travel network WAYN.com (Where Are You Now?) recently surveyed 2,250 travelers about passport control, baggage handling, customs and security at major international airports.
London's Heathrow was voted the worst for long passport control queues by all travelers, including Britons, followed by JFK in New York and Los Angeles airport.
Heathrow again was voted the worse airport for baggage, followed by JFK and Los Angeles International. The three airports were seen as having the longest wait at the carousel, and the most likely to damage luggage.
Passport staff, however, added an extra irritant for passengers landing at JFK and other international U.S. airports, who voted U.S. immigration as the rudest in the world, ahead of India and Russia.
Anaheim's ARTIC seeking $150 million - OC Register
The long-discussed vision for a world-class transportation hub for trains, buses, trolleys and taxis in Anaheim took its first step toward receiving funding this week.
The Anaheim City Council, working with Orange County Transportation Authority officials, approved a plan to apply for $150 million in transportation funds and began a quest to find an architect to design the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center – commonly referred to as ARTIC.
The transportation center would be built on a 16-acre site just south of the Honda Center – a site formerly used as a maintenance yard. Anaheim's commitment to the project is to donate the so-called "boneyard," valued at $5.2 million.
ARTIC is intended to pull traffic off of the streets around the Platinum Triangle, which eventually will include some 18,000 residential units, and would be linked to John Wayne Airport and Ontario Airport. It also could accommodate a proposed high-speed rail system to and from Las Vegas.
Palm Springs airport starts 2009 with slow January
Palm Springs airport was first in the region to post January passenger statistics which were down 9.3 percent from January 2008. It was the airport's slowest January since 2005.
Talks on leasing Long Beach Airport are shelved - LA Times
Further discussions about leasing all or part of the Long Beach Airport to private investors have been shelved, at least temporarily, because of a lack of interest on the City Council, municipal officials said Wednesday.
Council members had planned to discuss the matter in closed session Jan. 6, but they voted instead to hold a public hearing after three council members and four citizens complained that secrecy should not surround such an important policy discussion. The hearing was postponed to a later date, but never scheduled.
Supporters of airport privatization say it is a good way for local governments to raise substantial amounts of money. Because of the economic downturn, Long Beach is facing a projected $15.7-million revenue shortfall this year.
A decision to approve the plan has been postponed until April because financial arrangements are still being negotiated.
Long Beach airport director chosen - Press-Telegram
Mario Rodriguez, an aviation expert with 20 years experience has been named director of the Long Beach Airport.
His experience includes being deputy director at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where he was responsible for a staff of 186 and a $25 million annual operation budget.
Beginning Feb. 23, Rodriguez will oversee a staff of about 125 and an annual operation budget of about $28 million. His responsibilities will include airport operations, finances and leases, the Airport Noise Ordinance, community outreach and environmental matters.
Plan would shift [S.D.] airport operations northward - Union-Tribune
Several local government agencies formed a committee last year to craft a long-term development plan for Lindbergh Field.
The panel's recommendation includes relocating most passenger operations to the airport's north side, except boarding gates.
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, which has the final say on any airfield improvements, is expected to consider the recommendation as soon as next month.
The $5 billion to $12 billion overhaul would include a new passenger terminal, parking lots and a transit hub linked to Interstate 5 and a planned bullet train.
Lindbergh Field officials expect annual passenger counts to reach 22 million by 2020. The airport handled 18.1 million passengers last year.
Week of February 2 - February 8, 2009
[John Wayne] Airport plans take wing - OC Register
Renderings of the expanded airport, released Thursday and the most detailed to date, show an architecture that stays true to the fuselage inspired facade and ceilings.
“It’s great that the remodeled terminal and parking structure will fit in seamlessly with the current architecture and design themes, both inside and out,” said Supervisor John Moorlach.
Apart from the larger size, the most conspicuous visual change will be a marketplace area of eateries and shops.
The new John Wayne Airport looks a lot like the old John Wayne Airport, and that's the idea.
Website Editor: The new John Wayne Airport will look a lot like the old John Wayne Airport . . . empty much of the day. That's the idea: to have more seats on the ground - in the eateries, lounges and parking lot - but not more seats on planes.
