LAX and ONT traffic ahead of 2006
Ontario/LA airport saw 607,200 passengers in October and 6,027,737 for the ten month period. Year-to-date traffic was 2.4% ahead of 2006's.
LAX saw 4,977,902 passengers in the month and 51,928,341 for the ten months. That put the airport 1.54% ahead of last year at this time.
The Los Angeles airport served 1.91% more domestic and 0.57% more international travelers in the first ten months of this year compared to last year.
Golf course - OC Register
An idea to pave the back nine of the Newport Beach Golf Course for use as a rental car parking lot is officially dead, officials said Thursday. John Wayne Airport officials broached the concept in April, causing uproar among golfers. On Thursday, airport officials said they planned to negotiate a long-term lease with the golf course. Officials are looking at other airport-area properties for a parking lot, Supervisor John Moorlach said.
Santa Monica plans to limit some jets - LA Times
Citing safety as its paramount concern, the Santa Monica City Council has defied federal aviation officials by voting to ban the fastest jets now using the city's airport, including the Gulfstream IV, Challenger and Citation X aircraft popular with business executives.
By a 7-0 vote Tuesday, the council approved an ordinance that a city staff report states would protect public safety, particularly that of residents living immediately next to the ends of the airport runway and individuals using and working at the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration vowed to challenge the ban, which is set for a second and final vote in January.
Spending balloons to enhance park - LA Times
Irvine plans to spend $14 million on amenities at the Great Park and still give free rides, despite some objections.
In another small step toward the construction of the Orange County Great Park, Irvine will spend $14 million during the next year and a half to spruce up the area around the tethered orange balloon ride that opened this summer by surrounding it with five acres of grass, shade trees, benches and tables, the Great Park board decided Thursday.
"This is intended to make the experience more park-like, giving people something to do other than just ride the balloon," said park spokeswoman Marsha Burgess.
Although completion of the 1,347-acre park is decades away, Ken Smith, the landscape architect designing it, said the open space around the balloon would give a preview of what is to come.
The expansion of the popular attraction is leading some officials to question the city's fiscal stewardship as it continues offering free rides, even as expenses grow substantially.
The $14 million would come from funds that were going to be used to demolish buildings and reshape land on the former base, work that would not have been started for at least a year.
Operating the balloon and the surrounding park would cost the city $4.2 million a year, an increase from the current $1.7 million, putting a greater strain on a project officials have pledged to fund without raising taxes.
Once the balloon site goes through its expansion, the city would have about $87 million left in its parks fund.
Officials grounded for ride in Airbus A380 at LAX - LA Times
Hand-picked business leaders, journalists and residents will be among those experiencing what it's like to ride on the world's largest passenger jet during a demonstration flight [Thursday] out of Los Angeles International Airport.
Airbus had hoped to include on the flight's manifest L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles City Council and elected officials from airport neighbors El Segundo and Inglewood, as a run-up to the first A380 commercial flight at LAX next fall and to persuade influential travel agents the airport is ready to handle the behemoth.
But Villaraigosa and council members had to turn down what well could be this week's hottest ticket in town because of an obscure state law that bars public officials from accepting free transportation.
Airbus, Qantas and Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that operates LAX, plan to use the 90-minute demonstration flight to prove that the agency's efforts to prepare the aging facility for the massive jet are paying off.
Airport officials plan to spend $121 million on upgrades at LAX for the A380, including two parking spots at Tom Bradley International Terminal that have double-decked bridges designed to help efficiently load and unload the aircraft.
See more about the A380 flight experience.
Shuttle plan OK'd for airport area - OCRegister.com
The Irvine Business Complex shuttle plan, which was approved 3-2 Tuesday night by the Irvine City Council, is expected to begin operating in the spring.
The service is intended to work with Orange County Transportation Authority bus service and provide traffic relief during peak hours, as well as serve customers, employees and residents of the area near John Wayne Airport. Shuttle routes will link the airport with the Tustin Metrolink Station.
Prolific letter writer Donald Nyre of Newport Beach wrote, in a letter published in the Register, "Access to this airport should not be improved because it is under strict growth limits that cannot be exacerbated by better access."
Website Editor: With one-way fares of $0.50 to $1.00, the bus may cause some economy minded air travelers, with time to spare, to seek free parking along the route and take the bus to the airport. The cheapest parking at JWA is at the remote Main Street lot for $12 a day and requires a bus connection to the terminals.
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport Serves 10,000th Passenger - LAWA media release
LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD) officials today welcomed PMD's 10,000th passenger, Ann Cottrell of Quartz Hill, Calif., on United Airlines Flight 6456 departing to San Francisco.
