Newark Getting `Airplane Flypaper' Barriers - Newark Star-Ledger
A collapsible foam concrete barrier, called "airplane flypaper," will soon be installed at Newark Liberty International Airport. As with runaway truck lanes, which stop out-of-control tractor trailers with huge sand-filled plastic barrels, the goal of the airport system is simple: Slow down planes in a hurry.
Essentially, the airplane flypaper, formally known as foam arrestor beds,are foam cement blocks filled with a high percentage of air. The blocks, which are installed on a slight incline, allow the wheels of a plane to gently sink and slow by creating drag that eventually stops the aircraft. The system - several hundred feet long - is also designed to keep a plane's wheel assemblies from buckling.
Once funding is approved, improvements will be made to the western end of Runway 29, which is the airport's shortest at a mere 6,800 feet.
There are 23 such arrestor bed systems in use at the nation's more than 400 commercial airports.
Website Editor: The concept possibly could be utilized to boost capacity at Southern California's airports with short runways, to enable them to safely accomodate larger aircraft that have narrow margins of safety in wet weather.
March 30, 2007
The Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG, Aviation Technical Advisory Committee to meet
The SCAG committee will meet next week to review aviation forecasts for the period extending to 2035. In preparation, staff has provided committee members with data on recent years' air traffic.
2006 vs. 2005 data was first summarized on this website more than two months ago on January 25.
SCAG staff proposes that the regional passenger "drop is likely due to the spike in air fares in 2005 combined with a reduction in destinations served by carriers as part of a national retrenchment strategy to stem mounting financial loses. Also, the fact that regional international passenger traffic declined by 3.5% from 2005 to 2006 is indicative of the increased introduction of longer-range aircraft that can serve regions such as Phoenix and Las Vegas directly from many Asian countries."
However, as reported below, the Department of Transportation reported a nationwide increase in air traffic in 2006.
This website is more inclined to view air travel softness in Southern California as resulting from passenger service problems at LAX.
March 29, 2007
Airport hoped to be Gold Line terminus - Daily Bulletin
As LA/Ontario International Airport seeks out millions of additional travelers in coming years, city officials are aiming to give passengers a new way to get there.
The idea of making the airport the final destination on the Gold Line light-rail service that runs from Los Angeles to Pasadena seems to be gaining favor, Mayor Paul Leon said Tuesday.
Ontario airport still recruiting more flights - Press-Enterprise
ExpressJet Airline's announcement in January of 14 new daily flights to LA/Ontario International Airport might be a sign of things to come. An official said Ontario can take on the new Express- Jet passenger traffic without additions.
"It was the biggest expansion in the history of the airport," said Mark Thorpe, director of air service marketing for Los Angeles World Airports, which owns the Ontario airport.
Despite that growth, the airport is still seeking more passenger service. Airport officials touted the airport to some 250 business people and aviation and government officials at a conference at the airport Tuesday.
Board Sends Request To Fund Palmdale-Victorville Expressway - NBC4-TV
The High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority, which met for the first time Wednesday, wasted no time in sending letters to federal lawmakers seeking $23 million to build a new expressway between Palmdale and Victorville. The authority unanimously agreed to request money from the Federal Highway Administration to build a four- to six-lane expressway between the Antelope Valley (14) Freeway in Palmdale and the Mojave (15) Freeway in Victorville.
The mission of the nine-member authority, which is led by Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, is to address congestion issues facing the high desert region.
DHL shifts Asian flight to March - Press-Enterprise
DHL's cargo hub at March GlobalPort has gone international, the courier company has announced.
In all, eight flights serve DHL's cargo hub at March GlobalPort in Moreno Valley. The new flight, which begins in Malaysia and stops in Hong Kong and Anchorage, Alaska, is the first international one.
Caltrans using lawsuits to fund roads - LA Times
The agency, long foiled by environmental litigation, is now filing its own legal challenges to obtain money for traffic improvements.
Desperate to raise cash to make room for more cars on the freeways, California's main road-building agency is wielding an unexpected weapon: the state's environmental laws.
