LAX to test new scanners for shoes - Daily Breeze
Performing a barefoot strip tease at security checkpoints may become a thing of the past as federal authorities prepare for summertime tests at Los Angeles International Airport on a pair of new machines that scan shoes for explosives.
The PassPort scanners, manufactured by government contractor L-3 Communications, will determine whether travelers are hiding bombs in their footwear.
LAX terminal evacuated - Daily Breeze
One of the busiest terminals at LAX was briefly evacuated Saturday after an X-ray machine showed one bag had a "dense mass with wires attached to it" that turned out to be a book and computer cables, a police sergeant said.
The Los Angeles Police Department Bomb's squad said the suspicious item was found by federal Transportation Safety Administration inspectors, prompting a partial evacuation at Terminal One.
Air Canada Leaps Noise Hurdle At John Wayne - Aviation Week
Air Canada has successfully completed arduous noise qualification tests with an Airbus A319 in Orange County, Calif., at John Wayne Airport as the first step toward becoming the U.S. airport's first international operator.
The trials, completed on July 22, included five departures with the aircraft ballasted with newspapers to simulate full passenger loads. Air Canada, which has been on a waiting list of airlines wishing to operate from JWA since 2001, is believed to be interested in establishing flights to and from Vancouver and at least one other Canadian city.
"The airline is also working with U.S. customs and border patrol, and that needs to be worked through as we've never had direct international services from here before," says an airport official. "It sounds like there's some feasibility of something working out, and we think we could see services as early as the end of this year."
JWA, which serves almost 10 million passengers annually, is in the rare position of actively soliciting for business following the collapse of Aloha Airlines earlier this year, and the reduction in services by American and Alaska in the wake of recent fuel price increases. Some additional slots have been taken up by Southwest Airlines but further services from new carriers are sought. "It's really important for us to have a diverse mix of carriers here," adds the official.
JWA is "reaching out" to Virgin America, the California-based, low-cost member of the Virgin Group, and remains in active talks with others on the waiting list including Canadian carrier WestJet. Talks have meanwhile slowed with two others--AirTran and Hawaiian--after both airlines declared they are not yet interested in starting services
Website Editor: Air Canada, and passengers who would have used the Canadian route, have been on hold for 7-1/2 years. Air Canada joined the waiting list on January 12, 2001 but was held off even though the airport consistently operated substantially below the MAP cap negotiated with Newport Beach.
American Trans Air (ATA) joined the John Wayne waiting list on January 19, 2001 and successfully completed the noise test with a 757-200. At the time, ATA flew from Los Angeles to Hawaii and to the midwest. ATA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 2, 2008 and discontinued operations the following day. Similarly named Air Tran Airways joined the wait list on July 29, 2003 and provides budget service to the midwest with connections to the east coast.
Landing some big bucks - OC Register letters
Website Editor Len Kranser continues to call it what it is with the following letter.
The Register reports that higher fees would help “fund expansion of the aviation hub” The Register, and nearly everyone else, calls the $570 million John Wayne Airport project an “expansion.” (See report below) However, county officials never use the “expansion” word, referring to the new third terminal and thousands of additional parking spaces as an “improvement.”
The official avoidance of the “expansion” word is an exercise in political correctness. The county approved the costly building project without any plans for using the new terminal to expand the number of flights or passengers served, beyond the limits for 2011-15 negotiated with Newport Beach more than five years ago. Any increase in air travel use after that will require a time-consuming environmental impact study.
No private business would undertake a major expansion without more economic justification. However, the county has the luxury of being able to pass the cost along to passengers through higher parking fees and a $4.50 per-ticket facilities tax.
John Wayne Airport parking rates to rise - OC Register
Fees rise for first time in years to support expansion project.
The first John Wayne Airport parking-rate increase in years won narrow county supervisor approval Tuesday, part of an effort to fund expansion of the aviation hub.
The increase was approved 3-2 with Supervisors Pat Bates and Janet Nguyen dissenting without explanation.
Website Editor: Airport management steadfastly refuses to call the expansion an "expansion" but rather an "improvement". There are no plans to lift the limits on air travel at John Wayne after the project is complete. The 10.8 MAP cap set in 2003 for 2011-15 will stay in force indefinitely unless changed by a new environmental impact report.
Atlanta tops list of the world's busiest airports - USA Today
[LAX is fifth]
Nearly 4.8 billion passengers took to the air last year, with Atlanta's Hartsfield International atop the list of the world's busiest terminals, followed by Chicago's O'Hare and London's Heathrow.
That figure was 6.8% higher than the previous year, according to Airports Council International, an industry association that issued the annual report Tuesday.