"I am pleased LA/Palmdale has reached the 10,000-passenger milestone in the first six months of the new jet service," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "As more travelers find the advantages of flying to and from the Antelope Valley, LA/Palmdale will account for an ever-increasing share of Southern California's air service market. This is important as we move toward a truly regional solution to meeting demand for air travel in the 21st century."
Website Editor: It is difficult to share the excitement. The on again, off again air service from Palmdale exceeded 20,000 passengers per year in the period 1991-95 and then went downhill from there.
Airbus Super Jumbo A380 to Revisit Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 - LAWA media release
The Airbus A380 -- the world's largest airliner -- is scheduled to revisit the U.S. West Coast when it lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. The visit is being conducted by Airbus, Qantas Airways and Los Angeles World Airports to test airport function and compatibility in anticipation of Qantas' A380 passenger service at LAX, which is scheduled to begin Fall 2008.
Holiday travelers see few delays - Long Beach Press-Telegram
Police and airport operations officials said larger-than-usual numbers of people were getting off holiday flights at the major terminals across the Southland.
Officials at the Long Beach Airport said they have never recorded the volume of travelers over just the holiday weekend, but the monthly figures for this month are expected be higher than those of November 2006 because of ExpressJet, which is offering new flights at the airport, said airport spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson.
But even with the increase, the airport did not see any significant flight delays or any other problems, Diggs-Jackson said.
Week of November 19, 2007 - November 25, 2007
Enemy Aircraft Sighted and, Above All Else, Heard - NY Times
Santa Monica Airport [is] one of the oldest general aviation airports in the country and among those closest to residential neighborhoods.
The rise in private-jet travel is being driven in part by long check-in and security lines at major airports. Those waits make private flying attractive to wealthy travelers, while at the same time fractional-jet-ownership companies are making it possible for more corporations to send their executives off in style. The developments have stoked the anger of residents [in Santa Monica], who say jet fumes endanger their health and jet noise threatens their sanity.
Long Beach on rebound
Long Beach's Daugerty Field served 233,124 passengers in October, an 8.1% increase over last year. For the first ten months of the year, traffic was 6.0% ahead of the same period in 2006.
The rebound in traffic leaves the airport still running behind, but gaining on its record pace set in 2004 and 2005.
JetBlue is the principal force behind the renaissance of the airport which had slumped with the withdrawal of American Airlines service.
We hate to fly, and it shows - LA Times
Disenchantment
with U.S. airlines is growing, and Los Angeles
International Airport isn't too popular, either, according to the
latest Zagat Survey of nearly 7,500 frequent fliers, released Tuesday.
Among 27 U.S. airports, LAX, which ranked fourth-worst in 2005, slipped
to third-worst this year in overall quality, dragged down by low scores
for security processing, the international travel experience and
amenities such as shopping and entertainment. Miami International was
second-worst and New York's LaGuardia was worst.
For more survey results, visit www.zagat.com/airline
Little holiday turbulence at JWA - Daily Pilot
John Wayne Airport officials and patrons are surprised at the lack of hassles, despite the usually hectic holiday crowds.
Courtney Wiercioch, a spokeswoman for John Wayne Airport, said the day before Thanksgiving had been the busiest of the week in 2006, followed by the Sunday after the holiday. She added that officials would not have passenger numbers until next week, but as of Wednesday afternoon, the airport had gotten by without any major hassles.
“There are very little, if any, waits in the security checkpoint. I don’t know if people are coming more prepared, if they’re coming earlier, if they’re packing their bags the way they’re supposed to, but folks are amazed at how smoothly it’s running.”
Website Editor: The situation sounds much improved from last year when a survey showed long waits and better than the oft-repeated characterization of the airport as "bursting at the seams".
The number of flights and passengers allowed at John Wayne are limited by the settlement agreement between the county and Newport Beach so JWA may not experience the holiday traffic growth expected at other area airports.
Wyndham expansion approved -
Daily
Pilot
The Costa Mesa City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a
massive expansion by the Wyndham Orange County hotel, but the
construction will not likely begin for at least another year.
The Wyndham, located in Costa Mesa’s upscale north end, plans to
replace its parking structure with a 23-story high-rise residential
tower. The expansion, which would accompany a number of other
high-rises in the area near South Coast Plaza, is the largest proposed
for any hotel in Costa Mesa.
The Airport Land Use Commission for Orange County labelled the height
of the project inconsistent
with land use around John Wayne Airport because of overflights by
general aviation aircraft at relatively low altitudes.