In 2002, a pro-El Toro Airport Board of Supervisors gave in to Newport Beach and agreed that the utilization of the airport would be limited indefinitely to serving 10.8 Million Annual Passengers (MAP). This MAP Cap, in effect in 2011 before the terminal is completed, will not change after it is completed. The MAP Cap only can be raised after 2015 if the county goes through a costly, multi-year and litigation prone environmental impact study.
Newport Beach groups and Supervisor Moorlach are already planning to freeze the utilization of the airport forever at the 10.8 MAP Cap set in 2002. Their mantra is "10.8 and lock the gate." If they succeed, the county will be locking the gate on a half billion dollar expansion project.
Airlines will carry 41 million fewer passengers this year, forecast says - Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
The nation’s airlines will carry 41 million fewer passengers this year,
according to a new forecast, and the industry won’t begin to rebound
until 2010 at the earliest.
The projection from the Boyd Group, an aviation consulting firm in
Evergreen, Colo., predicted that the airline industry will take in $25
billion less through 2011, unless ticket prices are increased
significantly.
JetBlue pilots to remain non-unionized following low vote turnout - Wall Street Journal
Officials at
JetBlue Airways say only 646 out of 2,000 pilots voted in Tuesday's
union election, far short of the 50% needed. The low turnout means
JetBlue continues to have no unions representing its 11,500 employees.
Air Canada to launch San Diego - Calgary Nonstop flights - San Diego Regional Airport Authority
Longer-term,
Airport management drew
more airlines to
Management’s interest in
providing service is illustrated by an online
survey that asks residents “where they would want to fly”.
The San Diego Regional
Airport Authority sought citizen input on moving to larger facilities
at the Marine Corps Air Station,
BUR Airport authority votes for curfew study - Burbank Leader
The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority Commission voted unanimously Monday in favor of a study it will use to support Bob Hope Airport’s application for a curfew on nighttime flights.
After eight years and $6 million spent on the Part 161 study, the approval by the nine-member commission was the final step in completing the first study of its kind since [passage of the Airport Noise and Capacity Act and] the process was legalized by Congress in 1991. The Federal Aviation Administration will now have one month to accept the study and six months to make a ruling on it, said Bob Hope Airport spokesman Victor Gill.
Commissioned by Bob Hope Airport in 2000 due to insistence from the surrounding neighborhood to decrease noise pollution, the study compiles data on why a ban on flights between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. would be cost-effective and practical.
Initiating such a curfew would save the airport an estimated $67 million over 10 years, according to the study.
Website Editor: The study notes that curfews exist at John Wayne, Long Beach and San Diego airports.
Burbank curfew request stirs NIMBY reactions
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority efforts to impose a mandatory night curfew at Bob Hope Airport has stirred the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) sentiments that drive much of what passes for airport planning in Southern California.
The LA Daily News reports, "A restriction at (Burbank) that diverts operations to other ... airports represents a shifting of noise impact - not a reduction in the noise impact," Los Angeles World Airports Director Gina Marie Lindsey wrote in a May 29, 2008, letter sent to the Bob Hope airport authority.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has also previously said he opposes the Burbank curfew for that reason.
While Burbank residents have clamored for the change, neighbors of Van Nuys Airport are angry because it would divert 32 more flights per day in their direction. Van Nuys itself is also trying to limit nighttime flights by preparing its own curfew application.
The LA Times notes, Los Angeles World Airports is now studying possible noise and access restrictions for Van Nuys and LAX.
Los Angeles airport officials contend that Burbank's analysis overstates the benefits because the proposed curfew would simply shift Bob Hope's noise to other airports, adding to their difficulties.
World airports further contends that Bob Hope is skirting its responsibility to accommodate its share of commercial air transportation as part of a current effort to spread the growth of air traffic around the region.
Meanwhile, in Orange County, Newport Beach officials who failed in efforts to move jets from John Wayne to a proposed new commercial airport at El Toro are now investigating ways to shift passengers and flights to LA/Ontario airport.
