October 27 - November 2, 2014
John Wayne seeks more Mexico flights - OC Register
In an effort to offer new nonstop flights to Mexico from John Wayne Airport, the county will offer financial incentive packages to airlines.
This is the third time the county Board of Supervisors has voted to offer airlines a rent credit in exchange for nonstop service between John Wayne Airport and Mexico. The program approved by supervisors Tuesday will provide two incentives: a $300,000 rent credit for terminal space costs to any carrier that runs flights to a new destination in Mexico at least five days a week during the first year of service; and a second package that proposes either a $250,000 credit for minimum four-day-a-week nonstop service or a $150,000 credit for at least three days a week.
The program is smaller than the set of three $300,000 rent credits approved in 2011 in the first incentive program. Two of those credits went to to AirTran for nonstop flights to Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City, and the other went to Interjet for Guadalajara flights. In 2013, supervisors extended those already awarded incentives for an additional year.
Currently, the only flights out of John Wayne to Mexico are to Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City through AirTran, which was acquired by Southwest Airlines, according to airport spokeswoman Courtney Wiercioch. Interjet pulled out of the airport in July.
Wiercioch said Southwest could apply for the incentive for a new destination.
John Wayne Airport tried to reduce the costs of international service further by applying for a port of entry designation, according to a staff report. But that was denied in a letter sent to the airport Aug. 8 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The airport has to reimburse the federal government for inspection services related to processing international passengers coming into the U.S. Those costs are “substantial,” the airport wrote in a report, and “are being passed to those air carriers providing international service and utilizing federal facilitation and inspection services.”
With a new designation, the federal government would have shouldered the costs of inspection equipment, personnel, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection services, the staff report states.
In a letter to the airport, John Wagner, acting assistant commissioner at the Office of Field Operations with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said despite a “welcome rebound in trade and travel,” the increase in airport traffic nationwide has “imposed many demands on an organization whose frontline strength did not expand at the same rate.”
Airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said the airport will keep trying for a designation that’s supported by the business community.
“We will continue to work on gaining that Port of Entry designation and have support letters written on our behalf and in support of Port of Entry from the OC Business Council and OC Visitors Association that we submitted with our application,” Wedge said in an email.
JWA Passenger Counts Up - OC Register
John Wayne Airport reported a 4.3% increase in its number of passengers in September compared with the same month last year.
The gain came as overall commercial flights ticked down 4.4% year-over-year from 3,350 in September 2013 to 3,200 last month.
The increase in passenger counts and dip in flights indicates that airlines are flying closer to capacity.
Last month the airport saw about 761,000 passengers compared with about 729,000 in September 2013.
Airport spokesperson Jenny Wedge said the increase was mostly due to domestic traffic. International travel was down in ongoing fallout from the end of Mexico service by Interjet this summer. Southwest Airlines now is the sole operator of flights to Mexico from JWA.
October 13 - October 26, 2014
The El Toro Info Site has been posting daily news for 18 years
Beginning in 1996, long before the term "blog" was created, this website was posting a daily string of news and commentary about Southern California airports, including the one proposed for the former Marine Corp Air Station, El Toro. All of the articles have been archived and are available for online review.
Over the years, we have reported - and even produced a book - on politically conceived airport projects like El Toro that came and went. There were several, including the Palmdale Airport that folded multiple times. We chronicled San Diego's failed attempt to promote Miramar Naval Air Station as an alternate to Lindbergh Field. San Bernardino International Airport did not get airborne nor did the civilian use of March Inland Port or the remote base at George AFB in Victorville. The Southern California Association of Governments, the regional planning authority, repeatedly missed the boat with its forecasts of aviation demand.
This site provided regular coverage of the physical expansion of John Wayne Airport with its huge third terminal and what we perceived as a lack of corresponding expansion of flight service. We lamented that the new terminal, opened in 2011, offered a lot more seats on the ground but not on planes. (The passenger caps remain unchanged until 2021.)
We did not get everything right. For a time, but not in recent years, we supported a rail link between Northern and Southern California as the remedy for what seemed to be overloaded airports providing short haul service and government planners asking for more runways to be opened.
We also supported the Great Park as an alternative to an airport at El Toro but were never enthusiastic over how Irvine handled the project, spending millions of dollars and many years on grand plans, public relations and too little infrastructure.
American: We're the Biggest at LAX and We Want to Get Bigger - The Street
A top American Airlines (AAL) executive said the carrier, already the biggest at LAX, has added 12 routes in the past 15 months and plans to keep growing.
"We've been growing the Los Angeles hub since the merger -- we were growing it pre-merger as well," Andrew Nocella, American's chief marketing officer, said in an interview. "We're excited about the growth opportunities in LAX, and every few months we announce another new destination. This week it was Atlanta's turn."
The Atlanta route announcement on Oct. 9 drew attention because it underscores the competition between American, energized by a merger with US Airways, and Delta (DAL) , widely viewed as winning the conceptual battle for leadership of the U.S. airline industry.