Regional air
traffic board may be at Web survey's mercy -
Daily Breeze
A brief online survey could help chart a new course for an agency
charged with diverting airline traffic from Los Angeles International
Airport to other local airfields. Or, as some have predicted, the
survey could spell the demise of the on-again,
off-again Southern California Regional Airport Authority, more
commonly referred to as SCRAA.
It's been a year since Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
reintroduced SCRAA amid much fanfare in the hope that the group would
fulfill a campaign promise to cap the number of flights coming into and
out of LAX. In the meantime, SCRAA hasn't accomplished much.
Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach said he refuses to rejoin the
SCRAA board because he fears the agency will use its power of eminent
domain to take control of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana.
To move ahead, Los Angeles also needs to stop dwelling on the fact
Orange County voters rejected a plan several years ago to build an
international airport at the shuttered Marine Corps air station in El
Toro, Moorlach said.
Long Beach Airport is not a dues-paying member of SCRAA, but city
officials have signaled an interest in joining the group, according to
airport spokeswoman Maricela de Rivera.
"We are in no way trying to alleviate the air travel stress experienced
at LAX, but we are in favor of encouraging airports in outlying areas
to absorb air traffic," de Rivera said. "We wouldn't mind joining
SCRAA's board of directors, but we don't want to be forced to grow."
LAX losing ground to Asian airports -
Daily
Breeze
Decline in cargo traffic could be offset by promoting service in
Ontario, a consultant says.
Los Angeles International Airport should expect to see a steady decline
in cargo shipments over the next 20 years as Asian airports gain
continuing economic strength in the global market, a consultant told
the airport commission on Monday.
Last year LAX handled more than 1.9million tons of cargo, the
fourth-highest amount nationally after airports in Memphis, Tenn.,
Anchorage, Alaska, and Louisville, Ky., according to airport cargo
consultant Michael Webber.
Although LAX's position as a "primary international gateway" to Asia
has helped, the airport's ranking as a major cargo hub has
significantly slipped on the international stage, from second place in
1997 to 11th place last year, Webber said.
To make up for the anticipated loss, Los Angeles World Airports should
aggressively promote cargo handling operations at LA/Ontario
International Airport, Webber said.
Will JWA cutback
air service? – El Toro Info Site report
John
This year, for the first time, the growing number of passengers is closing in on the MAP cap. If the trend continues, a cutback in service may be implemented before the plan year ends on March 31, 2008.
This is because the airport, if unconstrained, has both the demand and the physical capability to serve over 10.3 MAP, especially when passenger load factors – the percent of airplane seats that are sold – runs high as it has recently.
Documents obtained through a California Public Records Act request show airport management contacting the air carriers for their projections for the balance of the plan year.
A September 21 letter from the airport manager to Southwest Airlines reads in part:
In order to ensure compliance with the 10.3 MAP limit at the Airport during the 2007-08 Plan Year, I have directed my staff to carefully monitor the Air Carrier load factors, seat capacity utilization trend, and expected passenger utilization trends at JWA . . . In light of this information and indications that this strong load factor performance will continue through the end of this Plan Year, it may be necessary for me to exercise my discretion to withdraw capacity in the coming months in order to ensure compliance with the 10.3 MAP Limitation.
I understand that this is an extremely sensitive issue to the Commercial Air Carriers operating at JWA. Therefore, prior to any withdrawal of capacity, I plan to meet with Southwest Airlines to discuss these issues and to provide Southwest with an opportunity to discuss its questions and any concerns.
I do not presently anticipate making an actual decision on withdrawal of capacity until the end of October 2007.
Many airports protect
their neighbors with noise
restrictions.
Burbank's Bob Hope Airport fogged in, "substantial" flight delays; LAX loses runway
Bob Hope Airport was shut down [Monday] morning because of thick fog, and travelers were advised to expect "substantial" delays as a result.
Planes scheduled to land in Burbank were canceled or rerouted to other area airports as a result of the thick fog enshrouding much of the region, said airport spokesman Victor Gill.
Thick coastal fog shut down one of two runways for
arriving airplanes at Los Angeles International Airport Monday night,
causing delays for passengers at the start of the busy Thanksgiving
week.
Air traffic controllers were only letting pilots land on the south runway as a soupy marine layer rolled into LAX, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Meanwhile, departing flights were delayed by about 15 minutes because of poor visibility, he said.
"The controllers can't see a lot of the air field, so they have to slow down traffic as a precaution," Gregor said.
