Nearby homeowners getting relief from Long Beach Airport's noise - Contra Costa Times
Soon, homeowners at the southeast end of the airport's main runway will get a measure of relief.
The airport's new QuieterHome program will renovate the houses that the Federal Aviation Administration has determined are the most affected by airport noise. The first 10 homes will be assessed for soundproofing needs - new windows and doors, insulation and air conditioning systems - over the next few months, and then work should begin by May.
The cost of creating the QuieterHome program for Long Beach and renovating the first 27 homes is estimated at $3million, according to airport spokeswoman Sharon Diggs- Jackson. Soundproofing work is estimated at $30,000 to $40,000 per home, she said.
The program is funded by passenger fees charged to airlines at Long Beach Airport, but is limited by strict FAA rules.
To determine which homes may participate in the program, the FAA outlines a "noise contour" map that is based on the cumulative aircraft noise over one year as determined by 18 noise monitors around the airport. Homes that have an average aircraft noise of 65 decibels or more are included in the QuieterHome program
Area airports post October results
Los Angeles International Airport posted a 1.7 percent increase in passenger traffic for the month of October. This modest upturn still left volume for the calendar year to date off by 7.1 percent from the same period in 2008.
This up tic mirrored the picture at Orange County's John Wayne airport.
LA/Ontario airport passenger levels continued to be very soft with October off by 9.8 percent from last year and the ten month period off by 24.6 percent.
Long Beach airport saw a small decrease of 0.8 percent in October but is the only airport in the region that is ahead of 2008 for the year - by 0.6 percent.
Possible Air Canada service from OC still alive - OC Register
Air Canada is still...still...still looking at starting service at John Wayne Airport.
The carrier will be included in a new airport capacity plan sent to the Airport Commission on Dec. 16. The request would then go to the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 12.
Airport spokeswoman spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said the request shows that the possibility of service by Air Canada is "back on track" after a long dormant period.
Air Canada has had an open invitation to start flying to and from Orange County since earlier this year when it rose to the top of the waiting list for open spots at the airport. Early in the year, the airline brought one of its aircraft to be certified that it could meet the airport's stringent noise standards.
Website Editor: Air Canada was on the JWA waiting list for seven years. Had the airline not been held off for all that time, O.C. travelers might have Canadian service today.
While both county official and the airline said that no final decision had been made, the slow economy and lack of viable other candidates for the open "slots" at the airport meant that Air Canada wasn't rushed to make a decision, while John Wayne Airport was willing to wait.
Long Beach Airport sees more travelers - Press-Telegram
As consumers slowly regain confidence in a shaky economy, airlines this year are predicting a slight increase in travel for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Long Beach Airport has seen an overall 1 percent increase in travel this year compared to 2008, said spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson. She said the airport expects that small increase to carry on through the holiday weekend, with an estimated 36,000 passengers traveling between Wednesday and Sunday.
Diggs-Jackson said the airport will still have the same number of 41 commercial flights each day.
Week of November 16 - November 22, 2009
Study finds higher air pollution near Santa Monica Airport - LA Times
UCLA scientists have found that people who live and work near Santa Monica Airport are exposed to high levels of air pollution -- a significant health concern that has been largely associated with major commercial airports such as LAX.
The study, released Wednesday, shows that ultrafine particle emissions were 10 times higher than normal about 300 feet downwind of the runway's east end, where takeoffs generally start.
Ultrafine particles can travel deep into the lungs, penetrate tissue and even travel to the brain. Studies show that elevated exposure to the particles presents a health risk for children, older adults, and people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Although the research focused on Santa Monica, the study may have broader implications for regional and municipal airports that serve private planes and corporate jets. Many such airfields in Southern California are in densely populated areas.
Airing JWA traveler incentives - Daily Pilot
The airport watchdog group AirFair hopes a plan to lure Disneyland-bound tourists to Ontario International Airport with incentives like fare rebates and shuttle rides will help siphon some passengers away from John Wayne Airport.
“We think it’s a win-win situation for all involved,” said AirFair President Melinda Seeley. “This would take a percentage of our air traffic and divert it to Ontario, which is dying for more passengers.”
Los Angeles World Airports, which runs LAX and Ontario Airport, is working on a plan to give incentives to Disneyland visitors who fly through Ontario. The plan includes offering a shuttle service to Disneyland from Ontario and offering discounts on park admission and rebates on airfares.
A recent study found 1.3 million passengers who pass through John Wayne Airport each year are headed to Disneyland. Diverting some of those passengers to Ontario could minimize growth at John Wayne.
Concerned about the noise jets cause as they fly over residential areas in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, AirFair wants to keep a lid on passenger levels at John Wayne.