Caltrans, long foiled by lawsuits accusing it of recklessly plowing over the habitat of endangered species, polluting the air and contaminating waterways, is now filing its own legal challenges. Using a law that says developers must mitigate the impact of their projects on highways, the agency is suing cities and builders for money to fund freeway expansion and other improvements that relieve congestion.
Irvine is where the dispute over fees began, in 2003, when Caltrans filed suit over plans to develop the former El Toro Marine base into a park that would include new homes and stores — the state's first such lawsuit in two decades. The state argued that the project's environmental impact reports underestimated the number of car trips the development would generate.
A settlement was reached within a few weeks that will allow Caltrans to collect substantial fees if the project is approved.
Political Landscape - Daily Pilot
At a retreat last weekend, [Newport Beach City] council members talked about long-range plans . . . Among the council's top priorities are finding a new city hall site, strengthening protections against John Wayne Airport's impact on neighborhoods, traffic control, increasing city government's efficiency, and . . better regulating drug and alcohol rehab facilities.
New Councilwoman Nancy Gardner said council members had a good discussion, but they realized not all their priorities can be dealt with and checked off the list. For example, decisions on the airport need the approval of regional and federal authorities. "Obviously the airport's such an issue for everybody, and there are some things we can do now, but other things are long-term," Gardner said.
March 28, 2007
Broken pipe at LAX shuts customs area - LA Times
Construction workers at LAX inadvertently sliced through a 10-inch water main at a baggage facility near the Tom Bradley International Terminal on Tuesday, flooding the building's customs area.
The break sent up to 3 inches of water into some parts of the customs area. The damage forced airport officials to send 51 international flights that arrived from about 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to customs facilities at four other terminals.
Mexico expresses interest in cross-border airport - San Diego Union Tribune
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has received confirmation that Mexican officials are interested in considering building a cross-border airport facility, the South County Economic Development Council said.
In February, the authority agreed to a market study for a project that would allow San Diego passengers access to flights out of Tijuana's Rodriguez International Airport without having to drive across the border.
The study will look at options that include a simple pedestrian bridge from a parking lot in Otay Mesa or a terminal on the U.S. side with ticket and check-in counters. The most elaborate would allow commercial carriers to pull up and park at gates in U.S. territory.
March 27, 2007
Effort Launched To Organize CA Airport Workers - Aero-News.Net
Union Targets Skycaps, Ticket Checkers, Security. The Service Employees International Union Local 1877 has focused efforts to recruit and organize airport service workers at all California airports.
A major inconvenience, a minor victory
The spring-training trip looks as if it's going to be no vacation. But, miraculously, the curse is lifted. - Dana Parsons column, LA Times
Before I describe the improbable ending to what was supposed to be a fun-filled vacation to see spring training baseball in Florida — and, especially, my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Pirates — here's how it started:
Sitting in the airplane for nearly an hour at John Wayne Airport at 6:45 a.m., waiting for mechanics to clear us for takeoff. A heart-thumping dash five hours later through the Atlanta airport to barely make my connection to Tampa. Discovering in Tampa that my luggage hadn't arrived, requiring an additional two-hour wait and forcing cancellation of dinner with friends. . .
Website Editor: Too bad, Dana that there are no non-stops from JWA to any destination in Florida.
March 26, 2007
World's busiest airports - Forbes.com
Fastest growth [is] in Asia, but U.S. still dominates among top 20
The 2006 rankings for passenger traffic according to Airports Council International.
1
ATLANTA, GA (ATL)
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD)
3 LONDON, GB (LHR)
4 TOKYO, JP (HND)
5 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX)
6 DALLAS/FT WORTH AIRPORT, TX
7 PARIS, FR (CDG)
8 FRANKFURT, DE (FRA)
9 BEIJING, CN (PEK)
10 DENVER, CO (DEN)
11 LAS VEGAS, NV (LAS)
2 CHICAGO, IL (ORD)
3 LONDON, GB (LHR)
4 TOKYO, JP (HND)
5 LOS ANGELES, CA (LAX)
6 DALLAS/FT WORTH AIRPORT, TX
7 PARIS, FR (CDG)
8 FRANKFURT, DE (FRA)
9 BEIJING, CN (PEK)
10 DENVER, CO (DEN)
11 LAS VEGAS, NV (LAS)
March 24, 2007
Luggage is safe at LAX, airport officials say - LA Times
After announcing the filing of misdemeanor theft charges against 11 people, including eight security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport, officials Friday sought to assure travelers that their luggage is safe.