Airports wrestle with holiday security waiting lines - Gannett News Service
Every Thanksgiving, millions of people get on airplanes and fly to other cities to share a holiday feast with family members. But first, they wait. At half the nation's 50 busiest airports, the lines to reach a security checkpoint were longer during last Thanksgiving weekend's peak travel times than they were in 2004, according to a Gannett News Service analysis of federal data collected over the past three years.
The GNS analysis looked at pre-security wait times Wednesday through Sunday for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend over the past three years as recorded by TSA screeners at more than 400 U.S. airports.
The figures represent only the time it takes to get to a security checkpoint. They don't include the time it takes to get screened by TSA workers or other time-consuming waits, such as the line to check in and pick up a boarding pass.
Among the nation's 50 busiest airports, John Wayne had the longest average peak wait time last Thanksgiving, at more than 20 minutes.
The San Jose and Oakland airports, also in California, were close behind, with peak wait times averaging about 19 minutes. Next were the airports in Miami, Newark and Philadelphia, with waits between 16 and 19 minutes.
Week of November 12 - November 18, 2007
Jet fuel pipeline to LAX is delayed - Daily Breeze
The 24-mile pipeline would link fuel storage tanks in Wilmington and Carson with the airport and cross Gardena, Hawthorne, Los Angeles and unincorporated county areas on way.
Although originally fast-tracked to be completed by early 2009, a jet-fuel pipeline connecting South Bay storage tanks with Los Angeles International Airport will not be finished for several more years.
The project, which faced community opposition primarily from Gardena, has now been pushed back three to five years.
JWA growth an issue that won't go away - Daily Pilot editorial
Maybe in the future air commuters will be able to park their cars at what will be called the John Wayne Airport and Transportation Center, and instead of boarding a flight right there, hop on a train and take a maglev ride to Ontario Airport or points beyond.
Or maybe, just maybe, more property will become available, maybe even at Camp Pendleton Marine Base, that would be perfectly suited for a new airport.
Unfortunately, we’re here to say those “maybes” can’t be counted on any time soon.
By the numbers: California's best and worst - LA Times Travel
Best big-city airport (for getting away on time): It's San Diego's Lindbergh Field.
Worst big-city airport (for getting away on time): The laggard among the state's four biggest airports is San Francisco.
Best flight (within the state, based on timeliness): JetBlue Flight 241, Oakland to Long Beach.
Worst flight (within the state, based on timeliness): Southwest Airlines flight 336 from Oakland to LAX.
Best train ride inside California. Over the year that ended Sept. 30, Amtrak's short-distance Pacific Surfliner service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
More . . .
Activists have the real power in elections - Daily Pilot, Rigonomics
Jim Righeimer, Costa Mesa planning commissioner and Supervisor Moorlach's recent appointee to the Airport Land Use Commission writes:
It took the residents of South County three elections and a supervisorial race to stop the airport at El Toro.
When you count the final tallies for votes, money and passion, they were clearly more active than the rest of the county. They put the final nail in the coffin by getting an anti-airport supervisor elected in North County, thereby flipping the 3-2 majority in their favor and forever ending the debate.
Elections have consequences. That activism put us in the horrible situation we have now at John Wayne. Since that vote in 2002, passenger travel is up 28% to 8.4 million. At this rate it will pass the 10.8 million cap before 2011.
Website Editor: It won't happen. Procedures in effect at John Wayne Airport will not allow the passenger level to exceed the 10.3 MAP cap which remains in force until 2011. I predict that airport management will employ controls to produce a plateau or more likely a decrease in the number of passengers allowed to use the airport next year.
This website will be posting reports on the airport access control procedures in coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Travelers may not feel very thankful - LA Times
If you're flying for Thanksgiving, brace yourself. And once aboard, there won't be much elbow room: In another record, most planes will be more than 90% full, meaning most flights will take off with all seats occupied.
Forecasts are for storms in Chicago and Dallas, two of the nation's largest airport hubs, on Wednesday, the busiest day for Thanksgiving travel.
LAX is bracing for about 1.85 million passengers, up 3% from last year, during the 10-day period that starts today and ends Nov. 25.
At Orange County's John Wayne Airport, the crush of passengers will push "the limits of our capacity," said Jenny Wedge, an airport spokeswoman. Parking is particularly scarce at John Wayne, so she advised passengers to get a ride to the airport if possible.
At Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, spokesman Victor Gill is advising travelers to call (818) 565-1308 for up-to-the-minute information about parking availability.
The airport is anticipating a 5% increase in passengers compared with last year, setting a record.