But Council Director-General Angela Gittens cautioned that traffic growth has been slowing during the first months of this year, running only about 3% higher than in 2007.
Atlanta, the world's busiest airport, remained well ahead with 89.4 million passenger arrivals and departures last year, a 5.3% increase over 2006.
O'Hare came in second with 76 million passengers and Heathrow was in third with 68 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were Tokyo Haneda, 67 million; Los Angeles, 62 million; Paris' Charles De Gaulle, 59.9 million; Dallas-Fort Worth, 59.7 million; Frankfurt, Germany, 54.2 million; Beijing, 53.6 million; and Madrid, Spain, 52.1 million.
LAX traffic shows small slide in June
In June, the total number of passengers using LAX declined by 1.54 percent when compared to the same month last year. International travel decreased by 0.77 percent and domestic traffic was off by 1.82 percent.
Overall, the airport has lost 0.58 percent of its volume for the first six months of the year.
LA/Ontario Airport saw an 11.33 percent drop in the month and is off by 3.04 percent for the year-to-date.
As previously reported, Orange County's John Wayne Airport experienced an 11.4 percent drop in June and is down 8.3 percent for the year.
The trend is consistent with national moves by airlines, cutting service to smaller airports while trying to maintain operations at major hubs. It does not bode well for advocates of regionalizing Southern California air service who seek to disperse travel away from Los Angeles to numerous smaller airports.
JWA traffic slows in 2008 - Daily Pilot
Traffic at John Wayne Airport has dropped significantly over the last six months, but Newport Beach’s airport consultant Richard Cox told city officials Monday that they shouldn’t let their guard down.
Airport officials, city analysts and policy makers all agree the drop in passengers will not last forever, though.
One of the highlights of Cox’s presentation to the committee was a Federal Aviation Administration study, called FACT 2, which lists John Wayne as an airport that could accommodate more passengers in 2015. However, the study is based on demand for flights and because that demand is decreasing, the FAA’s requests might be less pressing, Cox said.
“Newport Beach has the current settlement agreement, and as long as that’s in effect then they’re in very good shape,” Cox said.
Even if the FAA says John Wayne should increase flights, the final decision to add infrastructure or change the cap on passengers is in the hands of the airport, Wedge said. The national body cannot force John Wayne to increase its offerings.
John Wayne has no plans to increase passenger traffic and would refuse any FAA suggestion to extend the runway or add a second, according to Wedge.
Website Editor: These decisions theoretically are in the hands of the Board of Supervisors, negotiating agreements on behalf of the county with Newport Beach. However, the airport manager frequently recommends actions to the supervisors that result in lower levels of service than allowed by the agreements.
Landing costs at LAX on the rise - Daily Breeze
Cash-strapped airlines will be forced to pay 15 percent more to land at Los Angeles International Airport under a plan adopted Monday by airport officials to offset lost revenues from flight cutbacks.
In total, LAX is expected to rake in $185 million worth of landing fees to cover airport operations this year.
"Adjusting the landing fee is something we do a couple of times a year, so this is a routine deal for us," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that operates LAX.
The airport commission also agreed to increase landing fees at LA/Ontario International Airport from $2.43 per 1,000 pounds to $2.70. Even though landing fees are lower at Ontario airport than at LAX, airlines pay higher rental fees for terminals, making it more expensive to do business at the San Bernardino County airport.
"That doesn't help our cause for regionalism and getting flights to other airports in the region," said Airport Commissioner Valeria Velasco.
Week of July 21 - July 27, 2008
Call it the Late Park - OC Register commentary
Editorial writer Steve Greenhut opinions:
In reality, most Orange Countians are perfectly content believing Agran [about Great Park progress] rather than their own eyes. After all, they never wanted a park. They wanted anything but an airport. And that's exactly what they have.
Website Editor: The voters didn't want a second county airport. Given the slump in air travel, they were wise to reject the multi-billion dollar project. There is nothing wrong with the voters getting their way.
Measure W, the Orange County Central Park and Nature Preserve initiative, offered agricultural use of the land, stables, RV parking, golf, sports fields, green space, a nature preserve and other relatively low cost, low traffic-generating uses. That is what the voters passed in 2002.
Only at a later stage did we get Larry Agran's international design competition, Ken Smith's artificial canyon, multi-million dollar public relations campaigns, lavish fund raisers for a botanical garden, and the orange balloon.
Parking plans for Long Beach Airport delayed - Press-Telegram
As the airline industry flies through turmoil, the Long Beach Airport is being affected, but instead of losing a major percentage of revenue like other airports, the main effect is the delay in plans to build a parking structure and renovate the terminal.
