Week of June 23 - June 29, 2008
Costs force cuts at JWA - Daily Pilot
High fuel costs and a sluggish economy have meant deep service cuts at John Wayne Airport this year, but airport officials say several airlines are waiting in the wings to begin flights to and from Orange County — including the possibility of routes from the international carrier Air Canada.
Several airlines have already cut flights from the Orange County air travel hub, and more have announced plans to slash service.
Passenger numbers at John Wayne were down by 7.6% for 2008 from a year ago in May, according to airport officials.
“Obviously, we are feeling the impact of what is going on in the airline industry right now, but John Wayne is traditionally a very strong market,” said Courtney Wiercioch, deputy director for public affairs at John Wayne Airport.
Southwest Airlines announced plans this week to drop its Orange County to Las Vegas route, with several daily departures, but also has expressed interest in adding routes from John Wayne.
American Airlines will end nonstop service between Orange County and Austin, Texas, in September, and Alaska Airlines dropped flights between John Wayne and Oakland in April. The Hawaiian air carrier Aloha Airlines ended service from John Wayne on March 31 after the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Delta, American airlines cancel more flights - LA Times
Delta Air Lines and American Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Friday as they continued to inspect wiring on their MD-80 aircraft, and US Airways said it would begin inspecting its fleet of 757 jets.
The inspections were having only modest impacts at Southern California airports. As of midmorning, Friday, American had canceled only four departures from Los Angeles International Airport and one from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Delta said its operations in Southern California were unaffected.
Uncommonly Long Line Builds At LAX - KNBC-TV Ch 4 (NBC)
Police at Los Angeles International Airport said a large crowd in the sun waiting to get into Terminal 1 appeared to be merely the result of an unusual travel pattern, and not related to any unusual security event.
A reporter at the airport estimated at 10 a.m. Sunday that about 1,000 people were lined up outside Terminal 1, waiting to get through security.
The line, described by the reporter as "the longest I've ever seen at this terminal, and I fly here a lot," stretched west from the terminal doors past the adjacent Terminal 2 entrance.
People were shading themselves in the hot sun. The 10 a.m. LAX temperature was 86 degrees, and there was no breeze and a scorching sun.
Website Editor: That's one way to regionalize air travel and encourage passengers to use other airports!
Riders have Plan for Funding Subway to the Sea - CityWatch
The Southern California Rail Riders Union, representing Los Angeles transit riders and advocates, has called on the Metro Board of Directors to double its proposed investment in subway and light rail construction by submitting to voters a full-cent sales tax in November, unless more funding is dedicated to subway and light rail construction.
By doubling the investment in transportation infrastructure, and committing all of the extra funding to subway and light rail projects, Metro could take a major step towards making rail transit a viable alternative for commuters in Los Angeles.
The extra $30 billion raised by doubling the sales tax proposal could fully fund a dual line Subway to the Sea which connects the San Fernando Valley to Santa Monica through West Hollywood, extend the Red Line subway to Burbank Airport, the Green Line light rail to LAX, the Gold Line to LA Ontario Airport and more.
Website Editor: While Los Angeles County is contemplating mass transit to get travelers to its airports, Orange County is studying Metrolink or other mass transit to get travelers to avoid John Wayne Airport and go to airports elsewhere.
LAX runways get safer - Daily Breeze
The south airfield at Los Angeles International Airport will get an added measure of safety when a new $83 million centerline taxiway opens today.
The 10,000-foot-long strip will provide a buffer zone for airplanes maneuvering between the southern runways at LAX, which have long been considered a danger zone.
For years, the FAA had blamed the layout of LAX's south airfield for being a major cause of serious runway incursions.
LAX logged more runway incursions than any other airport in the country from 2000 to 2003, with most of the problems reported on the southern runways.
The entire southern runway improvement project marks the completion of the first element of the massive LAX Master Plan, and serves as the first hint of modernization at the airport since several terminals were built for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
A legal settlement reached in December 2005 with the county, three cities and a community group cleared all the legal challenges that had nearly thwarted the project.