Airport Manager Offered 3-Year Extension - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The man who runs [Atlanta Hartsfield] the world's busiest airport . . . to get a base salary of $255,000 a year with a 4 percent annual increase through June 30, 2010. He would also receive $15,305 annually in deferred compensation, a city car and cellphone.
He is the city's highest-paid employee, but ranks fifth nationally behind other airport executives. The manager of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport makes a base salary of about $309,000 a year and the Los Angeles airport director gets $298,000.
March 23, 2007
City Sued Again Over [Long Beach] Airport Project EIR - L.B. Gazette
The parent/teacher organization in Long Beach has joined the school district by suing the city over plans to improve and expand the terminal at Long Beach Airport.
City Council president sides with union, urges visitors: Boycott LAX-area hotels - LA Daily News
Escalating the city's battle for a living-wage ordinance for hotels near Los Angeles International Airport, City Council President Eric Garcetti has urged potential visitors to boycott the LAX Hilton because of ongoing labor problems.
March 22, 2007
Great Park spells out business plan - OC Register
Great Park officials estimate that $446.8 million will be spent on the project over the next five years – excluding any park features beyond an orange balloon that takes visitors aloft, a visitor center, grading and utilities.
A proposed business plan being presented today reviews the park's history, proposed master plan and projected revenues and expenditures.
The report estimates that $116.6 million will remain in Great Park coffers at the end of the next five years.
See more on the park's cost.
John Wayne and regional air traffic up
The number of passengers at the Orange County airport through February 2007 was 7.1 percent greater than in 2006.
This results from an 8.1 percent increase in the number of air carrier flights.
Regionally, data is available for all airport only through January. Total passenger traffic is up by 1.2 percent compared to the previous year's. In January, Orange County, LAX, Burbank and Palm Springs were ahead of the same month in 2006 while Long Beach and Ontario lagged.
March 21, 2007
FAA Forecast; LAX to grow - El Toro Info Site report
On March 15, FAA Director Marion C. Blakey, told the FAA annual Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C. that "LAX may rise by 54 percent. That’s total operations — commercial and GA ." The FAA focuses on operations, which create air traffic control workload, rather than on total passengers.
However, the FAA Aerospace Forecasts FY 2007-2020 provide some estimates of future passenger load.
APO Terminal Area Forecast Summary Report for LAX has air passenger enplanements increasing by 88 percent from 2007 to 2025. The FAA figures correspond to an increase from an estimate of 61.7 MAP in 2007 to 115.8 MAP in 2025.
The agency provides no indication of how this is to be achieved.
Interest in El Toro jetsam soars - LA Times
Demolition crews at the closed Marine base are finding some treasures among the trash. Much of it could end up in military museums.
March 20, 2007
A Packed Test Flight Lands in Time for News at Noon - NY Times
My plane, being flown by Airbus in partnership with Lufthansa from Frankfurt to New York, was in the skies with a second A380 [for Quantas] that was headed for Los Angeles.
The Airbus-Qantas crew was hoping to score the first touchdown in what was regarded by the Airbus-Lufthansa crew as a brazen publicity stunt.
But there were at least two problems with comparing the two events, annoyed crew members of the New York-bound flight said.
The Lufthansa flight carried 460 passengers — mostly Airbus and Lufthansa employees, as well as about 60 reporters and photographers — plus about 30 crew members. It was operated, with full food service and in-flight entertainment, to test the aircraft as it would run in normal commercial service. The A380 flown by Airbus to Los Angeles — it landed about 15 minutes after the New York flight — was a little different.
“It has no seats,” scoffed Wolfgang Absmeier, an Airbus test pilot who made the A380 landing at Kennedy International Airport. After the plane slowly taxied up to a terminal, two gates, one for the upper deck and one for the lower, rolled out so passengers could get off.