"Calling our plans `a process' is appropriate," Assistant Airport Manager Christine Edwards said. "Six months ago, I could give you a timeline on what we'd like to do. But the industry has changed so much during that time, that our situation has changed, too. We're going to have to be more deliberate and careful, understanding what the airlines are going through."
Edwards is hoping to keep both the parking structure and terminal expansion plans moving forward, despite the expected delay. "The next step with City Council would be a proposal to issue bonds," she said. "But that's at least six months away, and maybe 12 months away."
LAX's landing fee may take off - Daily Breeze
Airlines would pay more to land at Los Angeles International Airport under a proposal set for consideration on Monday.
The fee hike comes at a time when airport officials are seeking ways to generate more revenue and air carriers are making plans to drop thousands of weekly flights at LAX this fall.
By November, LAX is expected to see a 16.7 percent reduction of flights and an 11.1 percent loss of available seats compared with a year earlier, according to updated figures posted Friday by Innovata, an airline industry database in Atlanta.
Air Canada Testing at John Wayne Airport - Supervisor Pat Bates' report
Since Aloha Airlines discontinued service, space for a new airline has opened up at John Wayne Airport (JWA) with Air Canada topping the waiting list. As part of the application process, Air Canada conducted the FAA required Noise Qualification Test with its Airbus 319 aircraft including five proposed departures. This is one of many steps in the process of bringing a new airliner to our airport.
A number of operational issues must still be resolved before airport staff brings a recommendation before the Board of Supervisors for allocation of capacity and execution of a lease/operating agreement with Air Canada.
Southwest Airlines will soon be No. 1 at four of five area airports - LA Times
Southwest Airlines Co. this fall is on track to become the busiest carrier at Los Angeles International Airport and at three of the four regional airports in Southern California as high fuel prices force its main competitors to cut flights.
The low-fare carrier, benefiting from a successful fuel-pricing strategy, has been able to hold down its fuel expenses while rivals have scrambled to cope with record fuel costs.
By November, Southwest will account for nearly 17% of all flights at LAX, the nation's fourth-largest airport.
At Ontario International Airport, Southwest will account for 56% of flights, up from 43% last year. At Burbank's Bob Hope Airport, 63% of the flights will be operated by Southwest, while at Orange County's John Wayne Airport, Southwest will account for 29% of flights. Southwest has no flights at Long Beach Airport.
For Southern California travelers, Southwest's grip on air service at four of the five airports could have mixed consequences. With legacy airlines such as American and United cutting flight schedules, consumers will have fewer choices and could potentially face higher fares.
Pay hikes urged at airports - Daily Breeze
Even as the nation's airlines struggle to stay in business amid record-high fuel prices, a local labor group called on air carriers Thursday to use federal subsidies to help pay for wage hikes and increased training for airport service workers.
Since 9-11, the nation's domestic air carriers have received $7.98 billion worth of federal subsidies and an additional $8.47 billion from various state and local agencies as a way to stay in business, according to a study by the group, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn is expected to introduce a motion today asking the City Attorney's Office to draw up recommendations aimed at reducing the 50 percent turnover among service workers at LAX, possibly through increased wages and health benefits.
"As we're moving forward to invest billions of dollars in an airport modernization plan, we need to make sure that the workers are well-trained and properly compensated," said Hahn, who chairs the City Council committee that oversees LAX.
Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. said "LAANE has been circling LAX for a long time by trying to get better wages and training for workers. The sad fact is that these workers should have received better training in K-12 schools so they could have better jobs today."
'Experts' can fly through security at John Wayne Airport - OC Register
Trio of checkpoint lanes debuts to speed up screening and enhance safety.
The familiar long line of passengers waiting to be screened for explosives, handguns and excessively large bottles of mouthwash was ditched Thursday in one of John Wayne Airport's terminals, giving way to three rows for travelers who are speedy, slow or somewhere in between.
The so-called Black Diamond Self-Select Lanes – named after ski slope skill levels – offer one route for "expert" travelers who fly frequently and can zip through the checkpoint; another path for "casual" travelers with a general knowledge of the security routine, and a third line for "families and special assistance" travelers who tend to be a bit slower.
One goal, of course, is to trim wait times. They're already fairly low at John Wayne Airport, rarely averaging 10 minutes or more in the past month, according to the TSA.
The "Black Diamond" lanes debuted in Salt Lake City earlier this year and have since spread to more than 30 airports. They're being used on a 30-day trial basis in Terminal A at John Wayne Airport, but seem pretty likely to become permanent – no airport that has tested the system failed to adopt it, Baird said.