See also the LA Times report, Los Angeles International Airport to open taxiway to help prevent near-collisions.
FAA, LA Mayor Oppose Burbank Curfew Plan - Aviation Week & Space Technology
The Federal Aviation Administration and Los Angeles officials joined a number of industry leaders expressing opposition to a proposal to impose a mandatory nighttime curfew at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. (BUR). The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority has undertaken a Part 161 study to impose a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. for all operations except in cases of medical, emergency or military flights. The curfew would provide a one-hour grace period after 10 p.m. for mechanical or weather delays.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pushed for a more regional solution, noting that Van Nuys (VNY) and Los Angeles International (LAX) airports are working on their own Part 161 study to address noise issues - but neither are pursuing an overnight curfew.
Long Beach airport traffic down in May
Long Beach airport passenger traffic dropped by 7.3% for May 2008 when compared to the same month in 2007. For the year to date, the airport is off by 5.2%.
This trend continues the region wide slump observed through April.
Oil and airports
Oil hit just under $140 per barrel last week.
While many forecasts project the near term price going much higher, Canada.com reports Oil expected to 'spike' to $200 per barrel
Alberta Energy Minister Mel Knight and legendary U.S. oilman T. Boone Pickens predicted Friday that oil could soon hit $200 US per barrel. Speaking to the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, Knight said oil prices of $130 US to $140 a barrel are "manageable," but suggested anything over $150 would damage the global economy. He said he expected oil to "spike" to $200 per barrel in the coming months.
One of the assumptions made by Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) planners as the basis the organization's most recent air travel demand modeling was that the price of oil would double from $75 dollars per barrel (when the forecast was made) to $150 by 2030 or 2035. (RADAM version 9.12 for the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan) It appears that we will see $150 oil long before we see 2030.
The slump in regional air travel observed so far in 2008 may be the harbinger of a long-term trend to much higher air fares and much less discretionary flying. If so, the predicted need for more airport capacity will go out the window.
Week of June 16 - June 22, 2008
Hoping noise gets grounded - Daily Pilot , The Bell Curve
A few days after an emotional conversation on my patio was virtually wiped out by the roar of commercial aircraft taking off at what seemed like 30-second intervals, I read a news report in the Pilot offering legitimate hope that new avenues of relief from this level of noise invasion were, at least, beginning to be explored.
They have a long way to travel, but the good news is this effort is being kept front and center at this early stage by the people who can do something about it.
That would start with Orange County Board Chairman John Moorlach, who told Pilot reporter Brianna Bailey that current relief efforts are concentrating on exporting John Wayne passengers to other regional airports by public transportation, a plan that might hopefully save passengers both time and money — and Newport Beach residents a lot of pain.
Audit to look at LAX air traffic staff - Daily Breeze
The U.S. Department of Transportation will launch an audit to determine whether there's a shortage of air traffic controllers at Los Angeles International Airport and two radar control facilities in California, officials announced Friday.
The DOT agreed to conduct the study after Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called for an examination of staffing levels and training measures at LAX, the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control facility in San Diego and the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control Center in Sacramento.
New Calls for Red Line Extension to Burbank - Metblogs
The Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) has been hanging around City Hall this week to convince lawmakers that an extension of the Red Line from North Hollywood to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank is a pretty good idea. The subway extension is already part of Metro’s long range plan, which is comprised of several projects that the MTA is kicking around.
Anyone who lives or works in the Valley, or flies in or out of Burbank, will attest that this should happen.
Reality and the Airport - Voice of San Diego
The two part editorial concludes with an opinion about San Diego airport planning that is similar to this website's position on LAX and the other existing airports in the SCAG region:
Looking at the region as a whole, they [the regional airport authority] can decide where they should put general aviation, cargo and other major operations to ease congestion at Lindbergh. They can work on innovative proposals like the cross-border terminal. But their mission would be to maximize the efficiency and convenience of Lindbergh while evaluating other assets and ensuring we are using them to their full potential.