Not only did the Los Angeles A380 have no seats, cabin amenities or passengers, it didn’t have a gate. To accommodate the A380, airports need expensive renovations to taxiways and boarding gates, and Los Angeles International Airport has lagged on that. The A380 that landed there yesterday had only a parking spot on a ramp, where it came to rest basically as a very large photo prop. More . . .
Fans of jets turn out for A380's first LAX touchdown - LA Times
See a video clip from the landing at LAX.
March 19, 2007
AWG finances posted for 2005 - El Toro Info Site report
The Airport Working Group of Newport Beach received just over $20K in contributions in 2005 according to the organization's Form 990. Financial support for the pro-El Toro, anti-JWA expansion group has declined every year since 2001 when the city granted the AWG $3.7 million of taxpayers funds that were used unsuccessfully to oppose Measure W.
Expenditures exceeded income with AWG Executive Director Barbara Lichman's law firm getting the largest share.
The AWG is talking with the city about a renewed role in efforts to limit utilization of John Wayne Airport. An agreement with the county on existing passenger caps expires in 2015.
March 15, 2007
December 2006 Airline Traffic Data: 2006 System Traffic Up 0.8 Percent From 2005 - Bureau of Transportation Statistics
U.S. airlines carried 744.4 million scheduled domestic and international passengers on their systems in 2006, 0.8 percent more than they did in 2005, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported in a release of preliminary data.
More total system and domestic passengers boarded planes in 2006 at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International than at any other U.S. airport for the 11th consecutive year (See report Tables 5 and 11) [LAX ranked fourth]; more international passengers boarded planes at Miami International than at any other U.S. airport for the 12th consecutive year (Table 17).
Will Palmdale connect? - El Toro Info Site report
Palmdale boosters want a Palmdale airport for local business and real estate reasons. L.A. officials want it to show that they are doing something about LAX without expanding LAX. But will passengers want it?
Is Palmdale airport - just for Palmdale passengers - any more significant in the California picture than Bakersfield’s airport - where there is more than twice the population? PMD will fly as a "regional solution" only if those who work and live elsewhere in Los Angeles County opt to flock there.
To put this possibility in geographic context, Magic Mountain in the Santa Clarita Valley, at the northwest end of the L.A. metropolitan area, is about 36 miles from Palmdale. Magic Mountain its 40 miles and an admittedly tougher drive from LAX. However, travelers from the growing Santa Clarita suburbs have another more convenient option at Bob Hope airport in Burbank, 23 miles away.
We did a little study of flights from Palmdale and Burbank to a few destinations. For this we arbitrarily selected a Monday morning in July and asked Travelocity for the shortest travel times and prices.
| Destination |
Flying
time from PMD |
Flying
time from BUR |
| Phoenix |
3
hr 47 min - 1 change of planes |
1
hr 27 min - nonstop |
| Dallas
- Ft Worth |
7
hr 10 min - 2 changes |
3
hr 5 min - nonstop |
| Chicago
(ORD) |
7
hr 25 min - 1 change |
5
hr 27 min - 1 change |
| New
York (JFK) |
7
hr 27 min - 1 change |
5
hr - 26 min - nonstop |
BTW, the fares all are lower from BUR. Which will passengers choose during this subsidized experimental period that one official called Palmdale's "last chance"?
Our position consistently has been that Palmdale will work only if 1) a serious site selection study shows that the airport is in a feasible location, 2) study shows that costly ground access systems - including high speed rail - are economically viable compared to other travel infrastructure projects, and 3) that justification can be found for a major program to build a serious airport with competitive flight schedules and fares.
Just because L.A. owns the airport is no reason for periodically throwing a few million dollars at it.
March 14, 2007
Airbus A380 to Make Historic Landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Monday, March 19, 2007 - LAWA media advisory
The Airbus A380 -- the world's largest airliner -- is scheduled to make an historic first visit to the U.S. West Coast when it lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, March 19, 2007. The historic flight is being conducted by Airbus, Los Angeles World Airports and Qantas Airways to test airport function and compatibility in anticipation of Qantas' A380 passenger service at LAX, which is scheduled to begin in 2008. The aircraft is scheduled to depart between 7:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20.