JetBlue won't cut any flights in L.B.- Press-Telegram
As JetBlue Airways announced cutbacks elsewhere in the Southland on Wednesday, (story below) the carrier said it had no such plans at Long Beach Airport, where it is the busiest airline.
Sebastian White, a JetBlue spokesman, confirmed that, saying that a flight reduction for the airport would not be advantageous.
"We certainly have no plans to cut anything in Long Beach - it's not advantageous," he said. "Long Beach does great for us, and we're pretty committed to it."
JWA contemplates parking fee increase to help pay for expansion
On July 29, the O.C. Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on increased parking fees for John Wayne Airport.
Airport management recommends that: (i) Terminal parking rates be revised from $1 to $2 dollars per hour and from $17 to $20 per day; (ii) Main Street parking rates be revised from $1 to $2 dollars per hour and from $12 to $14 per day; and (iii) the new Parking Lot C parking rates be set at $2 per hour and $17 per day.
Daily parking rates at John Wayne Airport have remained unchanged for six years. The last increase in daily parking rates was implemented in April 2002.
The increase, along with the current $4.50 per ticket Passenger Facilities Charge, will help pay for the new third terminal and expanded parking at the airport.
United, JetBlue to reduce flights from Southern California airports - LA Times
Southern California airports faced substantial reductions in flight traffic and revenue after two major carriers Tuesday announced they would cut service at Los Angeles International and Ontario airports this fall.
United Airlines -- the second-busiest carrier at LAX -- said it would slash about 20% of its Southern California schedule, or about 40 flights a day, this fall. That would include eliminating nonstop service to Frankfurt, Germany, and Hong Kong.
In addition, JetBlue Airways, once one of the fastest growing carriers in the region, said that after Labor Day it would pull out of Ontario, where it began its West Coast expansion in 2000.
JetBlue's move came a week after ExpressJet announced it would stop all service at Ontario on Sept. 2, eliminating 15 nonstop flights to such destinations as Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Okla.
In all, Ontario airport is expected to lose 37% of its flights in the fall, making the airport one of the nation's hardest hit by an industrywide rush to cut flights amid soaring fuel costs.
With the service cutbacks, area travelers can expect higher fares, more stopovers and driving farther to catch flights that may no longer be available at a nearby airport.
Much-needed airport improvements could also be waylaid as fewer flights reduce the fees airlines pay to airports.
Website Editor: This does not look good for the future of Palmdale after the government subsidy of United's losses runs out. It also serves as a reminder of the financial disaster that El Toro Airport would have been.
San Diego Airport continues to show the way
San Diego International Airport posted a 4.0 percent increase in passenger traffic for the month of June when compared to June 2007.
For the first half of calendar year 2008, the airport's volume was 5.1 percent ahead of the same six month period last year.
San Diego's Lindbergh Field and its airlines face the same economic factors, including high fuel costs, that put the remainder of Southern California's commercial airports into a slump. However, S.D. airport management aggressively seeks more flights from more air lines. For the six months through June, the number of air carrier operations increased by 14.5 percent over last year.
The award winning San Diego's airport grows by putting the needs of its flying public first. In the Los Angeles region, LAX, John Wayne, Bob Hope and Long Beach airports all operate under agreements with their neighbors that restrict service.
Vacancy on the
In early 2006, Commissioner Russell Paris died, creating a vacant seat on the Orange County Airport Commission that has since remained empty.
On April 25, 2006 the Board of Supervisors rejected 1st District Supervisor Lou Correa’s nominee, Chuck Smith. Supervisors Correa and Norby voted for Smith and Supervisors Silva, Wilson and Campbell voting no.
Smith
would have been a forceful, though controversial,
addition to the commission. Besides championing the
The
Orange County Airport Commission is empowered "to advise the Board of
Supervisors and makes recommendations on any matter pertaining to
airports or
air transportation." It also may "conduct investigations" as it deems
necessary in
the exercise of these responsibilities. The commission has not actively
pursued
these responsibilities with regard to the politically sensitive subject
of planning for O.C.’s
future air travel needs.
Week of July 14 - July 20, 2008
Big airlines to cut LAX flights - Daily Breeze
Anxious airline carriers reeling from financial pressures have posted travel schedules for November that reflect a 16.4 percent drop in flights at Los Angeles International Airport compared with a year earlier.
Rising fuel costs have prompted the airlines to use smaller jets, cut routes and increase ticket prices, leading to a reduction of more than 1,900 weekly takeoffs and landings at LAX by late fall. As a result, 163,600 fewer seats will be available to airline passengers each week.
Small regional airports are expected to take an even bigger hit, including LA/Ontario International Airport, which is operated by the same agency that owns LAX.
