Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased
in July 2015 when compared to July 2014. In July 2015, the Airport
served 927,934 passengers, an increase of 10.8% when compared with the
July 2014 passenger traffic count of 837,702.
Commercial aircraft operations increased 5.9%, while commuter aircraft
operations decreased 6.6% when compared to July 2014 levels.
Year-to-date passenger volume is up 5.8% over last year.
August 10 - August 16, 2015
Local control just the
beginning in difficult ONT turnaround- Inland
Daily Bulletin
Now that the city of Los Angeles has agreed to hand
over the airport’s management from Los Angeles World Airports to the
Ontario International Airport Authority, the onus of halting ONT’s
downward spiral and converting it to long-term success rests on the
authority’s shoulders.
Crucial to ONT’s revival, as Rep. Norma Torres, San Bernardino County
CEO Greg Devereaux and others have pointed out, will be that inland
residents use the local airport — even when it costs more or involves
another stop compared to LAX.
There’s little doubt that ONT suffered from LAWA’s neglect the past few
years, but the Great Recession and airlines’ migration toward major
hubs were also factors in the airport’s drop from 7.2 million
passengers in 2007 to 4.1 million in 2014.
Everyone agrees that ONT needs lower fees to attract new airlines and
more flights from the carriers that already use the airport.
The airport authority plans to hire a “high-powered,” experienced
airport manager to run ONT. That is certainly wise. As good a job as
Ontario and the authority did in getting L.A. to agree to a deal, they
are unprepared to manage a major airport.
That new ONT director will need to implement a many-faceted approach to
building ONT traffic.
We’ll dredge up a couple of much more modest ground transportation
plans we’ve pitched in past editorials: a comfortable, air-conditioned
shuttle bus from ONT to Disneyland, and smaller shuttles between ONT
and the Metrolink stations in Rancho Cucamonga and east Ontario.
Website Editor: We
have pointed out the need for ground transportation to Ontario many
times, and especially to and from Disneyland. Newport Beach also
has been an advocate for this, to reduce
air travel at John Wayne. They will be delighted to help.
August 3 - August 9, 2015
Settlement agreement announced to transfer Ontario Airport -
Ontario media release
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Ontario Mayor pro Tem Alan D.
Wapner announced a Settlement Agreement Term Sheet has been signed
which will lead to the transfer of ownership of LA/Ontario
International Airport (ONT) to the Ontario International Airport
Authority (OIAA) subject to approvals by the Los Angeles Board of
Airport Commissioners, Los Angeles City Council, Ontario City Council,
the OIAA and the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a joint statement issued at a news conference at ONT, Garcetti and
Wapner said the Settlement Term Sheet adheres to the premise that Los
Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) will be reimbursed to the
extent needed to make them whole regarding investments they have made
in ONT, while providing job protection to the airport's current
employees. A long form settlement agreement consistent with the initial
term sheet will be prepared within 60-days. A formal approval
process is expected to begin in October 2015, with the entire process,
including FAA approval, expected to be completed within one year.
SCAG tunes 2040 regional aviation forecasts to the Newport Beach - OC
Settlement Agreement
The Southern California Association
of Government staff reports, "John Wayne Airport (SNA): 12.5 MAP is the
agreed upon forecast demand by the County of Orange, John Wayne Airport
staff and SCAG staff for 2040. The range of numbers previously shown
(9.6 - 13.8 MAP) was meant for discussion purposes. Staff recognizes
the Settlement Agreement as being legally enforceable, and this
collaboration is largely an administrative fix to the draft
forecast."
In other words, Orange County has asked that the planners use the JWA
caps, negotiated with Newport Beach, limiting the airport to 12.5 MAP
in 2030 as though they represent a permanent demand level.
The regional airports' shares of aviation demand in the SCAG plan will
be as follows with both LAX and John Wayne serving smaller parts of the
total demand in the future:
July 27 - August 2, 2015
LAX could see more than 100 million travelers a year by 2040
- LA Times
New aviation forecasts predict that Los Angeles International Airport,
already straining under a record number of passengers, could have more
than 100 million travelers annually by 2040, far more than the ceiling
set by a 2006 court settlement that will soon expire.
According to projections released last week, the Southern California
Assn. of Governments estimates that between 78.9 million and 100.7
million passengers a year will eventually pass through the nation's
second-busiest commercial airport. LAX, the leading international
gateway on the West Coast, had 70.7 million passengers last year.
Overall, the regional planning agency predicts that a dozen commercial
airports within its six-county jurisdiction will handle between 136
million and 138 million travelers annually by 2040.
The forecast represents at least a 55% increase in air travelers since
2013, but the estimate is significantly less than the prediction of
170 million annual passengers by 2030 that the association made
more than a decade ago.
Researchers said the downward revisions stemmed from slowing population
growth and events since 9/11 such as sharp increases in fuel costs and
the worst economic recession since World War II.
The projections for other major airports in the region indicate that
the Burbank Airport will have 6.3 million to 7.3 million passengers a
year by 2040; Long Beach 5 million to 6.2 million; LA/Ontario
International 7.2 million to 19 million; and John Wayne Airport in
Orange County 9.6 million to 13.8 million.
John Wayne, however, has an official cap of 12.5 million annual
passengers that expires in 2030.
SCAG is using the new projections to prepare the aviation element of
the association's 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan, which
includes airports in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San
Bernardino and Ventura counties.
Committee members were particularly interested in how long Los Angeles
World Airports, which operates LAX, would honor the 2006 court
settlement with airport neighbors that set a cap of 78.9 million annual
passengers but expires in 2020. The agreement stemmed from a lawsuit
challenging the airport redevelopment plan of former Mayor James Hahn.
The 100-million-travelers forecast is important for LAX, which has
surpassed its previous record of 67.3 million passengers set in 2000.
The growth combined with new airport construction is already causing
heavy traffic congestion in the terminal area during peak travel times
and has raised concerns that surrounding city streets will become
inadequate in the future.
SCAG's other forecasts show that Oxnard Airport in Ventura County and
Imperial County Airport each could have 200,000 annual airline
passengers by 2040, while Palmdale Regional Airport, which is now
closed, might have up to 1.5 million. Click
here for previous news reports