Air transport just dream - Daily Pilot
If you’re hoping regional transportation authorities will find property for another airport to alleviate traffic at John Wayne Airport, forget about it.
To make matters worse, it appears that transportation planners from the Southern California Assn. of Governments are also banking on high-speed rail to steer some travelers to other regional airports, like Ontario. Good luck with that.
Area leaders got a hint of all this when they met this week with representatives from the Southern California Assn. of Governments. AirFair, the local organization that advocates the cap on John Wayne traffic, sponsored the meeting.
“I thought the residents made it pretty clear to SCAG that we want them to find an alternative airport location, or put some high priority on some efficient transit system that will get people from here to an airport in Ontario or San Bernardino,” Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley said.
August 2007 Airline Traffic Data: Eight-Month 2007 System Traffic Up 3.4 Percent From 2006 - Bureau of Transportation Statistics
U.S. airlines carried 522.8 million scheduled domestic and international passengers on their systems during the first eight months of 2007, 3.4 percent or over 17 million more passengers than they did during the same period in 2006, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today reported in a release of preliminary data.
Website Editor: Los Angeles International Airport continues as the nation's fourth busiest for total passengers and fifth for domestic passengers according to the report. The BTS data does not include travel on foreign airlines. Data collected by this website puts LAX in third place overall when foreign carrier traffic is included.
Thanksgiving air travel is for the birds - Press-Telegram
LAX, other area airports expect a flock of holiday travelers.
Los Angeles International Airport is expected to be as stuffed as a trussed-up turkey during the extended Thanksgiving holiday period, according to projections to be announced today. About 1.85 million passengers are expected to make their holiday pilgrimage through LAX during the 10-day surge that begins Friday, a 3 percent increase from the same period last year, according to airport officials.
About 210,000 passengers are expected to use LA/Ontario International Airport during the 10-day travel period, up 5 percent from last year.
Click for last year's predictions. Actual results are generally not publicized. Only the turkey references are certain.
ExpressJet speeds into favor - Press-Telegram
L.B. airport welcomes business-oriented new carrier's quiet fleet
Traveler Tom Brady, who flew out of Long Beach Airport to Monterey on Tuesday, said he was glad to be avoiding the crowded Los Angeles International Airport.
Brady, a Valencia resident who was making his first visit to the Long Beach Airport, was booked on a flight offered by the airport's newest carrier, ExpressJet Airlines, which began service Sunday.
The ExpressJet planes are seven to 10 decibels quieter on departure, and about four to six decibels quieter on arrival than the average commuter plane at the airport, said Dennis Rambeau, operations superintendent of noise at the Long Beach Airport.
Long Beach Airport currently has 14 slots - roundtrip flights originating from the airport - available. That number will drop to 13 in January when Delta Airlines adds another slot to its services, bringing the total of daily roundtrips the airline offers to five.
Plan aims to spur Ontario airport growth - Press-Enterpise
In a bid to spur more passengers to use LA/Ontario International Airport next year, officials want to offer airlines temporary incentives to start new service at the airport.
Long touted as a more convenient alternative to LAX, high landing and terminal rental fees, which airlines often pass along as higher ticket prices, have stymied growth at the airport.
The new plan, which would waive landing fees at the airport for six months for new domestic flights and 12 months for international flights, is still in the preliminary stages but could be in place by January.
But temporary landing fee reductions may not be enough to drive in significant new service, said Alan Bender an airline business expert and professor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
"Airlines are still going to look at the advantages of being at LAX," he said. "If the traffic doesn't materialize, the carriers are going to go away anyway."
During the first six months of the year, traffic at the Ontario airport remained largely unchanged, despite the launch of ExpressJet. Earlier this year both AeroMexico and Azteca airlines dropped flights that represented more than half of Ontario's international routes at the time. And ExpressJet recently announced it will end flights between Ontario and Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 30. The airline also canceled flights to Corpus Christi, Texas, at the beginning of October.
Meanwhile, the nearby San Bernardino International Airport, which hopes to launch its own passenger service in the coming year, is watching the Ontario airport carefully.
Orbitz Reveals Busiest Airports and Most Popular Destinations for 2007 Holiday Travel Season
For better or worse, Turkey Day and travel go hand-in-hand to make up the busiest travel time of the year. With more than 25 million passengers expected to travel during the 2007 Thanksgiving season, holiday travel on the heels of a hectic summer will require patience and preparedness.
Orbitz lists the busiest airports for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods based on its bookings. LAX is #2, #3, or #4 depending on which measure Orbitz employs.