Ontario is expected to see 630 fewer takeoffs and landings in November, a 36.1 percent drop compared with last year, according to Innovata's database. That will lead to 26,470 fewer available seats, or a 27 percent drop.
JWA slide continues in June - El Toro Info Site report
John Wayne airport traffic slid in June to 797,943 passengers, a decrease of 11.4 percent from last June. For the first half of 2008, the Orange County airport experienced an 8.3 percent drop in business when compared to 2007.
The decrease was accompanied by a reduction in the number of air carrier and commuter aircraft flights offered at the airport.
According to a USA Today study, JWA is projected to experience one of the biggest service declines in the nation.
The airport operates on an April 1 through March 30 Access Control Plan Year as part of the county's agreement with Newport Beach to limit utilization. The airport is allowed to serve 10.3 million annual passengers (MAP) under the agreement but served fewer than 9.9 MAP in the 2007-08 plan year. For the first three months of the current plan year, JWA was 11 percent behind last year.
Part of the Orange County airport’s drop in service is self inflicted. In January, the Board of Supervisors denied a request by Southwest Airlines to add flights this year. Instead, the Board cut the number of seats allocated to airlines by approximately 300,000 from the number they approved for 2007-08.
Several airlines have been languishing on the waiting list for approval to serve Orange County. This is not a good time for turning away carriers that want to provide passenger service.
McCarran International Airport: County approves third terminal - Las Vegas Review-Journal
Airline officials argue expansion too risky in current climate
Clark County is pushing forward with a $1.8 billion airport expansion in Las Vegas despite pleas to hold off from airlines who fear there won't be enough passengers to justify the cost.
In a letter to leaders of McCarran International Airport, airline officials say the state of their industry is so shaky that every airport upgrade that can't be justified by current need should be canceled or delayed.
Leaders of Southwest Airlines, the carrier with the largest presence in Las Vegas, said they think Clark County should reconsider the expansion.
"What we want is to have the whole project assessed, and that is due to $145-per-barrel oil," said Bob Montgomery, vice president of properties for Southwest. "The economics of the business have changed significantly."
Expansion begins next week despite industry woes - Sacramemto Bee
Rocked by spiraling fuel costs, airlines are raising fares, canceling flights and even charging for luggage. So some airports are rethinking growth plans. And aviation experts say they expect more turbulence for a troubled industry.
Amid the turmoil, Sacramento International Airport next week will begin a long-planned $1.27 billion airport remake. And, while airport officials acknowledge the uncertainty of the moment, they remain confident they're making the right move.
Airlines, including Southwest and United, complain the cost is too high and the timing is bad. But Acree and his boss, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, counter it's bad business to delay.
Palm Springs sees slowdown in air traffic
Passenger traffic at Palm Springs airport dropped in June to 10.6 percent below June 2007. Year to date, travel was off by 8.9%
The reduction was most noticable at Skywest (Delta Connection and United Express) where passenger volume on smaller commuter jets fell by a third this year. Many of these flights are to and from LAX.
Long Beach Airport's future discussed - Press-Telegram
Planned terminal improvements and construction of a new parking garage at the Long Beach Airport shouldn't be impeded by airlines' financial woes nationally, city officials said Tuesday.
But officials said they are keeping an eye on the industry's cutbacks, and some council members warned against the city getting in over its fiscal head.
Assistant Airport Manager Christine Edwards presented the council with a report that says the city will have to raise passenger fees and parking rates if it is to finance bonds to pay for the projects.
Between $50 million and $65 million in bonds will be needed to expand the terminal from 56,320 square feet to 89,995 square feet as planned, the Airport Finance Overview report says. Building the parking garage may require up to another $65 million in bonds, the report says.
However, the ultimate cost of the terminal and garage projects is still unknown because they are in the preliminary design phase, Edwards said.
In a separate report, JetBlue Airways announced plans to launch new service this fall between Portland International Airport and Long Beach. JetBlue will offer two daily nonstop flights to "the hassle-free Long Beach Airport, conveniently located between Los Angeles and Orange County."
Regional air travel drops below pre-9-11 levels
Total year-to-date air travel for the six major airports comprising the SCAG region dropped in May to below its May 2001 level.
When compared to last year, each airport saw a decline in traffic for the first 5 months of this year. The only positive note was international travel at LAX which exceeded its 2007 pace by 2.1 percent.
Palmdale air travel on an upswing - to an insignificant level
Palmdale airport served 2,323 passengers in May, its best month since reopening to travelers last June.
However, it is apparent that total passenger traffic for the year hit about 22,000, approximately half of the 43,823 that used the facility in 1991 before it was shut down.