March 13, 2007
An L.A. Airport Attempts to Take Off - Wall Street Journal
In the late 1960s, Los Angeles bought up 17,000 acres of land about 50 miles northeast of the city to build a huge new international airport. Come June, after rabbits get chased out of an old terminal, a couple of daily flights will actually take off.
UAL Corp.'s United Airlines will begin flying 50-seat regional jets between San Francisco and LA/Palmdale Regional Airport. Los Angeles is spending heavily to open up Palmdale and entice United by covering losses, handling advertising and marketing and shining up the dusty outpost. The city's airport agency, Los Angeles World Airports, likely will spend an astounding $300 or more for every passenger who uses the airport in the next year. The airport may pay more than the passenger.
If Palmdale flights get filled and service expands, LAWA may one day build a new terminal and if the airport really takes off, build its own runways to keep from crowding Air Force traffic. If the service doesn't work, the airport organization may decide to sell the land and give up. "This is the last chance to make this go," says Paul Haney {LAWA's deputy executive director].
The Southern California Association of Governments estimates 12 million passengers will use Palmdale Airport by 2020.
March 12, 2007
Transit line not flying for city - OC Register
La Palma officials say a proposed system that would get passengers from O.C. to the Antelope Valley in an hour will produce excessive noise in residential areas.
Website Editor: The article fails to discuss how the Orangeline Maglev system is envisioned by SCAG regional planners as running from Irvine to Palmdale connecting to LAX and LA/Palmdale airport.
Apparently opposition to airports in the neighborhood may be matched by opposition to ground access infrastructure needed to reach remote airports.
Santa Monica Airport Safety In The News - The Santa Monica Mirror
The City Council decided to delay its recommendation on proposed runway safety enhancements for Santa Monica Airport until the March 26 Airport Commission workshop on the proposal. At present, negotiations are still ongoing between the City and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for creating Santa Monica Airport runway safety areas.
Runway safety areas have become necessary due to the increase use of the Airport by larger and faster aircraft, particularly jets. The problem has become increasing acute because jet traffic has grown 18-fold since approval from the FAA was given in 1984.
March 11, 2007
The sky's no longer the limit at LAX
To make the airport work, planners have to focus on smaller, effective projects. - LA Times Opinion
By Steven P. Erie and Scott A. MacKenzie
Los Angeles, the city that huge public works projects built, has developed a bad case of airport envy. Having in the early 1960s led the nation into the Jet Age with state-of-the-art facilities, Los Angeles International Airport now looks shabby compared with the gleaming new terminals at San Francisco and Seattle-Tacoma airports.
The problem is that L.A. remains addicted to the "culture of Mulhollandism" - grandiose, expensive public works projects that require the sort of over-planning that inevitably inflames opposition and results in stalemate.
Years of unrealistic, overly ambitious LAX master planning have contributed to the region's current airport-capacity problems.
Efforts to plan for new airports in the rest of Southern California, [failed]. The [El Toro] proposal galvanized opponents, and the site was ultimately lost to proponents of a Great Park. This was the last great opportunity in the region for a major new international airport to supplement LAX.
More recently, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority completed a site study for a new airport to replace severely overtaxed Lindbergh Field. Rather than evaluate modest alternatives that would supplement existing facilities, officials focused on winning voter approval for a major two-runway international airport [at Miramar]. The proposal, which angered both the military and communities nearby, was soundly defeated by San Diego voters.
For better or worse, it is unlikely that a major new airport will be built in Southern California again. As a result, regional management of our airports has to improve.
Website Editor - Erie and MacKenzie are consultants to the Southern California Association of Governments and have studied governmental options for effecting airport regionalization.
Their conclusion - that no "major new airport will be built" - appears to rule out a major role for Palmdale.
Sky's the Limit [at JWA] - OC Register
Expanded shopping and dining choices arrive at John Wayne Airport.
March 10, 2007
Southwest Airlines inaugurates new daily non-stop flight service between San Diego and Reno/Tahoe - SD Regional Airport Authority media release
Southwest Airlines announces that beginning March 12, 2007, Southwest Airlines will provide San Diegans with the only year-round twice daily non-stop flight service between San Diego and Reno/Tahoe International Airport.
