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September 24 - September 30, 2012
John Wayne traffic picking up
Airline passenger traffic
at John Wayne Airport increased in August 2012 as compared to August
2011. In August 2012, the Airport served 838,623 passengers, an
increase of 4.5% when compared to the August 2011 passenger traffic
count of 802,534.
For the year to date, passenger volume is up by 1.7%
Commercial aircraft operations increased 2.8%, while Commuter aircraft
operations decreased 4.2% when compared to the levels recorded in
August 2011.
Southwest departures dropped 37 percent at Ontario -
Press-Enterprise
Southwest Airlines, the company ferrying the majority of passengers at
Ontario International Airport, cut its daily departures there from an
average of 53 in 2007 to 33 this year.
The airline also trimmed flights at LAX and Bob Hope Airport in
Burbank, but the steepest drop was at Ontario, according to data
obtained from statistics firm UBM Aviation. The airline added flights
at nearby John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
Southwest’s shrinking schedule of flights accounts for at least part of
the plummeting number of passengers at Ontario in the past five years.
Hawaii flights could be in John Wayne Airport's future
- OC Register
Nonstop service to Hawaii could be back on John Wayne Airport's radar
after Southwest Airlines flight attendants agreed to a contract change
that would allow them to make over-water flights.
Brad Hawkins, a Southwest spokesman, said Monday that the airline has
no immediate plans to initiate Hawaii flights anywhere yet, noting
there are still regulatory, labor, market and aircraft fleet hurdles.
Nonstop Hawaii service would be welcome news for JWA travelers who lost
their last nonstop flights to the islands in April 2008 when Aloha
Airlines abruptly closed after filing for bankruptcy.
JWA officials have been in search of a carrier to bring nonstop Hawaii
service back to Orange County.
"We have talked with a number of our carriers, including Southwest,
about initiating service to Hawaii," said JWA spokeswoman Jenny Wedge.
"At one time, Aloha operated daily departures to five Hawaiian
destinations, and did so profitably, which indicates to us that Hawaii
is a strong market and worthy of nonstop service."
Plenty of potential for LA/ONT, reports says -
Daily Bulletin
L.A./Ontario International Airport could become the busiest midsized
airport in its region, a top Los Angeles official wrote in a report
that contemplates serious talks between his city and Ontario that could
lead to the airport changing hands.
Miguel Santana, Los Angeles' top administrator, says his city should
say "no" to Ontario's offer but begin negotiations with Ontario
officials for the potential transfer of ONT.
Ontario politicians, who have rallied support from their counterparts
in other Southern California cities, have maintained that local control
of ONT could reverse passenger traffic declines that have plagued the
airport for the past half-decade.
Neither Santana nor the consultants, led by New Jersey-based Acacia
Financial Group, blame Los Angeles-based airport managers for the
downturn at ONT.
Santana's report lists four options for Los Angeles and Ontario
officials to consider if they meet to decide the future of ONT.
In three of those options, Los Angeles would give up control of ONT.
The options:
- Los
Angeles leaders may decide to retain control of ONT, however, this
alternative allows for the possibility that an outside company may be
brought on board to run the airport.
- Transfer
the airport to Ontario or a new agency the city formed in partnership
with San Bernardino County government to seek control of ONT.
- An
outright sale of the airport to Ontario.
- Privatization.
This could be done via a federal pilot program exploring private
ownership of airports.
Santana's letter is accompanied by a lengthy consultants report that
blames recent declines in passenger traffic at ONT on the Inland
Empire's economic problems during and after the past recession, as
opposed to any conscious effort by LAWA managers to divert business to
LAX.
Although Santana's openness to talks may signal an increased
probability that some kind of significant change is in store for ONT,
he asks Los Angeles' council to dismiss a purchase offer from Ontario
that includes $50 million in cash in exchange for Los Angeles ceasing
to manage ONT.
September 17 - September 23, 2012
LAWA releases report on ONT's value -
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
How much is L.A./Ontario International Airport worth? A report released
Monday by Los Angeles World Airports detailed the value of the Ontario
airport ranged from $243 million to $605 million, based on several
factors.
The exact figures depends on how much the airport would bring in the
next 50 years.
A 60-page document, "Estimate of the Fair Market Value of Ontario
International Airport" was completed Wednesday by consultant Leigh
Fisher in response to a request by the Los Angeles City Administrative
Office, which has been looking into the feasibility of transferring ONT
to local control.
The report states that there are a number of factors which could change
the value of ONT, including a reduction in airport operations as well
as a growth in passenger traffic.
September 10 - September 16, 2012
Ontario to airlines - more flights, free rent -
Riverside Press Enterprise
Free rent, a break in fees and up to $500,000 a year worth of
advertising appear to be offers to any airline that adds new daily
flights at Ontario International Airport, according to a proposal from
the airport's owner Los Angeles World Airports.