If you are afraid of congestion at Lindbergh, take a look at the stats, chill out, and then go support a region-wide evaluation of how each and every asset can be used more and better.
Delta to cut about 13% of its LAX flights - LA Times
Delta Air Lines, struggling with high fuel costs, plans to slash about 13% of its flights at Los Angeles International Airport, including nonstop service to Boston, Hartford, Conn., and Columbus, Ohio, according to a national flight database.
The latest cuts would be the deepest so far at LAX, which had managed to escape the brunt of an industrywide move to ground flights as a way to cope with escalating fuel prices. Delta is the fourth-largest carrier at the airport.
Zoom Airlines launches San Diego - London Gatwick service - SD Regional Airport Authority
Zoom Airlines, a Canadian based carrier will launch the only direct service between the west coast and Gatwick beginning Friday, June 20.
Every day, 100 people fly between San Diego and London in each direction.
FAA urges further study - Burbank Leader
Approval of a nighttime curfew at Bob Hope Airport could be delayed by at least a year and a half because of a Federal Aviation Administration recommendation for further study, despite overwhelming community support for the proposed ban, airport officials said Monday.
The proposed curfew would ground most departures and arrivals at the airport from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with exceptions for military personnel and allowances for flights dogged by emergencies or planes delayed by up to an hour by inclement weather.
At the airport authority’s meeting Monday morning, Pasadena Commissioner Chris Holden said the authority should hold talks with regional leaders, including [L.A. Mayor Antonio] Villaraigosa [who opposed the Burbank curfew].
LAX and Van Nuys Airport have submitted draft documents for proposed curfews there, officials said [and may need Burbank's support].
The Daily News carries a related story, Sharing flight noise a sore point.
NBAA blasts analysis supporting night ban at Bob Hope - Flight
The National Business Aviation Association says a cost-benefit analysis that would appear to support a night-time curfew proposed for the Bob Hope Airport is fatally flawed.
The rebuke is the latest chapter in NBAA's efforts to preserve access to three southern California airports - Bob Hope, Burbank and Santa Monica - all of which are attempting to cut noise for neighbouring communities through various means.
Revenues down at Bob Hope Airport
- Burbank
Leader
Passenger and cargo revenues are
down this spring by as much as 40% at Bob Hope Airport.
Passenger revenues from January to
April for United Airlines have declined by nearly 42% and US Airways is
down 20%, according to an airport report released Monday at the
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.
During the same time period, Federal
Express and United Parcel cargo revenues each dropped 36%. Cargo
revenues are down because more people are e-mailing documents, Airport
Authority President Charles Lombardo said.
Although the numbers are a concern,
the authority is prepared because it conservatively organized its
budget for the next fiscal year in anticipation of lower revenue, he
said.
United Airlines to
double flights at L.A./Palmdale Airport - LA Times
Trying to lure more passengers,
United Airlines will double its flights at L.A./Palmdale Regional
Airport, which has been struggling to attract travelers since air
service resumed at the facility a year ago.
United would increase daily flights
from two to four and replace its current 50-seat regional jets with
30-seat turboprops, adding 20% more capacity.
Since United began offering service
at Palmdale in June 2007, its regional jets have been 30% to 40% full,
which is short of a goal of 50% by this time. Typically, flights for
major commercial airlines run about 75% to 80% full.
Airport officials note that in May,
Palmdale's flights were 42% of capacity, representing a new high of
2,323 monthly passengers.