The heavily government-subsidized Palmdale operation - enthusiastically billed as a step towards regionalization of air travel and "a major change in the Southern California aviation landscape” - served approximately 0.025 percent or one out of every 4,000 of the region's travelers.
Even if the airport somehow survives after its millions of dollars of subsidies run out, it is difficult to visualize Palmdale making a significant contribution to relieving traffic at LAX.
Don't blame airlines - The Arizona Republic
The AvWatch newsgroup posts US Airways execs talk about the future of air travel
Fuel costs changing air industry's future
"As an industry, the things that we were talking about six to nine months ago - capacity concerns and what are we going to do about the ATC (air-traffic control) system - all that is gone. There's not going to be a capacity problem anymore because there's going to be a dramatic reduction in capacity. The ATC system . . . big delays and Passengers Bill of Rights . . . all that's stuff's gone. Oil fixed it. We're down to one core issue, and one that we can't fix, which is our largest cost
component has doubled."
- Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of US Airways
Flight cutbacks, fare hikes to impact economy
"I don't think people recognize how traumatic it's going to be for the economy. How much is dependent on air travel? You start going down the chain: Airlines bring 20 percent fewer people to the city; that affects car rentals and hotels and all the businesses that cater to that tourism, shopping and eating out. It's going to have a big impact on the economy."
- Scott Kirby, president of US Airways
No airport expansions
"If the current scenario and oil stays where it is - or, God forbid, goes higher - I think it's very clear that airports are not in need of expansion. We don't need more gates looking out into the future under the current scenario. They're going to have excess gates, if you begin to reduce capacity 10 to 20 percent."
- C.A. Howlett, senior vice president, public affairs, US Airways
Horizon Airlines to offer a lift to Mammoth from LAX - LA Times
Southern California skiers and snowboarders worried about gas prices eating away the value of their season passes this winter will be able to fly directly from Los Angeles to Mammoth Mountain, Horizon Airlines is expected to announce.
The airline will offer daily nonstop flights -- the only ones available out of Southern California -- from Los Angeles International Airport to Mammoth Yosemite Airport from Dec. 18 until April 12, when demand is at its peak, Horizon spokeswoman Jen Boyer said.
Great Park schedules runway demolition - OC Register
Portions of the runways at the old El Toro Marine Corps Air Station are scheduled for demolition this fall, months after the company originally hired to do the work left following lengthy delays.
Officials say that about 14 acres of runway near the Great Park balloon site and preview park will be broken up beginning next month, then removed in the fall, after summer programs at the park are completed.
Great Park Board Chairman Larry Agran in his State of the Park address on Thursday indicated that the runway removal will make way for sports fields, which park leaders hope to open in the next 18 to 24 months.
Week of July 7 - July 13, 2008
Officials forgo deadline for OCTA grants - Daily Pilot
Newport-[Costa] Mesa officials missed a deadline to apply for a share of $25 million in transportation grants from the Orange County Transportation Authority but said they weren’t interested in the money anyway.
The cities teamed up earlier this year to receive $200,000 in grants that were used to study transportation to John Wayne Airport, but officials aren’t worried about losing out on the second phase of the grants. On top of it all, they’re going to file their report more than a month late.
Newport Beach and Costa Mesa used the $200,000 to study John Wayne Airport users, where they come from, why they use it and what they could do to steer them to other airports, [Newport Beach City Manger Herman] Bludau said.
Transportation authority officials want city officials who apply for the grants to study how to get commuters into the county using local transportation, but Newport-Mesa officials are interested in studying how to steer airport passengers out of the county.
Website Editor: We never saw this project as a good use of public funds. There seems to be small chance for getting many JWA passengers to take Metrolink to another airport in the Inland Empire.
ExpressJet calling it quits, departs LA/Ontario airport Sept. 2 - Press-Enterprise
ExpressJet Airlines, which arrived to a red carpet welcome at LA/Ontario International Airport in April 2007 and brought with it 15 nonstop routes, will stop flying nationwide Sept. 2.
Company officials blame the high cost of jet fuel.
ExpressJet offered twice as many nonstop routes than any other airline operating from Ontario. The airline's strategy focused on nonstop flights to smaller regional markets, avoiding the hub-and-spoke model used by larger carriers. Once the airline departs for good, travelers through Ontario Airport should expect more of what they used to experience -- a stop or two.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports a spokeswoman for the Ontario airport said ExpressJet generated more than $5 million for the airport in its first 12 months and trailed only Southwest in passenger traffic at the airport.
The airport will
lose almost a fifth of its daily traffic and 400 employees when
ExpressJet's service ceases.
