Travel up at most SoCal Airports in April - OC Register
International travel, specifically from Asia, boosts numbers for LAX.
If things seemed a little crowded at Los Angeles International Airport in April, it wasn’t your imagination. Passenger growth surged 8.5 percent compared to April a year ago.
John Wayne Airport, Ontario International Airport and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank also experienced year-over-year growth in April. Only Long Beach Airport, which continues to face headwinds as airlines redeploy equipment to other routes or destinations, declined.
LAX benefited from strong international demand. Traffic for passengers traveling abroad jumped 10.6 percent over April 2014. Foreign travel was up 8.7 percent for the first four months of the year.
The U.S. Commerce Department predicted in April that international travel to the U.S. would grow 3.5 percent this year to 72.2 million visitors.
LAX is expected to be a particular beneficiary because much of that increase will come from Asia. U.S. government tourism officials forecast travel from China will jump 21 percent this year; Taiwan, 15 percent; India, 12 percent and South Korea, 7 percent.
John Wayne’s overall traffic increased 2.2 percent year-over-year, despite seeing a continued slump in international travel, which fell 11.7 percent.
That decline, however, was a major improvement over March, which saw a 22.5 percent drop in travel to Mexico and Canada, the only two foreign destinations the airport serves. The government lowered its estimates for travel from Mexico and Canada this year due to underperforming growth.
Ontario, which has seen passenger traffic decline precipitously for the last seven years, eked out a 1.5 percent gain in April. Mexican low-cost air carrier Volaris instituted twice-a-week service to Guadalajara on April 10.
Burbank also grew 1.5 percent.
Long Beach fell 6.4 percent over April 2013 and is down 6.9 percent year to date.
May 26 - June 1, 2014
Orange County looks at limiting JWA utilization with new EIR alternative
Confidential negotiations between county officials and representatives from Newport Beach resulted in a "Proposed Project" to allow JWA utilization to expand to a maximum of 12.5 million annual passengers, MAP, in 2021. However, in the course of preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Report, DEIR, the parties inserted a new 2025 Horizon Year Alternative into the study that allows for no more than 11.8 MAP through 2025. A new environmental study would be required to expand beyond that point.
The DEIR lists this new alternative as the "Envornmentally Superior Alternative." As such, it is likely to be approved by the Board of Supervisors. It was analyzed "in the interest of minimizing environmental impacts." In other words, it is the lowest growth alternative that the parties to the negotiations believe will pass federal approval under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act.
The currently limits on JWA allow a service level of 10.8 MAP. According to the DEIR, the airport has a capacity of 16.9 MAP (Alternative A), the FAA Terminal Area Forecast shows traffic of 12.8 MAP (Alternative C) and the air carriers using JWA have submitted requests "deliniated" into a 15.0 MAP alternative B.
The DEIR assumes no significant changes to the airport or its access roads over the study period.
JWA continues recovery in April despite fewer commercial flights
Airline
passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in April 2014 as
compared to
April 2013. In April 2014, the Airport served 781,451 passengers, an
increase
of 2.2% when compared to the April 2013 passenger traffic count of
764,308.
Commercial
aircraft operations decreased 5.9%, while Commuter aircraft operations
increased 31.9% when compared to the levels recorded in April
2013. The trend towards fewer noisey large flights has continued
for the year-to-date.
May 19 - May 25, 2014
Cap on JWA flights up for renewal; this is your chance to weigh in - OC Register
The agreement that long ago capped the number of flights out of John Wayne Airport is now up for renewal, with passenger traffic and flights permitted to grow gradually under a tentative deal.
The public is invited to weigh in on a draft environmental report, which looks at air pollution, noise, traffic and other factors arising from heavier use of the airport.
Website Editor: See links to the online version of the report and how to email comments in the article immedicately below.
All public comments on the draft will be included in the final report.
The original 1985 airport agreement, which expires Dec. 31, 2015, enacted one-of-a-kind noise protections and flight caps at the county airport.
Last year, as part of an update to the settlement agreement, as it’s commonly called, Newport Beach and local airport-noise groups agreed to ease caps on the number of flights and passengers as a compromise between the airport and the surrounding community. After 2020, the airport could gradually increase total passenger levels from the 10.8 million now allowed to a maximum of 12.5 million in 2026 under the revised terms.
In addition, flights by large passenger jets could rise to 85 daily from 75 under the revised agreement.
Early morning and late night noise curfews, established separately by a board resolution in 1971 but referenced in the settlement agreement, would remain in effect until 2035, under the proposed updated terms.
After public review of the draft environmental report, the final document is expected to go before the county Board of Supervisors by late summer.
County issues Draft EIR 617 for John Wayne Airport - Orange County Media Release
The County of Orange, as the owner and operator of John Wayne Airport, issued Draft Environmental Impact Report 617 (Draft EIR) for the John Wayne Airport Settlement Agreement Amendment Project. The Draft EIR has been prepared in conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to address the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed modification and extension of the JWA Settlement Agreement.