John Wayne Airport
“slots” - El Toro Info Site report
Recent
newspaper articles report that “slots”
opened up at
To understand how many potential “slots” are open, we analyzed the takeoffs and landings of commercial aircraft for a representative workday at the airport. The analysis confirmed observations that the airport is busy for only a few hours out of the day. At other times, empty gates are available to handle additional flights and passengers - if the county allowed it. Click for more on this analysis:
|
Hour starting (1) |
Commercial Departures |
Commercial Arrivals |
Total Commercial Operations |
|
0700 |
20 |
3 |
23 |
|
0800 |
12 |
6 |
18 |
|
0900 |
5 |
9 |
14 |
|
1000 |
10 |
13 |
23 |
|
1100 |
11 |
8 |
19 |
|
1200 |
9 |
7 |
16 |
|
1300 |
10 |
11 |
21 |
|
1400 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
|
1500 |
9 |
7 |
16 |
|
1600 |
8 |
5 |
13 |
|
1700 |
8 |
9 |
17 |
|
1800 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
|
1900 |
7 |
11 |
18 |
|
2000 |
7 |
11 |
18 |
|
2100 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
|
2200 |
0 |
12 |
12 |
The study showed that the utilization of individual gates varies greatly. Busy Gate 1, used primarily by Southwest and Frontier, logged 13 departures and 14 arrivals during the 16 hour day or roughly one round trip every 70 minutes.
Other gates averaged one round trip every 2-1/2 hours or more with a lot of idle time between flights.
Air Canada to cut up to 2,000 jobs over rising fuel - CTV.ca
Air Canada is blaming rising fuel costs on a decision to slash 2,000 jobs and reduce its capacity.
The capacity reduction, which will total seven per cent, will begin in October. The reductions will allocated as follows:
Domestic: Two per cent
U.S. transborder: 13 per cent
International: Seven per cent
Website Editor: Canada's largest airline has been on the JWA waiting list for several years but recently said it has no plans to serve Orange County. Several airlines have languished on the wait list and now appear to be receiving attention as JWA traffic drops.
Airport
Alternatives That Help Lock the Gate at 10.8 -
Daily PilotCosta Mesa City Council Member Katrina Foley wrote last week: The people in Orange County live here because we want to escape the urbanization of Los Angeles, which any future expansion of JWA poses. The people of OC have already decided that we want "Parks Not Airports."
Given that mandate, the challenge is to find alternatives to the expansion of JWA that convienently meet the travel needs of our citizenry.
Costa Mesa and Newport Beach are participating in the the OCTA Go Local transportation design grant program to develop a joint transportation program to transport people to outlying airports.
Week of June 9 - June 15, 2008
Hawaii, no; Canada, maybe - OC Register
At John Wayne Airport, it’s still unclear how the slots vacated by Aloha Airlines might be filled.
Orange County’s hopes for new service from John Wayne Airport to Hawaii dimmed in recent weeks as two airlines thought to be interested in picking up the service after the collapse of Aloha Airlines said they had no plans to enter the market.
A Hawaiian Airlines spokesman said repeatedly that Hawaiian did not intend to take the slots for flights between Orange County and Hawaii if they were offered.
US Airways, which already serves Orange County, has the type of Boeing 757 aircraft that can fly to Hawaii and meet John Wayne Airport’s stringent noise standards. But the airline has no plans for such service.
While Hawaii seems off the list for now, an intriguing option is possible service between Orange County and Canada.
The No. 1 airline on the waiting list is Air Canada. The No. 4 airline is WestJet. Both airlines fly from Los Angeles, with Air Canada flying to several destinations and WestJet flying to Vancouver and Calgary. The airline also flies to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton from Palm Springs.
Though John Wayne Airport does not have customs and border control facilities, passengers could be prescreened before embarking from Canadian airports, with the planes landing just like domestic flights. Vancouver is the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Jenny Wedge, a spokeswoman for John Wayne Airport, said another option would be to allocate the additional slots to an existing airline such as Southwest. But with Southwest already operating 25 percent of the flights in and out of John Wayne, county officials would prefer to diversify the travel choices for residents.
John Wayne Airport set a record with 9.9 million passengers in 2007, Wedge said. That number is expected to be slightly lower this year because of the recession.
With the new terminal’s customs and immigration facilities, foreign flights would not be a problem. Airport officials said the most likely potential markets are flights to Mexico’s resort areas and to Central America.
Orange County among biggest losers as airlines cut back - OC Register
John Wayne Airport ranks No. 4 among major airports in report on airline service cuts. Local officials expect rebound in 2009.
It's old news, but still bad news: Orange County has experienced some of the steepest airline service cuts among major airports in the nation.