Jenny Wedge, a spokeswoman for John Wayne Airport, [said] no matter the incentives, some tourists will always choose to fly through John Wayne, simply because it is closer to Disneyland. For some passengers, this will be the key to their decision making when planning their visit.”
Website Editor: Those 1.3 million passengers contribute almost $3 million a year in passenger facilities fees plus other revenue to help pay for the current expansion project underway at John Wayne.
Authorities fly to Plan B - Burbank Leader
With FAA denying application for curfew, officials look to state legislation.
In their first public comments since federal officials turned down a nine-year, multimillion-dollar application for nighttime flight restrictions, Bob Hope Airport officials on Monday said that they would keep pushing for noise relief.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Nov. 2 denied a request from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority for a ban on air traffic at the airport between 10 p.m. and 6:59 a.m., with exceptions for emergency flights and medical aircraft.
“No one pounded on the dais, but we spent nine years and $7 million on this effort — real time and money — and really [the FAA] just said no,” airport Commissioner Charles Lombardo said. “The FAA said we don’t have a nighttime noise problem. Well, if you ask the people around the airport, I think they would give you a different answer.”
Executive Director Dan Feger indicated that the airport authority would explore bringing together affected cities, lawmakers and airlines to obtain a mandatory curfew either through federal legislation or a negotiated settlement with affected constituents.
City officials this month laid out their Plan B to the FAA rejection after Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signaled support for legislation that would regulate noise at Van Nuys and Bob Hope airports.
Airport Commissioner Don Brown said. “[The FAA] is going to really have to batter us and badger us if they think we’re going to stop. We’re going to do what we have to do.”
Week of November 9 - November 15, 2009
Ontario airport's Mickey Mouse idea just might work - San Bernardino Sun
L.A./Ontario International Airport is planning to use its proximity to Disneyland to attract new tourist traffic.
Yes, it's a Mickey Mouse idea, but it's a brilliant one. The plan would involve a cooperative effort involving both the theme park and the airport. Disneyland-bound passengers who choose to land at Ontario would receive such possible incentives as early admission to the park, price breaks on park tickets, preferred plane seating and rebates on flight and hotel fees.
Why stop with Disneyland? If potential millions of future Disneyland visitors can be lured to Ontario, why not millions of other tourists bound for other nearby destinations?
There's Big Bear Lake and other mountain resorts, for example. The possibilities are endless. Ontario soon will become Southern California's busiest airport. In fact, the overflow will have to be redirected to nearby San Bernardino International Airport, which always is ready to welcome more planes.
JWA traffic up in October
Orange County's John Wayne Airport had another up month is July though year-to-date traffic still lags behind 2008 by 5 percent.
|
John
Wayne Airport |
||||||||
|
|
October |
October |
% Change |
YTD 2009 |
YTD 2008 |
% Change |
||
|
Total passengers |
769,373 |
731,985 |
5.1% |
7,270,691 |
7,650,528 |
-5.0% |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Enplaned passengers |
381,675 |
362,867 |
5.2% |
3,624,492 |
3,822,628 |
-5.2% |
||
|
Deplaned passengers |
387,698 |
369,118 |
5.0% |
3,646,199 |
3,827,900 |
-4.7% |
||
|
Air Cargo Tons* |
1,304 |
1,378 |
-5.4% |
12,663 |
14,879 |
-14.9% |
||
|
Tower Operations |
19,227 |
17,903 |
7.4% |
182,976 |
235,346 |
-22.3% |
||
|
General Aviation Operations |
11,215 |
10,097 |
11.1% |
103,725 |
155,187 |
-33.2% |
||
|
Air Carrier Operations |
7,198 |
6,866 |
4.8% |
69,539 |
71,187 |
-2.3% |
||
|
Air Taxi Operations |
814 |
940 |
-13.4% |
9,674 |
8,921 |
8.4% |
||
|
Military Operations |
0 |
0 |
|
38 |
51 |
-25.5% |
||
|
||||||||
Week of November 2 - November 8, 2009
Council OKs Construction Of Airport Parking Garage - FlyInsider
After more than six years of talking, a new parking garage should begin construction before the first of the year at the Long Beach Airport.
Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously approved a design-build contract worth $44.5 million with ARB, Inc., for the first phase of a garage originally approved on Feb. 18, 2003.
On Jan. 3, 2008, the council approved an Environmental Impact Report for expansion and renovation of the airport terminal that included plans for a 3,200-car garage. But last February, newly hired Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez unveiled a two-phase plan that would build a garage with 1,989 spaces, waiting for the second phase until passenger load justifies its construction.
The council approved that approach, and told Rodriguez to come back with a financing plan. That plan also was presented and approved Tuesday.
Construction will be paid for with revenue bonds, with parking revenue as the sole source of repayment.