ExpressJet will leave L.B. - Press-Telegram
ExpressJet Airlines is ending its branded flights in September, when it will stop flying out of Long Beach Airport because of high fuel costs, the company announced Wednesday.
Commuter airline ExpressJet has flown out of Long Beach for eight months and it offered the only Long Beach flights to Reno/Tahoe, Fresno and Monterey.
Website Editor: There are no alternative direct flights from Orange County to Reno, Fresno or Monterey. Reno/Tahoe bound travelers lost their only JWA direct flight when Aloha Airlines went bankrupt.
Sharon Diggs-Jackson, a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Airport [said] "They provided new destinations for our travelers, and we believe they were serving the community. Fortunately for us, it's only a small percentage of our service routes that we're losing."
ExpressJet operates six of 25 commuter flight slots available at the Long Beach Airport. In September, only six commuter slots of the 25 available will be used.
Lambert reconsiders makeover of Main Terminal - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Officials at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport said Wednesday that they were taking a close look at their ambitious, $105 million makeover of airport concourses, in light of forthcoming cuts in American Airlines flights.
By fall, American said it will have cut 30 flights a day — including direct service to four cities — from its schedule at Lambert.
Other U.S. airports have been hurt worse than Lambert, an official said. St. Louis will be losing only one destination — John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif. — that is not served by another airline at Lambert.
New old look for LAX structure - Daily Breeze
LAX's Theme Building will get a new exterior now that a $9.3 million contract to replace the building's plaster has been approved.
Months after the building's metal skeleton was exposed and its sides surrounded in scaffolding, the Board of Airport Commissioners has approved a $9.3million contract to replace the plaster exterior of the 1960s-era landmark.
The entire construction and restoration project has cost the airport nearly $15 million since troubles first popped up at the Theme Building more than a year ago.
Burbank slumps in May
Passenger traffic at Bob Hope Airport dropped in May to 7.0% below the same month in 2007.
This dragged year-to-date volume to 1.3% below the first five months of 2007.
Long Beach weighs fee hikes to fund work at airport - Press-Telegram
Flying out of Long Beach Airport may get a bit pricier as the city plans improvements there.
The city will have to raise passenger fees and parking rates if it is to finance bonds to pay for a planned terminal expansion and a new parking garage, according to a report the City Council will discuss on Tuesday.
Between $50 million and $65 million in bonds will be needed to expand the terminal from 56,320 square feet to 89,995 square feet as planned, the Airport Finance Overview report says. Building the parking garage may require up to another $65 million in bonds, the finance report says.
However, the ultimate cost of the terminal and garage projects is still unknown because they are in the preliminary design phase, the report says.
Website Editor: Orange County imposed a $4.50 per ticket Passenger Facilites Charge to fund much of the cost of expansion at John Wayne Airport.
Airport projects may be grounded - LA Times
Cash for upgrades will get scarce with carriers forced to cut flights.
Don't be fooled by the crowds this summer at LAX: Troubles loom large after Labor Day for the nation's airlines, passengers and airports.
Thanks to higher oil prices, fares are rising, airlines are cutting flights, older gas-guzzling planes are being mothballed and passenger fees are being added almost weekly. Now improvements worth hundreds of millions of dollars at aging passenger terminals and other airport facilities are in jeopardy.
These projects are financed with fees paid by airlines that use the airport. But airline industry officials have begun warning airport operators that major service cuts are on the way and they need to consider the consequences of a prolonged economic downturn before proceeding with expensive capital improvements.
Depending on what happens later this year and beyond, airport operators say plans for LAX and facilities in San Bernardino, Long Beach and San Jose could see revisions.
The fallout is expected to be particularly acute for smaller airports in Southern California and may damp hopes to spread domestic air travel from LAX to nearby regional airports such as Ontario and Orange County's John Wayne. Airlines typically stick with their major hubs when cutting back service.
The industry's financial woes may dash San Bernardino County's plan to attract its first commercial airline to a newly remodeled former military base, where about $80 million has been spent on terminal and runway improvements.
Regional airports in Southern California are expected to see available seats drop in September. John Wayne could lose as much as 14%, Ontario nearly 20% and Burbank's Bob Hope Airport more than 10%. The decline is expected to worsen in November for some airports such as Ontario, where airline service is seen dropping nearly 30%.
Will San Jose airport expansion be a waste? - San Jose Mercury News
Even as airport officials promise a state-of-art new terminal will open by 2010, they are also grappling with some disturbing trends that might eventually lead to fewer flights here. Increased traffic is key to paying off the expansion - and while airport officials are reluctant to speculate about long-term trends, nobody can say whether the short-term belt-tightening now under way will be enough to weather a protracted downturn.