Website Editor: We spot checked flights from John Wayne Airport for the first weekend in May and found that the only non-stop between Orange County and Reno is on Aloha with a 6:45 AM Sunday return. Southwest and all other airline connecting JWA to Reno at more conventient times cost more and require a change of planes enroute.
Ontario and Burbank have no non-stop service to Reno. It looks like San Diego or LAX are the best bets. We continue to applaud San Diego for its efforts to provide service to more destinations.
March 9, 2007
Encounter [restaurant] at LAX closed by falling arches - LA Times
Officials
shuttered the Encounter Restaurant in the iconic Theme
Building at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday after workers
discovered that space-age arches above the eatery are unstable.City leaders Thursday found parallels between the crumbling icon and aging LAX — which officials have spent $150 million and more than a decade trying to modernize.
According to the 2005 book "A Symbol of Los Angeles: The History of the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport", the structure was erected as part of a modernization plan for the airport in the late 1950s to "incorporate a dramatic iconic focus at the center of the new jet-age terminal that would be long remembered as a symbol of Los Angeles."
DHL at March news update - CAREE news bulletin
Mayor Loveridge stated that DHL noise complaints to his office were increasing. Frank Schiavone stated that he sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration and the FAA is reviewing the data. The JPC hopes to have approval for test flights of three new flight paths for the DHL cargo planes soon. March JPA Airport Director Gary Gosliga said that there will be three test flight paths, two departing to the north, and one departing to the south and turning east over Perris.
AirTran Airways adding non-stop service between San Diego and Atlanta, Orlando - SD Regional Airport Authority media release
Popular vacation and business destinations on the East Coast will be just a non-stop flight away from San Diego starting this spring, when AirTran Airways begins regular service to Atlanta, May 24, 2007, and Orlando, June 29, 2007.
"We welcome AirTran Airways' new non-stop service to Atlanta and Orlando," said Thella F. Bowens, President/CEO of the Airport Authority. "The Orlando flight will give San Diego business and leisure travelers the first non-stop service to Florida from San Diego."
Website Editor: San Diego airport management's willingness to add new destinations for its passengers is strikingly different from the practice at the Orange County airport which continues to operate at less than the passenger cap negotiated with Newport Beach.
AirTran Airways has been on the waiting list for slots at John Wayne Airport since July 2003.
March 8, 2007
Long Beach candidates sound off on airport expansion - LBReports.com
City council candidates express varied views on Long Beach airport expansion.
Board members react to Great Park cost estimate - Irvine World News
First cost estimate comes in at $1.1 billion. The members of the Great Park Corp comment.
Website Editor: See our comments yesterday on how the costs have ballooned, below.
March 7, 2007
San Diego International Airport scores high in 2006 Passenger Satisfaction Survey - San Diego Regional Airport Authority media release
San Diego International Airport (SDIA) observed significant increases in its Overall Passenger Satisfaction scores in 2006. More than eight out of ten passengers (83%) in 2006 gave SDIA an Overall Satisfaction score of "4" or "5" (using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 equals "very dissatisfied" and 5 equals "very satisfied"). In 2005, this number was 75%.
"This is a very high score for an airport. We have been tracking passenger satisfaction at SDIA for three years now. They have always been a high performing airport, but their scores for 2006 are especially high," said Scott Ludwigsen, Executive Vice President of the Travel Research Group at Phoenix Marketing International.
"Phoenix Marketing International has gathered data at over 30 airports in the United States in 2006 and, in comparison, we historically observe that approximately 60% of the passengers give an average airport a satisfaction score of 4 or 5."
Website Editor: SD commissioned the study. No other SoCal airports were included in the study.
Price tag on O.C.'s Great Park is marked up - LA Times
Developer now says the urban oasis will cost more than $1 billion.
Orange County's Great Park, envisioned as a dramatic landscape of man-made lakes, streams and a rugged canyon in the middle of suburbia, will cost more than $1 billion to create.
The new estimate, revealed during a park board study session last week, reflects costs of the park's updated design. The original estimate was far less than $1 billion.
Website Editor: Park opponents originally estimated the project at $2.1 billion. Park supporters in Irvine used a figure of $353 million. None of the three estimates covers the same elements of cost and evaluating which comes closest to the truth is problematic.