The airport's manager had already announced a plan to offer incentives
but few details were known until Wednesday, Sept. 12, when Los Angeles
World
Airports released a letter it mailed to the leader of Ontario's Airport
Airline Affairs Committee.
Any incentives would need the approval of the Los Angeles World
Airports board of directors.
Website Editor: Orange County
is currently offering $300,000 breaks to airlines offering service to
new Mexican destinations.
September
3 - September 9, 2012
Bob Hope Airport usage slides
There were 347,501 passengers who
traveled through the airport in July, a 6.5% drop from the 371,837 seen
in July 2011, according to the report released to the
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.
Since January, the airfield has served almost 2.35 million passengers,
a 4.8% drop compared to the same period last year.
O.C.'s foreign flights take off -
OC Register Travel
Interjet is the most popular airline you've likely never heard of. But
that won't be the case for long. The fastest-growing airline in Mexico
– and its largest, by some measures – plans to start flying out of John
Wayne Airport next month. It's part of a surge in foreign flights out
of Orange County as the economy rebounds.
WestJet has been flying from Orange County to Vancouver and Calgary in
Canada for a year now, providing a shot in the arm to local tourism by
bringing in north-of-the-border visitors with package deals to
Disneyland.
AirTran, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest, jumped into the Mexico
market this spring with daily nonstops from John Wayne Airport to Los
Cabos and Mexico City.
Now comes Interjet, which, if it gets the final government approvals as
expected, will begin flying to Guadalajara and Mexico City. It also has
a tentative green light to fly to Los Cabos but says it hasn't decided
whether to start service right way.
If all goes as planned, the average day at John Wayne Airport would
have six or even seven international flights.
August 27 - September 2, 2012
Ontario adds Riverside, OC to
authority mix - Press Enterprise
The city of Ontario plans to choose Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and
the head of the Orange County Business Council to fill out the rest of
its recently formed five-member Ontario International Airport
Authority, according to a statement sent from the city.
It’s the latest step in the city’s effort to gain control of the Inland
airport from the city of Los Angeles, which has managed it since 1967
and owned it since 1985. The authority board wouldn’t have any
oversight over Ontario airport unless the city of Los Angeles cedes
control.
The board is made up of two members of the Ontario City Council, the
San Bernardino County supervisor whose district includes the airport —
and, still to be appointed, two prominent people selected by the
Ontario City Council from the region that makes up the airport’s
customer base.
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 4, the council is expected
to fill those two open seats with Loveridge and Lucy Dunn, president
and CEO of the Orange County Business Council.
Dunn, who serves on the California Transportation Commission, described
Ontario airport as a major asset.
While she said she has a strong bias for John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, she
said the Orange County airport and Ontario complement each other and
serve different markets. She said the authority would benefit both.
A thriving airport has been vital to Orange County, Dunn said.
“It is a critical infrastructure asset to Orange County’s economy and
probably one of the reasons why we have one of the lowest unemployment
rates in the state,” she said.
As an airline passenger, she said, Ontario is her second choice behind
John Wayne. “Please don’t make me drive to LA,” she said.
JWA posts July stats
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne
Airport increased in July 2012 as compared to July 2011. In July 2012,
the Airport served 816,536 passengers, an increase of 4.0% when
compared to the July 2011 passenger traffic count of 784,927.
Commercial aircraft operations increased 3.6%, while Commuter aircraft
operations decreased 6.1% when compared to the levels recorded in July
2011.
Expansion Plans for LAX, Called
Sorely Needed, Come Under Fire from Neighbors - KNBC-TV
Local residents sounded off on LAX's long term expansion plans at a
public meeting at a restaurant near the airport Saturday.
The event at the Proud Bird was a chance for the public to comment on a
long-awaited evaluation of alternatives to improve Los Angeles
International
Airport. Possibilities include demolishing and replacing three
terminals, moving runways and connecting LAX to the county's light-rail
system.
The changes would be the first major improvements for the aging airport
since 1984.
Six years in the making, the draft document under review Saturday -
available at www.laxspas.org - details
nine different plans meant to increase safety, efficiency and capacity
at LAX, which is now the world's sixth-busiest airport.
New airline plans O.C.-Mexico
flights - OC Register
An aggressively expanding low-cost Mexican airline has received
permission from the U.S. government to fly from Orange County to three
destinations in Mexico. Interjet originally hoped to begin flying Sept.
14, but has pushed plans back to October, according to John Wayne
Airport officials.
The city is the third Mexican destination that would be served by
airlines flying from Orange County.
The budget Mexican carrier plans to fly from John Wayne Airport to
Guadalajara, a new destination for Orange County travelers. It also has
permission to fly to Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas, two destinations
that are already served by Air Tran, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Southwest Airlines.
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