Total number of seats available on an average day from John Wayne Airport will have dropped 12.6 percent to 16,747 seats, according to a report in USA Today. The newspaper analyzed flight schedules for the fall submitted by airlines to the Official Airline Guide.
Only Honolulu (23.4 percent), Oakland (21.4 percent), and Kansas City (15.8 percent) had steeper cuts.
John Wayne officials said that there was a waiting list for spots at the airport and that the drop-off would be temporary, with a rebound in passenger levels in 2009.
Most of the cuts at John Wayne Airport have already taken place. Aloha Airlines stopped flying March 31. Alaska Airlines ended service between Orange County and Oakland in April. Up next: American Airlines has announced it will end non-stop service between Orange County and Austin, Tex., at the end of the summer.
Among other area airports, USA Today said Ontario International Airport (which it rated as a non-major airport) would have 16.5 percent fewer seats. Los Angeles International Airport would see a 6.7 percent drop.
Bucking the trend is Long Beach Airport, which the OAG projects to have a 12.8 percent increase. JetBlue, the airport's main operator, recently announced that it had cancelled its previously announced expansion at Los Angeles International and would instead concentrate on its hub in Long Beach.
L.A. mayor weighs in on airport curfew - Burbank Leader
The public comment period on a proposed curfew at Bob Hope Airport ended Friday with a flood of opposition coming from Los Angeles City Hall, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the proposed nighttime ban is counterproductive and improper.
But support for the ban still heavily outweighed opposition to the proposal, airport officials said.
The crux of Villaraigosa's opposition, which came in the form of a letter he wrote to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, centered on a slew of flights that are projected to shift from Bob Hope to six regional airports if the ban on flights from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas and corporate aviation groups and businesses that stand to be affected by the shifting operations have also spoken out against the proposal.
Passenger Demand Still Light for Palmdale Airport Service - San Fernando Valley Business Journal
Six months. That’s the amount of time needed in Palmdale to show if a regional airport in the Antelope Valley can succeed.
One year after the start of scheduled flights between Palmdale and San Francisco, the passenger numbers are disappointing. United Express regional jets arriving and departing at the airfield on the edge of the city twice a day are regularly less than half full.
Changes are in store that Los Angeles World Airports officials hope start a turnaround that bring in the much coveted business traveler airlines rely on.
For one, United will switch from small jets to turboprops and add two daily flights for more choice and flexibility with passenger schedules.
Also, in the fall, United becomes the preferred airline for government employees and military personnel coming and going from bases and facilities in the Antelope Valley, an untapped market the airport needs to succeed.
Top airport security expert in Israel to inspect LAX anti-terror measures - LA Times
Israel's top airport security official will make periodic reviews of anti-terrorist measures at Los Angeles International Airport under an agreement signed Friday during a visit here by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The pact, formalizing an arrangement begun nearly two years ago, will send the Israeli official, Nahum Liss, and two colleagues to Los Angeles for regular inspections as $1,000-per-day consultants. The officials work for the authority that operates Ben-Gurion International Airport.
The team made a preliminary examination of LAX in October 2006.
The deal is part of an effort by city officials to upgrade security at LAX, which is considered the state's No. 1 terrorist target and has been singled out by the Al Qaeda network.
Drive here, fly there? - Daily Pilot
Money has a funny way of changing people’s habits, says Orange County Board Chairman John Moorlach.
If officials were to lure passengers away from bustling John Wayne Airport to other regional airports with public transportation, money, time, and convenience will be the bait, Moorlach said.
An agreement that sets annual passenger limits at John Wayne at 10.3 million is set to expire in 2010, and a subsequent cap of 10.8 million passengers will end in 2015. Many county and city officials are looking toward public transportation as a way to divert travelers from John Wayne to airports like Palmdale and Ontario.
But whether passengers will really be willing to travel by rail or bus to more remote airports with fewer direct flights remains to be seen.
Costa Mesa and Newport Beach are using funding from the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Go Local program for a joint study to examine ways the Metrolink commuter rail system could ease road and air traffic at John Wayne Airport.