More U.S. airports offering international flights - USA Today
U.S. airlines' race to boost international flying is expanding service at U.S. airports beyond just the traditional gateways.
For January, airlines have scheduled 1,790 foreign departures a day from continental U.S. airports, 4.7% more than a year earlier, a USA TODAY analysis of data from OAGback Aviation Solutions.
Though Miami and New York John F. Kennedy remain the busiest airports for international flights, places such as Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, Conn., Cleveland and Denver have seen double-digit annual growth.
Website Editor: The article shows third place LAX having one of the smaller growth rates at 0.7%.
ATA Expects 4 Percent Increase in Number of Travelers Over 12-Day Thanksgiving Travel Period - Air Transport Association
The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines, is forecasting a 4 percent year-over-year increase in the number of passengers traveling globally on U.S. airlines during the 2007 Thanksgiving holiday season (Friday, Nov. 16 through Tuesday, Nov. 27).
Over the entire 12-day holiday travel period, ATA projects that planes will be, on average, close to 90 percent full. To put this in perspective, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), year-to-date 2007 load factors have averaged just above 80 percent.
San Diego Air traffic up, outstripping LA region - El Toro Info Site report
San Diego's Lindbergh Field served 1,476,889 passengers in September, an 8.2% increase over September 2006.
Year to date, the airport is up by 4.8% showing greater growth than the airports in the neighboring LA region that were up a combined 2.5% this year.
Between September 2000 and September 2007 year-to-date figures, the San Diego airport increased traffic by 15.8%. The 6 airports in the SCAG region were up a total of 2.7% over the same period.
One possible explanation is that the large defection of passengers from LAX to other Southern California airports has also increased traffic at San Diego.
LAX's Encounter Restaurant reopens - LA Times
After an eight-month hiatus, the landmark Encounter restaurant at Los Angeles International Airport will begin serving lunch today.
The restaurant in the center of the airport was closed in March after workers discovered that the Space-Age arches above the establishment were unstable.
A 1,000-pound chunk of stucco fell off the underside of an upper arch in February, but no one was injured.
Week of November 5 - November 11, 2007
[BUR] Baggage facility approved - Burbank Leader
Residents have until Nov. 26 to appeal city decision to OK security building that many believe violates development agreement.
Burbank City Community Development Director Susan Georgino has approved a plan to build a baggage facility at Bob Hope Airport, officials announced Wednesday.
Georgino’s decision comes after months of debate about the development agreement the city and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority (10 MB file) signed in 2005 to govern against terminal expansion.
High Desert Corridor vital to logistics - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin opinion
In the near future, the High Desert will evolve into a major "inland port" complex. At both the Southern California Logistics Airport (formerly George Air Force Base in Victorville) and Palmdale Airport, major intermodal freight yards are in development or on the drawing board. These facilities will handle the large shipping containers which must now be put onto trucks and trains exclusively in the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors and at yards along our local freeways today, including the BNSF Railway intermodal yard in San Bernardino.
Five Good Questions With Alan Murphy - Aviation Week
Murphy is the airport director for Orange County's John Wayne Airport.
Aviation Daily asked Murphy five questions. Click the link above for his answers:
John Wayne Airport was one of 20 that FAA did safety reviews on for runway incursions. The agency says incidents have improved. What did you do to cut back on incursions?
John Wayne is a constrained airport. How do you maintain the balance of fulfilling passengers' needs with the airport's operational challenges on growth and noise issues?
The airport has experienced record traffic in 2007, leading to it hitting 10.3 million annual passengers (MAP) this year. What are you doing to keep traffic from going over the cap?
The mayor of Los Angeles has revived the Southern California Regional Airport Authority. Why isn't John Wayne Airport a member?
Looking ahead, what construction projects does JWA have on the books to handle future growth and security issues?
SoCal air traffic at record level through September - El Toro Info Site report
For the first time, the total number of passengers using the six major airports in the region topped the nine month record set in September 2000, increasing by approximately 1.8 million passengers. It took seven years for the traffic volume to recover and finally exceed its pre-9-11 level. It is up by 2.7% over 2000.
Since 2000, LAX experienced a significant drop in utilization as passengers chose other airports.
Orange County - John Wayne Airport, the region's second busiest, saw the largest gains once the county agreed in 2003 to increase the number of passengers it would allow.