Passenger levels here are projected to be down as much as 10 percent this year - and next year could be a repeat. Oil prices, now hovering around $145 a barrel, have airlines scaling back flights, with 70-seater jets and fuel-guzzling older planes that are San Jose's mainstays especially at risk.
"We are facing almost a catastrophic rise in the price of oil, and it is going to change the way we do business," said Marilee McInnis, spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, the busiest airline in San Jose. "It is a very perilous time."
Week of June 30 - July 6, 2008
Van Nuys bristles over bid for Burbank flight ban - Sherman Oaks Sun
Airport noise has long been an issue for Van Nuys residents to lose sleep over.
But catching Zs in the neighborhoods around Van Nuys Airport might soon get more difficult as officials at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank move forward with a bid to ban nighttime flights. The move would potentially shift the brunt of red-eye air traffic to the mid-Valley facility.
As a result, Van Nuys Airport could see an extra 16 flights or more per night - the most out of all affected airports, according to a study on the proposed curfew. Ontario International Airport would get an additional 13 flights, while LAX would take in an extra three.
Los Angeles officials are speaking out against what some see as an unfair measure that would simply dump Burbank's problem on its neighbors.
Website Editor: How is that different from Los Angeles and Orange County officials trying to dump LAX and JWA noise on to Ontario airport neighbors?
Delta Air Lines making more cuts in service at LAX - LA Times
In another blow to passengers who use Los Angeles International Airport, Delta Air Lines said Thursday that it would discontinue nonstop service between 13 cities and LAX, including flights to Seattle, Portland and Phoenix.
The flights to be halted are operated by ExpressJet Airlines under a contract that Delta said would end Sept. 1.
The agreement does not affect ExpressJet's service at Ontario Airport, where the carrier operates under its own name.
The cutback in the regional service, which was operated under the "Delta Connection" name, will come on top of previously announced plans by Delta to slash about 13% of its flights at LAX including nonstop service to Boston; Hartford, Conn.; and Columbus, Ohio.
Website Editor: The move is a dramatic reversal of last year's story Delta expands flight service from LAX.
Consultant details methods of curbing noise at JWA - OC Register
Report recommends different flight paths, quieter airplanes to bring relief to Costa Mesa, Newport Beach residents.
Slight changes to the paths that departing planes travel are among several options a new report says could spare residents from the roar of jets at John Wayne Airport.
Oceanfront areas would benefit if planes avoided turning until traveling past the shoreline – which they already do most of the time – according to the report by ASRC Research and Technology Solutions.
Other options include having planes use a more gradual approach method or convincing airport officials to offer rebates to airlines that use quieter planes.
Airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said that the aviation hub would work toward improvements, but that many of the report’s suggestions are already in place or offer only modest room for improvement.
Website Editor: Our study shows that JWA served 2 million more passengers in 2007 than in 2002 with little measurable increased noise.
Bomb threat snarls LAX - Daily Breeze
A man claiming to be a terrorist was arrested Wednesday after telling authorities that he had a bomb hidden in a backpack, causing flight delays and massive traffic jams at Los Angeles International Airport.
The incident caused delays of up to two hours for 131 flights coming in and out of LAX, affecting the travel plans of more than 20,000 airline passengers, according to airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles. No arriving flights were diverted from the airport.
San Diego leads the way
San Diego's Lindbergh Field continues to serve growing numbers of passengers despite high jet fuel prices, the state of the economy, airline bankruptcies and the similar excuses given for slumping traffic at most other Southern California airports.
San Diego passenger traffic rose 5.1 percent in May versus the same month in 2007. Year to date travel was up by 5.3 percent.
While San Diego lost bankrupt Aloha and Skybus, it landed startup Virgin America. S.D. is bucking the trend towards providing fewer seats. Overall, the airport offered an 12.7 percent increase in commercial air carrier operations so far this year to serve its customer base.
B-1
bomber will fly into Long Beach airportBoeing has advised that a U.S. Air Force supersonic B-1 Bomber will arrive at Long Beach Airport on Wednesday, July 2nd. The B-1 will remain at the Airport for several months, while it undergoes routine maintenance.
Upon final approach to land this aircraft's loud noise profile and black coloring will be noticeable to the public.
World’s largest airliner to serve LAX - OC Register
Qantas Airlines plans to introduce A380 super-jumbo airliners between Los Angeles and Australia, beginning Oct. 20. The airline will be the first to fly the aircraft on regular service from Los Angeles.
The massive doubledecker jet will serve on selected flights as the airline cuts back Boeing 747 service.
Qantas will fly A380s configured with 450 seats.
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.