The LAX-Atlanta route, which links two of the country's major airports, has 11 daily flights by Delta and four by Southwest (LUV) including one by AirTran. Delta operates five of its flights with widebody aircraft. American said it will begin three daily non-stops, using narrowbody Boeing (BA) 737-800s, on March 5.
October 6 - October 12, 2014
Southwest can add 15 more daily flights at JWA next year - Daily Pilot
Southwest Airlines can phase in up to 15 more daily flights out of John Wayne Airport next year, bringing the carrier's total to 67, according to an annual plan approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors this week.
Southwest was the only carrier to ask for additional flights for 2015, JWA spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said, though the plan also includes a standard provision potentially allowing for a new airline to start service from Orange County.
Of the 67 total daily Southwest flights anticipated by the end of next year, 28 will be Class A, meaning they will be counted as part of the airport's maximum of 85 average daily passenger flight departures. Those typically travel longer distances and are the loudest types of flights.
The remaining 39 will be Class E flights, which travel shorter distances and are quieter.
This year, the airline is taking over two international flights operated by Southwest subsidiary AirTran. In August, AirTran flights to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, became Southwest flights. AirTran flights to Mexico City are to undergo the conversion Nov. 2.
Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said the airline probably will use its expanded capacity to add flights to new destinations as well as popular existing destinations, but there are no concrete plans yet.
"We have precious slots and we have big plans. We're pretty much everywhere we want to fly in the U.S," he said, adding that the airline can now "start drawing new lines between very strong dots that are already on the map, and Orange County is definitely one of those."
Hawkins couldn't say whether one of those "new lines" would connect Orange County and Washington, D.C. — JWA's "No. 1 unserved market," according to airport Director Alan Murphy. But Hawkins did say that Southwest is the biggest carrier in D.C. and "we're always very mindful of what people need."
Passenger numbers tick up at Bob Hope Airport - Burbank Leader
Airlines are offering fewer seats as Bob Hope Airport sees more travelers.
Passenger traffic at Bob Hope Airport rose for the second month in a row in August, with a 1.8% increase compared to the same month last year, according to the latest statistics.
Though passenger traffic was up, airlines had fewer seats available than in August 2013 as they seek to tighten up their schedules and shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft.
The year-to-date passenger count in August was slightly more than 2.55 million, down just 0.7% compared to the first eight months of 2013.
Other airports in the region also reported increases in passenger tallies for August. The number of travelers at Ontario International Airport rose by 6.53%, while there was a 6.12% hike at Los Angeles International Airport. Long Beach Airport also saw a slight rise of 0.3%.
However, John Wayne Airport in Orange County reported a 1.9% decline compared to August 2013.
Cheers greet demolition of Great Park runways - OC Register
Cheers and confetti erupted Tuesday night at the Great Park as a bulldozer scooped away a small pile of rubble, marking the start of demolitions on the former El Toro Marine base runways.
Fist-sized pieces of the rubble were handed out at the demolition party as about 500 people celebrated with food trucks, orange balloons and a free concert by Kenny Loggins.
The start of demolition ends any lingering doubts that the land could still be converted into an international airport, city leaders assured the crowd.
It also marks the start of FivePoint Communities' plan to build 688 acres of the park in five years.
“Today we are witnessing those plans become reality,” said Emile Haddad, FivePoint’s CEO.
Criticism over how much has been spent over the last decade has been the focus of many Irvine City Council debates.
A forensic audit will be released in the coming weeks on how $200 million was spent to develop less than one-sixth of the Great Park since 2006. In depositions from the audit, current and former park executives said consultants protected by councilman and former Great Park Chairman Larry Agran overcharged for work with the expectation that the money would keep coming. Agran has denied the accusations.
Website Editor: The start of demolition actually occurred on May 12, 2006 which says a great deal about the delays in this project. See photos.
Southwest to add JWA flights - OC Register
Southwest will add about 15 more flights out of John Wayne Airport in 2015 under a plan approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The increase will raise the daily number of Southwest flights at the airport from 52 to 67 by the end of next year.
It was part of an airport-wide plan for how many flights each airline is allowed to fly in and out, according to Jenny Wedge, an airport spokeswoman. Wedge said no other airlines asked for additional flights next year.
Additional flights mean more passengers: the airport estimates its number of passengers will increase to an estimated 9.9 million in 2015, from this year’s projected 9.2 million, Wedge said.
Wedge said the airline doesn’t know whether it will offer new destinations or just add flights to its current destinations.
Eric Freed, manager of access and noise for the airport, said that Southwest has “really grown” at the airport by offering short flights. The airport restricts the number of departures for longer flights (to, say, Chicago), which tend to be noisier, but not for shorter flights (San Francisco, for example), Freed said.
Website Editor: The supervisors approved a limit of 85 Average Daily Departures (ADD)for Class A noisier aircraft until 2021. For 2015, these all have been allocated. SWA flies 737's, some loaded to fall into Class A and others into Class E. The airline is allowed to operate 28 ADD's in Class A and hopefully some of these will be utilized to new destinations like Washington DC while Class E allocations will be used for Phoenix and other shorter hauls.