Fuel Costs Clip Wings - OC Register
Fullerton Airport quiets down as a gallon of gasoline goes for between $5 and $7.
JWA private flights down 6%
The roar of plane engines can be heard a little less frequently at Fullerton Airport, where the number of daily takeoffs and landings is down.
The airport had 226 daily operations at this time last year, a number that has dropped to 186, an 18 percent decline, according to Federal Aviation Administration statistics. An operation is a landing or a takeoff.
Pilots and others say the cost of tanking up has led to the scarcer air traffic.
At John Wayne Airport, private flights are down about 6 percent, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said. This year the airport has had 7,000 fewer general operations than at this time last year.
General aviation – flights outside the airport’s commercial takeoffs and landings – account for nearly 70 percent of airport traffic, Wedge said.
John Wayne Airport slide continues in May
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport decreased in May 2008 as compared to May 2007. In May 2008, the Airport served 771,124 passengers, a decrease of 11.9% when compared to the May 2007 passenger traffic count of 875,576.
For the year-to-date, the Orange County airport passenger traffic has decreased by 7.6% from the 2007 level.
Commercial Carrier flight operations decreased 9.7%, while Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations decreased 32.7% when compared to the same levels recorded in May 2007.
The airport is suffering from the triple whammy of a regional slump, the loss of service to Hawaii and the decision by airport management and the Board of Supervisors to allocate fewer seats to airlines this year despite a request from at least one - Southwest Air - to increase service.
Show down looms on JWA expansion - OC Register, The Orange Grove
A third terminal is coming, but neighbors want to keep current passenger limits
Website Editor Len Kranser shines some light on O.C.'s coming airport issue. Click for the original text.
In 2002, voters rejected plans for a multibillion dollar second county airport at the closed El Toro Marine air base. Most people expected existing airports, like John Wayne, to meet much of their slowly growing demand for air travel.
By 2011 the third terminal wing [at John Wayne] will be nearing completion. By then, efforts to restrict its utilization will be in full swing.
Unlike the decision on an El Toro airport, the future of John Wayne will not be decided by a high-visibility vote of the people but by largely unseen negotiations involving local officials, lobbyists and lawyers.
Supervisors should weigh the interests of the whole of Orange County in the upcoming bargaining with Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Much will be riding on how well they represent all their constituents. The difficult compromises that they make will affect both the lives of those living near the airport and the travel needs of O.C. residents, businesses and visitors. Its an unavoidable conflict that merits much public attention.
Ivanpah planning forges ahead - Las Vegas Sun
McCarran International Airport chief Randy Walker publicly aired his worries recently about an empty patch of desert 25 miles away that one day is expected to become a major airport. His concerns stemmed from a delay of up to 18 months in planning for the Ivanpah Airport, a $7 billion-plus venture. That means instead of opening in 2017, the new airport might not begin operations until 2018 or 2019.
Analysts have reported that McCarran could hit its capacity between 2011 and 2014.
But one airline industry analyst said Walker should stop worrying about Ivanpah and focus on McCarran.
Although others disagree, Jack Keady, president of Keady Transportation Consulting in Playa del Rey, Calif. sees it like this: More airlines are on the path to bankruptcy, flights being cut now aren't going to return any time soon and a new airport at Ivanpah isn't needed and probably shouldn't be built.
"Why do they need it?" asked Keady. "There's not going to be a big resurgence (in the airline industry) based on easy money and cheap oil. How can you possibly justify a new airport in the middle of nowhere?"
SCAG committee gets update on JWA improvements
The Southern California Association of Governments’ Aviation Technical Advisory Committee meets Thursday June 12 at 10:00 AM at the Emergency Operations Center, Terminal A at John Wayne Airport.
The agenda includes an update on the JWA Improvement Program. http://www.ocair.com/Improvements/Overview/Concepts.htm
The County of Orange is spending an estimated $652 million dollars to construct a 250-300,000 square foot third terminal, add 6 passenger boarding bridges, expand parking by over 2,000 cars and make other airport changes. The project is described as an “improvement” and not an expansion.