Still fighting for curfew - Burbank Leader
The Federal Aviation Administration decision to reject a nighttime noise curfew at Bob Hope Airport may have seen a blunt end to a nine-year, multimillion-dollar effort, but officials said advanced warning of the impending decision had given them time to develop alternatives.
City officials this week called the administrative system broken, arguing that the 180,000 residents across Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles who live under the airport’s flight paths were doomed from the beginning.
The FAA intentionally designed the Part 161 process to be burdensome and costly, and went into the process with a clear policy preference to find a way to turn down the curfew, said Peter Kirsch, the city’s attorney on airport issues.
City officials this week laid out what they dubbed “Plan B,” which would focus on using legislation to achieve the same end.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Oct. 9 submitted a letter to Burbank Mayor Gary Bric pledging a commitment to “crafting noise mitigations that serve both Van Nuys and Burbank airports and their respective constituencies.”
Officials are working to identify a legislative vehicle in Congress to attach their curfew language, but nothing is expected to be introduced before Nov. 18, a spokesman for Sherman said.
Bid to ban night flights over Valley to Burbank getting bumpy - Daily News editorial
The operators of Burbank's Bob Hope Airport want a nighttime curfew for flights. San Fernando Valley residents living near and under the flight path want a nighttime flight ban, as do their two congressional representatives.
That should be enough to guarantee a reasonable result. But apparently local desires don't count when it comes to the Federal Aviation Administration's grand air travel plans.
Last week, FAA officials refused an application for the nighttime curfew for commercial, cargo and charter flights between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., saying it would hurt nationwide air travel. Besides, officials noted, there's still the soundproofing program for anyone annoyed with the noise of low-flying jet planes over their bedrooms.
That's not good enough, and we applaud Congressmen Brad Sherman of Sherman Oaks and Adam Schiff of Burbank for fighting the decision by the FAA. This battle has gone on for long enough.
The airport operates in the middle of a heavily residential area, and local needs should be balanced with those of the nation's. More . . .
City of Burbank reacts to FAA decision on Bob Hope Airport curfew request - Glendale News Press
Burbank, Calif. (November 3, 2009) — Yesterday, the Federal Aviation Administration rejected the application by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority for a mandatory curfew at Bob Hope Airport. The Airport Authority has been through a lengthy and expensive process to convert the voluntary curfew into a mandatory curfew for all non-emergency nighttime operations. The City of Burbank appreciates that the Airport Authority put in the time and resources to complete and submit a thorough application in the face of opposition from both the FAA and some Airport users.
A curfew is essential. It would provide a refuge of quiet during the night for thousands of Burbank and Los Angeles residents. The evidence in support of a curfew is overwhelming. Burbank has a 40-year-long history of battling nighttime noise including countless lawsuits over the issue. Meanwhile, hundreds of people continue to be awakened each night by aircraft landing at or taking off from the Airport.
The FAA’s decision to turn down the curfew is extremely disappointing, but not entirely surprising. The FAA does not look favorably on curfews. The City thinks that the FAA has misunderstood its direction from Congress, and the City told the FAA just that in our comments on the Authority’s application.
Federal officials reject restrictions on night flights at Bob Hope Airport - LA Times
Federal officials dealt a blow to a decades-long fight to restrict nighttime flights at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.
The Federal Aviation Administration rejected a request by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority for a curfew. The FAA found that a curfew "was not reasonable"’ because it would "create an undue burden on commerce" and negatively effect the national air transportation system. It also said other alternatives are available for dealing with noise.
Website Editor: Burbank's unsuccessful effort to obtain an exemption under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act illustrates the hollow nature of suggestions made during the El Toro debate that such curfews might be possible at El Toro.
Magic Kingdom bus is the ticket - Pasadena Star-News
LAWA plans to focus on out-of-town Disneyland visitors as a new target market for LA/ONT. The idea is to redistribute some traffic from LAX and John Wayne Airport in Orange County to LA/ONT.
We've always been supportive of redistributing air traffic from LAX to Ontario and Bob Hope (Burbank) Airport.
Peggy Ducey, the consultant who presented the plan at a recent meeting of the Board of Airport Commissioners in L.A., said she had spoken to officials from Disneyland and several Orange County cities, all of whom had expressed support.
LAWA doesn't operate John Wayne Airport, but many Orange County officials and residents would rather have some air traffic diverted from that busy Orange County airport, and underused LA/ONT would be a willing recipient.
Website Editor: This is good for LAWA. It is good for
Ducey said LAWA would have to figure out a transit system since a majority of travelers visiting Disneyland use taxis or shuttles to get there from airports.
On that point, we have a suggestion: How about a FlyAway bus from LA/ONT to Disneyland and back?