September 29, 2014 - October 5, 2014
Renewed airport pact is part of historic effort - Daily Pilot Commentary
By Leslie Daigle - Newport Beach City Council member
An historic day to ensure that John Wayne Airport remains the most noise-restricted airport in the nation passed this week.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved the draft environmental impact report, selected the proposed project and authorized the signing of documents. Three parties — the county, Airport Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) — will sign stipulations.
The city's preferred project consists of the following:
• The FAA found the Amended Agreement consistent with the Airport Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA).
• Protection and extension of the noise-based curfew through 2035 — no commercial departures before 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday or before 8 a.m. Sundays, and no arrivals on any day after 11 p.m.
• Maintenance of the million annual passenger cap (the so-called MAP CAP) of 10.8 MAP through 2020, with an additional 1.0 MAP allowed in 2021-25. During 2026-30, an additional 0.7 MAP may be allowed if JWA's use shows at least 11.21 MAP in any calendar year during 2021-2025. If the 11.21 MAP trigger is not reached, then only an additional 0.4 MAP would be authorized between 2026 and 2030.
• Maintenance of the cap on average daily departures of the Class A (loudest) commercial air carriers of 85 passenger flights, plus four cargo flights per day through 2020, with an additional 10 Class A passenger average daily departures allowed per year (for a total of 95 annually) starting in 2021.
Newport Beach is of the belief that this alternative best protects the city's residents, recognizes the policy decisions that the Board of Supervisors must make, as it balances the competing interests of the residents who surround the airport and the airline industry, and takes into account the requirements of the federal Airport and Noise Capacity Act, as well as the operational restrictions at JWA.
It was a lengthy negotiation process and the city appreciates the leadership of Supervisor John Moorlach and airport management to consider and integrate the concerns of multiple parties.
At the City Council meeting of Oct. 14, the City Council will consider the approval of the Stipulation Agreement.
JWA manager projects 9.94 MAP in 2015
This week, the Airport Manager makes his annual recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for seat allocations amongst airlines at John Wayne Airport. One week after supporting a continuation of the 10.8 Million Annual Passenger (MAP) cap on John Wayne Airport utilization until 2021, the manager is projecting 9.94 MAP to use the airport next year.
This leaves little room for growth over the next six years.
OC Supervisors unanimously approve amendment to the JWA settlement agreement
On September 30, the supervisors voted 5-0 to certify EIR 617 and to adopt the settlement agreement extension negotiated with Newport Beach.
Whereas the decision to not build an airport at the former Marine Corp Air Station, El Toro was debated publicly for years and the plans went through numerous changes to accomodate divergent interests, the John Wayne project was devised in private and received minor attention. While the agreement was characterized by some as allowing airport expansion, there will be no increase in the passenger or flight caps until 2021.
Supervisor Todd Spitzer said, "The most important thing this agreement extension does is strike a balance between protecting residents and growing the economic benefits of the airport." However, little voice was given to the economic benefits, the FAA's projection of aviation demand, the request of air carriers at JWA to provide more service or the sidelined analysis of the Orange County Grand Jury that said the airport "can do more".
Inland Empire seeks to regain control of Ontario airport from L.A. - LA Times
Accusing Los Angeles of breaking agreements to foster a network of regional air centers and build up L.A./Ontario International, Inland Empire officials went to court last week to regain control of the struggling airport..
In a motion filed Friday, the city of Ontario asked a Riverside County Superior Court judge to order Los Angeles to relinquish the airport — the latest development in a year-old lawsuit and long-running political battle.
Besides legal arguments, the city's court papers reference internal communications and other documents to portray Los Angeles leaders as insulting and rudely dismissive of Ontario's desire to protect the airport from decline as resources were directed to improve Los Angeles International.
Citing records that include emails, deposition testimony and meeting transcripts, the motion states that the chief operating officer for Los Angeles World Airports once referred to the Inland Empire as the "inbred Inland Empire," while Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey characterized the effort to share air traffic with other airports as "a silly waste of time" and "a politically driven mantra to appease LAX neighbors."
Regionalizing commercial air traffic has long been a goal of noise- and traffic-conscious residents surrounding LAX. Many have fought its physical expansion for years and gotten Los Angeles officials to agree to spread the growth in passengers to other airports like Ontario and Palmdale, which has since closed.
But in court papers, Ontario's attorneys say that LAWA — L.A.'s airport agency — has failed to comply with a 1967 agreement to both operate Ontario International and do its best to attract service to the airport, where passenger volumes plunged from 7.2 million in 2007 to about 4 million last year.
"As a result of that neglect and mismanagement, Ontario is on the brink of ruin," Inland Empire officials assert in Friday's court filing. "Even so, Los Angeles insists on continuing to operate Ontario in perpetuity."
Court papers state that airport officials stopped trying to attract airlines to Ontario because "they did not have anything to sell" and gutted the airport's advertising and marketing budget while approving millions of dollars to promote LAX.
Today, Ontario has lost more than 40% of its passengers while LAX has recovered from the recession and is headed for a record 70 million passengers this year.
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