This website's comparison of published estimates from Irvine shows that the cost of the sports park has grown from $65 million in the 2003 estimate to $169 million including "inserts". The wildlife corridor cost is up from $32 million in 2003 to $72 million plus an additional $48 for a "lower wildlife corridor". Several major new items have been added including the canyon and botanical garden.
Neither the 2003 or 2007 estimate includes the cost of design, administration or public relations for the park.
March 6, 2007
L.A. airports audit finds lapses - Daily Breeze
Review of agency criticizes the monitoring and documentation of millions of dollars in technology-related contracts.
A review of more than $63 million in technology contracts for Los Angeles airports has found widespread lapses in oversight and management failings at all levels of the process.
More LAX terminal fee increases approved - LA Times
Another round of Los Angeles International Airport fee increases won approval Monday, this one affecting the more than two dozen carriers that use LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Starting April 1, after their current lease agreements expire, 28 airlines will pay higher rent and maintenance fees, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners decided unanimously.
The vote came without discussion, and no one spoke publicly Monday against the decision, which follows a similar, highly controversial rent and fee increase at LAX's Terminals 1 and 3.
March 5, 2007
Newport Beach City Council wrap up - Daily Pilot and Council Minutes
The council agreed to a list of legislative goals for 2007-08 that's largely in keeping with past objectives. One controversial point pulled off the list was official city support for completion of the Foothill-Eastern Toll Road, which has been controversial because the new southern extension would cut through San Onofre State Park.
The city so far has not taken a position on the toll road. It was included in the legislative goals as a way to reduce pressure on John Wayne Airports by making it easier to get to other airports. The road project will be revisited as a separate item later.
The original legislative agenda brought to the council called for city lobbyists to work to:
(a) Preserve and, assuming the terms and conditions are consistent with Council Policy A-17, amend the JWA Settlement Agreement.
(b) Preserve and, if appropriate, expand upon, the 2006 Cooperative Agreement between the County of Orange and the City regarding a second runway at JWA.
(c) Oppose changes in regional aviation policies that would regionalize aviation administration or that would allow a regional entity the power of eminent domain to expand airport capacity.
(d) Support efforts to increase usage of airports with excess capacity such as Ontario and Palmdale airports provided the increased usage does not materially impact the quality of life of nearby residents. The extension of the Foothill-Eastern Transportation Corridor and a proposed tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains would both assist in this transport to other facilities, and are hereby supported by the City of Newport Beach.
March 4, 2007
Orange County Airport Expansion - Times Herald-Record
We were startled to see this come over our cyber-transom this morning.
Orange County Airport can be a major economic development resource focusing on private corporate aviation as well as general aviation. We are taking a number of steps to prepare the airport for the future and our new Director of Aviation is looking forward to making Orange County Airport take off . . .
The entire main runway has to be moved and realigned. By doing this, there is also the added benefit of allowing a wider variety of aircraft the ability to use the airport.
Website Editor: Orange County, New York is a suburban area about 40 miles north of Manhattan. Perhaps - in the fashion of LA/Ontario we better rename ours LA/Orange County to avoid confusion - or was that going to be at El Toro?
Car rental rates likely to increase - Daily News.com
The cost of renting a car at Los Angeles International Airport could soon go up. See story below.
Airport managers want a big, new building to bring all rental agencies together under one roof. And somebody has to pay for it.
Airport commissioners are scheduled to vote Monday on a $10 surcharge for every car rental at LAX. The money would help fund a long-standing plan to curb traffic and cut pollution by herding car-rental firms into a single location.
Rental companies, however, have dug in for a fight, saying they have yet to see plans or justifications for the center.
March 3, 2007
LAX needs new gates - LA Times March 2 editorial
It's about time the city started thinking about sensible solutions to airport overcrowding and poor maintenance.
Los Angeles International Airport is a patchwork of aging, cramped terminals in need of much-deferred maintenance, unable to properly modernize because of neighbors' complaints. . . Apparently, it hadn't occurred to local lawmakers until now that such a state of affairs might be a problem.