The Draft EIR and technical appendices are available for public review at: (1) www.ocair.com/settlementagreement;
(2) the John Wayne Airport Administrative Office located at 3160 Airway Avenue in Costa Mesa and at the City of Newport Beach, Planning Department located at 100 Civic Center Drive in Newport Beach; and
(3) the following public libraries:
Costa
Mesa/Donald Dugan
1855 Park Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Costa Mesa/Mesa Verde
2969 Mesa Verde Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
El Modena
380 South Hewes Street
Orange, CA 92869 Irvine/Heritage Park
14361 Yale Avenue
Irvine, CA 92604
Irvine/University Park
4512 Sandburg Way
Irvine, CA 92612 Laguna Beach
363 Glenneyre Street
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Newport Beach
1000 Avocado Avenue
Newport Beach, CA 92660 Orange
407 East Chapman Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
Santa Ana
26 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701 Tustin
345 East Main Street
Tustin, CA 92780
1855 Park Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Costa Mesa/Mesa Verde
2969 Mesa Verde Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
El Modena
380 South Hewes Street
Orange, CA 92869 Irvine/Heritage Park
14361 Yale Avenue
Irvine, CA 92604
Irvine/University Park
4512 Sandburg Way
Irvine, CA 92612 Laguna Beach
363 Glenneyre Street
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Newport Beach
1000 Avocado Avenue
Newport Beach, CA 92660 Orange
407 East Chapman Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
Santa Ana
26 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701 Tustin
345 East Main Street
Tustin, CA 92780
Comments on the Draft EIR will be accepted until 5:00 pm on July 8, 2014, and may be submitted via email to DEIR617@ocair.com or by mail to: Ms. Lea Choum, John Wayne Airport, 3160 Airway Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Two public meetings will be held to provide information about the structure and content of the Draft EIR and to explain the process by which the public can access the document and provide input to the County of Orange. The first meeting will be held on May 28, 2014, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Hewes Middle School located at 13232 Hewes Avenue in North Tustin. The second meeting will be held on May 29, 2014, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at John Wayne Airport's Administrative Office located at 3160 Airway Avenue in Costa Mesa. Members of the public may submit oral or written comments at these meetings.
The Settlement Agreement formalized consensus reached between the County of Orange, the City of Newport Beach, the Airport Working Group (AWG) and Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) on the nature and extent of facility and operational improvements that could be implemented at John Wayne Airport. More information about the Settlement Agreement and the environmental review of proposed amendments to the Settlement Agreement is provided at www.ocair.com/settlementagreement.
Website Editor: The Proposed Project was negotiated in confidential meetings between County and Newport Beach personnel without general public input. It extends the JWA curfew by 15 years to 2035. It keeps the current passenger caps at 10.8 MAP until 12/31/2020 and then allows increases to a maximum of 12.5 MAP which service level is the lowest of the 3 alternatives studied.
May 12 - May 18, 2014
Long Beach Airport Deemed one of 10 Most Beautiful Airports in the World by BBC
In a recent listing by BBC, Long Beach Airport was named one of the world’s ten most beautiful airports.
Noting the 1941 art deco building designed by W. Horace Austin and Kenneth Wing Sr., BBC hailed LGB’s “Bogart-Bacall-era Hollywood charm.”
“What Long Beach does so enchantingly well is to offer a relaxed and gracious alternative, at least for domestic flights, to LAX–Los Angeles International Airport–its mighty, and often mightily confusing, neighbour, 18 miles north,” the article said. “The Art Deco terminal has been well looked after and, indeed, during the new works carried out in 2012, a number of enchanting mosaics depicting seabirds, ships, an oil well and a hand dialing a telephone among others, were found hidden under layers of well worn carpet.”
The list is impressively exhaustive, spanning Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
May 5 - May 11, 2014
Bob Hope Airport sees fewer passengers in April - Burbank Leader
Other regional airports see mixed results
The number of passengers traveling through Bob Hope Airport declined by almost 4% last month compared to March 2013, according to the latest statistics.
It's the second straight month of passenger declines for the airfield, which reported a 1.3% drop in February, following increases of 3% and 1.2% in January and December 2013, respectively.
However, the airport saw a roughly 5.2% decline in passengers overall in 2013.
In looking at individual airlines, Southwest — the largest carrier by far at the airport — also reported an almost 3.9% slide in passengers, going from 249,474 in March 2013 to 239,861 last month.
"Southwest was down and that was what was driving our decline for the month," said Dan Feger, the airport's executive director.
Passenger counts at other airports in the region varied. Los Angeles International Airport handled 4.3% more passengers, while Ontario International Airport saw a 0.4% drop.
John Wayne Airport reported a 0.6% uptick in passengers, and Long Beach Airport's passenger tally declined 5%.
Extreme Makeover: Los Angeles Airport Is Getting a New Look - NBC News
Getting to, from and around Los Angeles International Airport has never been easy. Airport officials said Tuesday it's going to get worse.
An ongoing, multibillion-dollar renovation at the nation's third-busiest airport that has mostly been behind the scenes will soon start affecting passengers in ways large and small.
LAX officials began warning the public about the coming inconveniences that will stretch over the next few years and affect traffic around the terminals and passenger movements inside them.
"Now you're going to start to feel the pain," said Mary Grady, managing director of media and public relations at Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that runs LAX. "Ultimately, it's work that has to be done to transform this airport."
April 28- May 4, 2014
Long Beach Airport’s next boss has big shoes to fill: Editorial - Press-Telegram
The Long Beach Airport took off under the leadership of director Mario Rodriguez, and it has been flying high since. But with little growth left to be had at the tiny, iconic airport, Rodriguez is saying farewell.
Rodriguez, who arrived in 2009 and has been racking up awards for the small airport, announced last week that he will leave next month to take a job running the Indianapolis International Airport.
That’s a big loss for the city that still has some challenges ahead when it comes to the West Coast hub for JetBlue.
He made sure that the airport’s modernization, including a new 13-gate concourse, took care of the airport’s needs now and left room for future growth. As aviation reporter Brian Sumers pointed out, the facility was cheap by industry standards. Bob Hope Airport officials expect to spend at least six times what Long Beach did on their 14-gate terminal.
Right now, the airport isn’t equipped with a customs facility, which prevents international flights. That’s one issue that will need to be fixed in the near future. Whoever picks up his job should move that to the top of their agenda.
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