May 23 - May 29, 2011
LAX continues to lead recovery
Los Angeles International Airport continues to lead an uneven air travel recovery. LAX traffic was up in April by 7.2 percent over April 2010.
LA/Ontario Airport and Orange County's John Wayne had lower traffic in April.
Bob Hope and Long Beach have yet to post April results.
Long Beach adds Anchorage service
JetBlue Airways launched a new seasonal nonstop flight from Long Beach to Alaska on Monday and plans to add a third daily flight to Sacramento in coming months.
The Anchorage flight is the latest expansion at Long Beach Airport, where commuters now have the option of direct travel to 17 cities nationally.
The Alaska flights will last through at least Sept. 5, though they could be extended depending on demand.
May 16 - May 22, 2011
JWA construction costs on supervisors' agenda - Daily Pilot
The Orange County Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday on about $11 million worth of work for John Wayne Airport's improvement project.
A $7-million contract would kick off improvements to existing terminals A and B airline interior spaces and heating/air conditioning systems.
In other items, the board is scheduled to vote on about $4 million in additional work requested by contractors.
Airport noise in Tustin down over last year - OC Register
The noise from planes flying from John Wayne Airport in Irvine decreased in 2010, agenda reports state.
Click here for JWA data that shows that 2010 airport noise is down at all monitoring stations when compared to 10 years ago when fewer passengers flew from the airport. Newer quieter aircraft are the likely explanation.
The monitoring station at Columbus Tustin Middle School, 17952 Beneta Way, cited sounds below the state, county and city levels for residential areas, the reports state.
The number of complaint phone calls also decreased, with 13 complaints from July to December 2010, compared to 38 the previous year.
Bob Hope Airport sees drop in passenger numbers - LA Times
The number of passengers at Bob Hope Airport dropped 5% in March, confounding officials who on Monday said the decline was greater than expected.
The loss of 7,497 passengers compared with the same period last year was 2% lower than what had been budgeted for, and likely contributed to a drop in parking revenues, which fell about 7.6%, or $129,000, according to a report to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.
"Well, we haven't seen the bottom yet," said Dan Feger, executive director of the airport.
Passenger figures typically rebound in March after the slow season in January and February, officials said, but that didn't happen this year. Officials wouldn't point to any one reason for the decline in passengers, but said the airport budget remained solid despite the lost revenue.
JWA traffic decreased in April
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Media release
Commercial aircraft operations decreased 2.9%, while Commuter aircraft operations decreased 12.5% when compared to the levels recorded in April 2010.
Website Editor: With commuter flights down to only 287 for the month, less than 10 per day, it raises questions as to why the airport management is building 5 commuter gates. See airport layout below.
May 9 - May 15, 2011
JWA renumbers gates - JWA media release
John Wayne Airport is renumbering its gates in preparation for opening 6 more later this year.
Airport officials push new terminal - Burbank Leader
Commission President Frank Quintero says, 'The citizens of Burbank will make the ultimate decision.'
Officials are preparing for a major public outreach effort to sell Burbank residents on a new passenger terminal at Bob Hope Airport and the development of 59 acres that once belonged to Lockheed Martin.
The effort comes as a 2005 development “cease fire” agreement nears an end, and as the once-contentious relationship between the city and airport appears to have turned a corner.
On Monday, the airport authority voted unanimously to extend the development agreement with the city, which expires in 2012, for three more years. An amendment included in the extension lifts the ban on discussing the replacement of the current passenger terminal, although the airport would still be barred from designing or breaking ground on such a project until at least 2015.
Riverside County may try to join proposed Ontario airport authority - Press-Enterprise
For several months, the city of Ontario and San Bernardino County have been leading the effort to regain control of Ontario International Airport from the city of Los Angeles.
As officials have sought to take over what they say is a neglected airport since Los Angeles also owns and operates LAX, they've amassed support from regional agencies including the Southern California Association of Governments and lobbied Sacramento to create legislation to create an Inland airport authority.
Now, Riverside County may want in on deciding the Inland airport's future.
A San Bernardino County spokesman had "no thoughts on the subject."
May 2 - May 8, 2011
Budget grew with plans - Daily Pilot
As designs for JWA's new Central Utility Plant evolved, so did the cost. Officials say it will eventually save money.
How the budget for John Wayne Airport's new electricity and air conditioning generator nearly tripled in size — from an inkling of an idea at $11 million to a robust utility plant at $31 million — apparently is not a case of contractors bilking the county-owned aviation hub or of frivolous spending.
Rather, it illustrates how major construction projects often morph, especially when they are planned in a volatile cost environment and are part of a larger undertaking, like the airport's half-billion dollar expansion.
Newark airport continues to have highest average fare for domestic flights - The Star-Ledger
Newark Liberty International Airport is earning a reputation not only as the hub with the most delays in the country but also as the one that’s the most expensive.
For the second quarter in a row, the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported today that Newark had the highest average fare for domestic flights.
Word that Newark’s fares are the most expensive in the country follows another dubious distinction bestowed on the airport last month, when the bureau reported that the nation’s four most often delayed regularly scheduled flights were all out of Newark. The list was topped by Continental Flight 387, to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., which was delayed every single time it flew.
WestJet inaugurates O.C.-Vancouver service - OC Register
Orange County's aspirations as an international destination took a step forward Monday when a WestJet Boeing 737 from Vancouver touched down at John Wayne Airport.
Passengers, some wearing Mickey Mouse ears handed out in Vancouver, stepped through an arch of orange and yellow ballons into the terminal to be greeted by Goofy and Donald Duck. They were all ready to begin their vacations, having cleared customs and immigration in Canada prior to departure.
WestJet plans to expand its presence in Orange County next month with daily service between Orange County and its main hub in Calgary.
The flight and the departure soon after of the return flight to Vancouver were a bit of good news for the county, which has seen a decline in the number of airlines serving John Wayne Airport while finishing a $543 million expansion project that includes a third terminal.
WestJet is the second Canadian carrier to try Orange County service in the past year two years. Air Canada attempted Orange County-to-Toronto service last year before abruptly pulling the plug in October. Virgin America, which arrived with much hoopla in 2009, disembarked in March 2010. Along with the bankruptcy of Aloha Airlines in 2008 and the recent Delta-Northwest and United-Continental mergers, the airport has seen the airline options for travelers shrink as its facilities grow.
Airport officials say the terminal was planned with long-range forecasts of increasing passenger demand for air service. The sputtering economy and airline consolidations may have put a temporary dent in the timetable, but they believe that the demand will rise to match the supply.
The new Terminal C will feature Orange County's first international customs and immigration facilities. Airport officials have said they have discussed several options for international flights, but no plans have yet been announced involving specific airlines.
Southwest Airlines will take up the majority of the space in the new terminal. While Southwest does not currently fly international routes, it is merging with Air Tran, which flies to Mexico. Southwest has also partnered with Mexico-based budget carrier Volaris Airlines.