Click for an overview of JWA capacity controls and background on the selection of this project alternative.
Regional air traffic falls below pre 9-11 levels
For the first four months of 2008, total air travel at the six airports comprising the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region fell back below its level of early 2001.
Seven years after the terrorist attack, the air travel industry seems plagued by long-term factors such as the high price of fuel and consumer disenchantment with flying that threaten previous optomistic assumptions about future growth.
San Diego's Lindbergh Field is not a part of the SCAG region. Data posted below shows that SAN has experienced consistent growth.
Passenger totals for the 4 months ending April 30th
| Airport |
4
months 2008 |
4
months 2007 |
4
months 2001 |
| Los
Angeles International |
19,097,580
|
19,525,723
|
21,018,416 |
| Orange
County |
3,004,296
|
3,210,474
|
2,370,110 |
| Ontario |
2,211,489
|
2,196,337
|
2,205,895
|
| Burbank |
1,815,697
|
1,808,868
|
1,506,019
|
| Long
Beach |
862,470
|
903,864
|
181,620
|
| Palm
Springs |
763,505
|
770,655
|
624,075
|
| Region
Total |
27,751,404
|
28,414,445
|
27,906,135
|
| San
Diego |
5,944,170 |
5,640,371 |
5,062,809 |
Forbes gives us something to read while waiting at the airport.
O'Hare is the nation's worst airport for delays, according to Forbes' analysis of 2007 Bureau of Transportation statistics for 100 of the largest airports. It earns this unenviable title based on delays related to security, late aircraft, the national aviation system, cancellations, carrier problems and weather. Also factored in, the percentage of flights with on-time arrival and departures.
In Southern California airports ranked as follows with 100 being the worst and 1 the best possible standings:
Long Beach #6
Ontario #21
John Wayne #38
San Diego #65
LAX #86
Ontario #21
John Wayne #38
San Diego #65
LAX #86
Week of June 2 - June 8, 2008
Transportation bill includes funding for studies of Disneyland-to-Vegas MagLev train - Daily Breeze - Associated Press
Plans for a levitating train from Las Vegas to Disneyland can move forward under a transportation bill signed by President Bush on Friday that frees up $45 million for the futuristic project.
Derided by critics as pie in the sky, the train would use magnetic levitation technology to carry passengers from Disneyland to Las Vegas in well under two hours, traveling at speeds of up to 300 mph. It would be the first MagLev system in the U.S.
The money is the largest cash infusion in the project's nearly 20-year history. It will pay for environmental studies for the first leg of the project.
Website Editor: Las Vegas was the #1 airport destination for air passengers from LAX in 2007. It narrowly beat out Chicago and San Francisco. The train could save a lot of flights and reduce the load on airports.
Is that all there is? - OC Register
After six years and millions of dollars spent, an out-of-commission balloon ride is all that has been developed at the Great Park.
The Register devotes most of its front page and two inside news pages to our long standing complaint - too much is being spent on politically motivated PR for a park that does not exist as yet.
"It's one thing to do outreach , but we have done that over and over. We need to build a park." - Irvine Councilwoman Christina Shea.
Bob Hope Airport hit with April downturn; year-to-date is flat
Data from Burbank's Bob Hope airport for April shows a 6.8 percent drop in traffic from April 2007. For the calendar year, the airport remains 0.4 percent above last year's pace.
BUR experienced hits from the grounding of the American Airlines' fleet of MD-80s and the sudden cessation of operations by Skybus; but even Southwest Arlines traffic was down for the month.
Long Beach slump parallels other LA region airports
Passenger traffic at Long Beach airport dropped 9.1 percent in April when compared to April 2007. Year to date traffic is down 4.6 percent.
The slump parallels the experience of other airports in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region.
San Diego airport, which is not included in the L.A. region, continued to show growing traffic.
Revenue from [Bob Hope] airport is strong - Burbank Leader
The revenue that Bob Hope Airport contributes to Southern California businesses has increased by more than $3 billion since 1993, according to the airport's first economic study in 12 years.