Unfortunately, common sense has nothing to do with the LAX planning process. The city has spent $150 million and a decade bickering with neighbors about the future of its major airport.
Website Editor: This website has consistently taken the position that LAX is severely neglected by Los Angeles politicians and the regional planners at the Southern California Association of Governments, who see airports other than LAX - such as Palmdale - as their sole solution to future air travel needs. Failure to expand and improve LAX as Southern California's principal airport will be to the region's detriment.
Today's Times carries several letters on "Turbulence over LAX" . Unfortunately, our letter about the airport's declining position in the region as well as the larger world did not make the newspaper's cut. Clearly something is very wrong when 6 million annual passengers have abandoned the Los Angeles airport since 2000.
March 2, 2007
Airport Terminal Talks Continue, But Slowly - The Long Beach Gazette
Efforts to clear the way to improve the Long Beach Airport terminal are moving at a snail's pace.
Last July, a slim majority of the City Council approved an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the terminal project. But at the same time, it ordered city administrators to negotiate with the more than 40 appellants and come back with a compromise design before starting work.
Expansion of the passenger terminal has been contemplated since 2003, when JetBlue reached full operation and the current limit of daily flights for large aircraft - 41- was reached. The city's current noise ordinance also would allow 25 daily commuter-sized passenger flights, and a start-up airline is currently working to fill those spots.
After several starts and stops, the council approved an EIR that contemplates expanding the terminal from the current 58,000 square feet to 98,000 square feet and replacing the temporary facilities that make up much of the current terminal. A parking garage capable of holding 3,000 cars is part of the project, as well.
Los Angeles Airport Commission to hire Kennard as consultant - El Toro Info Site report
The Los Angeles Airport Commission will decide Monday whether to offer a not-to-exceed $600,000 two-year consulting agreement to Lydia Kennard, the highly-regarded former director of Los Angeles World Airports. The action item says she will "provide technical aviation consulting services as it relates to advanced facilities planning, air traffic regionalization, general management, and other related tasks at Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA) four airports."
Kennard resigned her $298,315 regular job with LAWA in January and the Times then reported "she is eager to become chief executive of a new aviation-related real estate company and to spend more time with her family." It was expected that she would have LAWA as a consulting client.
In a separate matter, the Airport Commission will consider imposing a $10 Customer Facilities Fee on every car rented at LAX.
March 1, 2007
LAX beats DFW to hold on to 3rd place - El Toro Info Site report
Los Angles International Airport held on to its title as the nation's third busiest airport in 2006 in terms of passengers served. LAX and Dallas-Ft Worth have waged a seesaw battle for that spot over the past several years.
DFW just posted year end results that show its passenger total climbed by 1.8 percent from 2005 to 2006. DFW handled 60,226,138 passengers last year.
LAX saw its number drop by 0.7 percent and served 61,041,066 passengers.
With the Texas airport showing growth and Los Angeles on a slide, the gap between them narrowed in 2005. Various measures of airport activity, such as the number of flight operations have had the airports reversing positions during the year, but the number of passengers on all airlines is the most commonly accepted yardstick.
The $ 1.1 billion park - OC Register
Irvine’s Great Park [at the former El Toro airbase] will cost at least $1.1 billion over the life of the project, according to a first estimate by the design team’s manager. See a companion report in the Irvine World News.
Website Editor: In 2001, the Newport Beach pro-El Toro Airport Working Group commissioned a study estimating the park's price tag at $2.1 billion including $418 million for the land which Irvine obtained at no cost. The AWG estimate also included the cost of museums and similar amenities excluded from the new $1.1 billion figure.
On the other hand, the AWG claimed that the Great Park would necessitate a countywide "Great Tax", a scare tactic that is unlikely with the current financial plan.
Airbus to land new plane at LAX, JFK - LA Times
As reported here yesterday, Officials announced that airplane maker Airbus has changed its mind and will bring the first U.S. test flight of the world's largest plane to Los Angeles and New York on the same day this month.
L.A. officials have less than three weeks to plan an event to welcome the aircraft, which they think will draw more than 100,000 spectators.
LAX is expected to have more operations involving the A380 than any other U.S. airport.