Long Beach experienced a major upswing due in large part to the arrival of JetBlue in 2001.
| Airport |
9
months 2007 |
9
months 2000 |
Passenger
change 2000-07 |
| LAX |
46,950,441 |
50,981,570 |
-4,031,129 |
| Orange
County |
8,463,106 |
5,880,019 |
+2,583,087 |
| Ontario | 5,420,537 | 5,036,196 | +384,341 |
| Burbank |
4,456,904 |
3,543,341 |
+913,563 |
| Long
Beach |
2,225,233 |
495,854 |
+1,729,379 |
| Palm
Springs |
1,191,826 |
960,368 |
+231,458 |
| Total |
68,706,989 |
66,897,348 |
+1,810,699 |
Columns do not exactly add vertically and horizontally because airports occasionally adjust initially posted data.
Data not included for minor airports. Palmdale served 6,691 passengers in 2007. Oxnard-Ventura provides 4 daily round trip flights to LAX.
Long Beach traffic remains upbeat
Passenger traffic at Long Beach Airport was up 11.4% in September when compared to the previous year. For the first nine months of 2007 total traffic was 5.8% ahead of 2006's.
The number of air carrier and commuter flights providing this service increased by 9.0% for the month and 4.0% for the nine months.
Disney posts big gains in year-end report - Yahoo.com
Strong across-the-board performances from its various units helped the Walt Disney Co. post strong earnings growth for both its fourth quarter and year-end results.
Disney does not release detailed attendance information at its parks, but officials say attendance in Orlando set a record while the Disneyland Resort in Anehimin reported a dip in attendance.
Website Editor: Data collected by Los Angeles World Airports ranked the Disneyland area as Orange County's largest generator of air traffic at LAX.
Ontario posts higher September results: Is ExpressJet making a difference?
Ontario/LA airport served 576,386 passengers in September up 4.72% from the same month in 2006.
For the nine months year-to-date the airport served 5,420,537 passengers - up 123,488 - for a gain of 2.3% over the prior year.
New carrier ExpressJet served 246,220 passengers, canabalizing most of them from other carriers at Ontario whose combined traffic dropped by 122,732. ExpressJet attracts passengers by offering nonstop service from ONT to destinations that require connections on other airlines. There is nothing in the data to support hopes that ExpressJet will draw significant traffic away from LAX.
Two Virginia Tech studies find that housing prices fall after real estate disclosures - Virginia Tech
Real estate laws that require sellers and their agents to provide prospective homebuyers with basic information about a neighborhood, such as whether it is in a flood zone or an airport noise zone, decrease housing prices by thousands of dollars, according to two new studies from Virginia Tech.
Jaren Pope, assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, examined a local disclosure ordinance in Raleigh, N.C., involving airport noise and a North Carolina state law involving flood zones.
“Homes near the Raleigh-Durham International Airport already sold for a price that was 4 percent lower than comparable homes in Raleigh, but a year after the city mandated a disclosure about airport noise, these prices dropped an additional 3 percent,” Pope said.
Website Editor: Click for other studies on the effect of airport noise on real estate prices.
How 8 Airports Bucked Trend In Late Arrivals - Wall Street Journal
In a year dominated by record delays, stranded passengers and the ripple effects from New York's packed airspace, travelers at a few airports have received a lucky surprise: more on-time flights.
In the first nine months of this year, the average on-time arrival rate at the nation's 32 busiest airports dropped to 73.2% from 76.1% a year earlier, according to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. But eight major airports have managed so far to buck the trend.
Four are in California -- San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco -- apparently benefiting from unusually dry conditions this year in the Golden State.
LAX September results up slightly from 2006
Los Angeles International Airport passenger traffic for the month of September was up 0.35% from September 2006. Total traffic for the first nine months was 1.53% ahead of the same period last year.
John Wayne passenger traffic continues strong
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in October 2007 as compared to October 2006. In October 2007, the airport served 833,593 passengers, an increase of 3.3% when compared to the October 2006 passenger traffic count of 807,074.
Commercial Carrier flight operations increased 2.7%, while Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations decreased 7.5% when compared to the same levels recorded in October 2006.
General aviation activity, which accounted for 67% of the total aircraft operations during October 2007, decreased 15.4% when compared to October 2006.
Website Editor: Kudos to JWA management for publicizing traffic reports in a timely fashion. JWA is the only local airport so far to release October data. We still are waiting for September results to be posted on the Long Beach and Ontario airport websites.
Irvine chose convicted felon to head [Great Park] project - LA Times
When the executive who was asked to head one of the largest and costliest public works projects in the nation abruptly departed earlier this year, Irvine city officials cited health reasons.