The airport brought $3.9 billion in revenue to regional businesses in 2006, which is up from $875 million in 1993.
The report "shows that the airport is a huge economic engine in the local economy," said Dan Feger, airport interim director.
Sixty percent of the airport's passengers said their trips were for pleasure or vacation. Click for the survey report.
Bob Hope Airport was also rated the most convenient Southern California airport compared with John Wayne, Long Beach, Los Angeles International and Ontario International airports. A reported 74% of passengers surveyed ranked convenience as one of their major considerations in booking a flight.
Website Editor: Not a surprising result for a survey of Bob Hope passengers. Surveys at Ontario, John Wayne and LAX showed convenience ranking high as a factor in the choice of those airports by those who used them. This bodes ill for Palmdale airport which is convenient for only a small population of travelers.
Panel OKs $3.2B budget for airports - Daily Breeze
The Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday approved a $3.2 billion budget for Los Angeles World Airports for the fiscal year that begins July 1, a 23 percent increase from last year.
It does not include anticipated expenses for upgrades related to the massive capital improvement project at Los Angeles International Airport, according to a LAWA report. $32 million is set aside for runway safety improvements.
LAWA's operating budget includes $664.1 million to pay for day-to-day expenses - a 4.9 percent spending increase from last year.
The airport agency is expected to more than cover that amount by generating a projected $757.1 million worth of ticket and flight fees, building leases, concessions and other measures at the four airports - a 4.8 percent increase in revenues.
With an anticipated decrease in the number of flights coming in and out of LAX, airport officials said that significantly more revenue will likely come from such sources as parking fees, car rental fees, advertising, food stands and taxicab fees.
Elsewhere, the cost to operate LA/Ontario International Airport is expected to increase nearly 11 percent - to $75.1 million. However, revenue at Ontario airport is expected to drop slightly from $92.3 million this year to $91.7 million during the next fiscal year.
The cost to operate Van Nuys Regional Airport will increase 28 percent to $21.6 million, while revenues are expected to increase nearly 26 percent to $24 million.
Palmdale Regional Airport will be LAWA's only airport operating on a debt, with costs expected to be $9.8 million, up from $7.7 million last year. Revenue at the airport is expected to be $2.1 million, up slightly from $1.5 million earned last year.
United launched service from Palmdale to San Francisco about a year ago, but few passengers take advantage of the flights. Airport officials are trying to come up with measures to keep the two daily flights in place, even as United discontinues service from low-performing markets across the country.
San Diego bucks the downtrend: Lindbergh Field shows the way
Air passengers were up 2.0 percent in April at San Diego's Lindbergh Field when compared to 2007.
Year-to-date, the airport has seen an increase of 5.4 percent in passenger traffic, thanks in good part to a 13.1 percent increase in the number of air carrier operations.
San Diego's award winning airport is bucking a downtrend trend seen at other Southern California airports (see article below) by aggressively adding flights to serve its flying public. San Diego maximizes utilization of its single runway by slotting flights into less busy times of the day.
Despite it's small land area and the large number of residences in its noise footprint, the airport has plans for physical expansion.
By contrast, Orange County turns down airline offers to increase service and Los Angeles turns away passengers by failing to rectify LAX's user-unfriendly ground-side access. Bob Hope airport has an agreement not to expand its terminal and Long Beach airport has a cap on its number of flights.
Local air travel slumped in April depressing year-to-date results
Air travel at LAX declined by 5.85 percent in April compared to April 2007. For the year-to-date, passenger traffic was down by 2.19 percent.
At Ontario Airport, April traffic was off by 7.21 percent. Year-to-date traffic remained narrowly up by 0.69 percent.
Previously reported, John Wayne Airport saw a 9.6 percent drop in April. Year-to-date, the Orange County airport volume is off by 6.4 percent.
Palm Springs airport was off by 4.8 percent for the month.
April data for Long Beach and Bob Hope Airport has yet to be posted.
