San Bernardino airport spending questioned - The Press-Enterprise
San Bernardino International Airport officials have spent the past five years planning for a deluge of air travelers. The fact that there hasn't been a trickle, or even a single passenger, hasn't stopped them from building ever-costlier terminals and other buildings.
A civil grand jury report issued Thursday faults Scot Spencer, the airport's developer, and Don Rogers, its executive director, for inadequately justifying the increase in cost and scope based on estimates of air travel headed to San Bernardino.
The report recommends the airport hire an auditor to examine $142.5 million in taxpayer money paid so far to contractor Spencer's companies for work on the terminal, the Million Air general aviation complex and a U.S. Customs building "to determine if the developer purposely inflated costs."
Among the concerns raised by the grand jury are decisions to increase the size and scope of a passenger terminal, the use of an auditing firm founded by the airport's executive director, and the potentially unnecessary purchase and repair of 11 jet bridges that are sitting idle.
3 airport communities fight L.A. for control - Daily Breeze
For decades, Los Angeles World Airports had managed a relatively happy family, leading four regional airports under a single banner.
But that relationship has fractured in recent years amid allegations that the three smaller siblings are neglected while all the attention is lavished on the agency's breadwinner, Los Angeles International Airport.
LAWA is now finding itself embroiled in a custody dispute with community leaders in Palmdale, Ontario and Van Nuys, who believe they can bring their respective airports back to prosperity.
Efforts to gain local oversight of LAWA's smaller airports appear to be gaining momentum.
After nearly three years of negotiations, Palmdale Regional Airport will likely be transferred this summer to the city of Palmdale.
Last month, the state Senate approved a measure that calls for creating an Inland Empire-based authority charged with negotiating a transfer plan for LA/Ontario International Airport. The measure now heads to the Assembly for consideration.
Last week, an alliance of nearly two dozen San Fernando Valley neighborhood councils called for a study to examine whether an independent panel should
oversee Van Nuys Airport, taking direct control away from the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.
June 20 - June 26, 2011
Long Beach Airport traffic up through April
For the four months through April, Long Beach passenger traffic was 10.3 percent ahead of the same period in 2010.
The airport served 1.66 million passengers during January through April.
LAX up, Ontario down through May
Statistics from Los Angeles World Airports shows LAX traffic for the five months ending May to be 5.3 percent ahead of the same period last year.
LA/Ontario Airport was down by 1.9 percent from 2010.
Burbank lags this year
Passenger traffic at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport was 4.1 percent behind last year at the end of April.
Private jet firm moves to O.C., to add 70 jobs - OC Register
JetSuite, a charter jet firm, has moved its headquarters to Orange County, with plans to double its workforce to 140 over the next year, the company 's chief executive said Wednesday.
Chief Executive Alex Wilcox said Orange County was the company's top choice because so many of its 70 employees already live or are near here and it's one of the three primary markets for its jet charter service. Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas are the company's other two top-demand markets.
He said the staff has 30 non-pilot employees and the rest are pilots. He expects staffing to double in both categories over the next year.
The company has 11 Embraer Phenom 100 four-passenger jets for hire and aims to be the Southwest Airlines of the private jet market, he said.
June 13 - June 19, 2011
CARLSBAD: County proposes lengthening Palomar Airport runway - San Diego North County Times
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors directed its staff Tuesday to take the first steps in deciding how and whether the county should extend the runway at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.
The panel asked county staff to return within 90 days with a scope, cost and timeline for a feasibility study on the project, which has been discussed for years as the North County airport has grown into a busy commuter hub.
Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall said the supervisors' action was "a real win." He said a longer runway would make the airport safer by giving pilots more room for landings and takeoffs.
In a recently released strategic plan, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority called for the airport's 4,897-foot runway to be extended by 1,100 feet.
Hall said extending the runway could also help reduce noise for nearby residents, because the flight pattern could be changed to keep planes farther away from residential neighborhoods.
Website Editor: The extension would bring the Carlsbad runway to just under 6,000 feet. In Orange County, John Wayne Airport's main runway has been limited to 5,700 feet by efforts of Newport Beach activists, city officials and county elected leaders.
JWA posts May statistics showing a small decline in volume
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport decreased in May 2011 as compared to May 2010. In May 2011, the Airport served 734,671 passengers, a decrease of 0.6% when compared to the May 2010 passenger traffic count of 739,421.
Commercial aircraft operations decreased 2.0%, while Commuter aircraft operations decreased 13.9% when compared to the levels recorded in May 2010.
Website Editor: Commuter aircraft operations this year have averaged less than 10 per day, leaving us questioning why the county is building 5 new commuter gates rather than gates for larger commercial aircraft.
June 6 - June 12, 2011
Report: Switch to private screeners could save $39M a year at LAX - Contra Costa Times
A report found that replacing federal screeners with screeners employed by a private company at Los Angeles International Airport could save $39 million each year. However, observers note that a private firm would still be supervised by the federal government and adhere to Transportation Security Administration regulations. At this point, officials have not made a final decision. "We continue to review the merits of using a privatized workforce and will make our decision soon," said Michael Molina, deputy executive director of external affairs at LAX.
May 30 - June 5, 2011
Suspected drunk driver crashes into plane at JWA - OC Register
A Santa Ana man crashed his vehicle through a chain-link fence and into a small aircraft at John Wayne Airport late Friday, a Sheriff's official said.
Luis Perez, 56, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after sheriffs responded to a 10:36 p.m. call about the crash, Lt. Jim England said.
Perez's vehicle apparently jumped a curb off East Baker Street, cut through the fence and struck the private plane. That plane crashed into a nearby plane.
Analysts warn airport against using bonds to pay for transit center - Glendale News-Press
Bob Hope Airport received a warning this week that its credit rating is likely to suffer if it issues bonds to cover most of the construction costs for its proposed $120-million transit center.
On Tuesday, Fitch Ratings put out a “negative watch” for the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, questioning the proposed financing of the center.
Airport officials plan to borrow between $90 million and $100 million for the project, which would house rental car offices and fleets, as well as a hub linking passengers from taxis, buses and Metrolink trains to the airport terminal. Officials plan to pay off the bonds with revenue from a $6 daily fee on car rentals and monthly payments from firms occupying space in the new building.
Dutton Bill Creating Ontario International Airport Authority Passed by State Senate - media release
A bill by Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) to create a regional airport authority to oversee operations of Ontario International Airport (ONT) was approved May 31 by the Senate and sent to the Assembly.
Senate Bill 446 will allow the creation of a regional airport authority that moves the Ontario International Airport closer to being controlled by representatives from the Inland Empire.
The legislation authorizes and encourages the authority to enter into an agreement with Los Angeles to facilitate the transfer of management and operational control of ONT from Los Angeles to the Authority. In addition, SB 446 requires the Authority, in cooperation with Los Angeles and Ontario, to develop a transition plan to facilitate the airport transfer, and to develop effective surface transportation access to ONT.
Support for the transfer of ONT to local control has been received from the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Council, the League of California Cities Inland Empire Division, the Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, and numerous city governments including Inglewood, Long Beach and Montclair.