What they did not say was that Marty Bryant -- a longtime city employee appointed this year to shepherd the billion-dollar Great Park -- had a troubled past: He pleaded guilty in 1989 to embezzling public funds in San Juan Capistrano to feed a cocaine habit.
Bryant was the third chief executive officer to lead the project.
Bryant's hiring and sudden departure, and the lack of steady leadership in general, have caused some to question the city's grip on the project. Originally scheduled to open in 2009, the park is still in the design phase with little more than a balloon ride to show for tens of millions of dollars in public spending.
The rising price of oil threatens the regional air travel forecast - El Toro Info Site
One of the assumptions made by SCAG staff for its most recent air travel demand modeling was that the price of oil would double from $75 dollars per barrel to $150 by 2030 or 2035. (RADAM version 9.12 for the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan)
Associated Press reports that record oil prices topped $98 and edged closer to $100 a barrel Wednesday amid expectations of declining U.S. supplies. The weak dollar and OPEC's apparent reluctance to pump more crude into the market also boosted prices.
Who says the capacity of LAX is 78 MAP?
In an ongoing email exchange with a key opponent of LAX expansion, a question arose as to the source of the 78 MAP estimated limit on LAX capacity used by Southern California Association of Governments in all of its Regional Transportation Plans since 2001. We quickly found the origin of the figure, which dates from pre-911 studies and is obsolete in the face of current higher aircraft load factors.
Quote from the SCAG Final 2004 Regional Transportation Plan Technical Appendix:
In
aviation system planning conducted for SCAG’s 2001 Regional
Transportation Plan (RTP), a physical capacity analysis was conducted
of LAX that the existing capacities of the facility’s curbside,
terminal, terminal gate and runway systems. It determined that the
overriding constraint that governs the physical capacity of LAX is its
runway system. This analysis evaluated the ability of the LAX runway
complex to accommodate
landing aircraft (i.e., runway aircraft acceptance rate) during peak
and off-peak periods. . . . The LAX runway capacity was estimated at 78
MAP. This capacity constraint was adopted for the 2001 plan, and
carried over into the 2004 RTP.
It should be noted that Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has estimated the existing runway capacity of LAX at about 86 MAP. Also, if the LAX capacity analysis was updated using SCAG’s updated 2030 regional aviation forecast, that accounts for increased aircraft load factors after 9/11 and more very large aircraft in the future fleet mix, the estimate of existing runway capacity at LAX would be above 78 MAP.
It should be noted that Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has estimated the existing runway capacity of LAX at about 86 MAP. Also, if the LAX capacity analysis was updated using SCAG’s updated 2030 regional aviation forecast, that accounts for increased aircraft load factors after 9/11 and more very large aircraft in the future fleet mix, the estimate of existing runway capacity at LAX would be above 78 MAP.
However,
SCAG continues to project the capacity of LAX at 78 MAP indefinitely
into the
future - a policy that drives SCAG's planning for regionalization
of traffic to other airports
and for the ground transportation necessary to move
passengers to those other airports.
LAX panel asks for terminal bids - Daily Breeze
Saying they hope to build a facility that tourists find welcoming, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners called for bids Monday to find an architect to design the new Midfield Concourse and an expanded Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Set for completion in January 2012, the $1.2 billion Midfield Concourse would hold eight to 10 new gates capable of handling mega-size aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787.
A series of problems has caused the Bradley terminal modernization project to run nearly $94 million over budget.
In other action, the airport commission signed off on a $7.2 million contract on Monday to purchase a house and two apartment buildings containing 33 units as part of an acquisition and relocation program for those who no longer want to live near LAX.
So far, 463 houses and apartment buildings in Manchester Square and in neighborhoods between Airport Boulevard and Bedford Avenue have been acquired since the relocation program began in 2000. About 106 more homes are scheduled to be acquired.
S.D. Airport Authority Offers Public “Terminals to Tarmac” Tours - SDIA media release
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is offering public tours of SDIA – from the terminals to the tarmac.
The bus tour starts at the commuter terminal and continues on for a walking tour through Terminals 1 and 2. Then, participants board a bus for a driving tour of the entire runway.
The airport tours also provide an opportunity to learn more about the Phase 1 Airport Master Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for near-term airport improvements. These include a ten-gate build-out of Terminal 2, a dual-level roadway in front of Terminal 2 and various parking, roadway and airfield improvements.
Upcoming tour dates include November 8 and 9, and December 13 and December 14, and run from 10 a.m. to noon. To make a tour reservation online, visit www.sanplan.com and click “Get Involved,” or call 619-400-2880.
