JWA traffic down in October; LAX and LGB are up
Orange County's John Wayne Airport saw passenger traffic drop in October by 4.8 percent when compared to October 2009. The decline came with a 4.9 percent reduction in the number of air carrier flights.
It was the fifth consecutive month in which passenger volume fell below that of the prior year.
Meanwhile, domestic passenger volume at LAX rose by 5.4 percent for the month and passenger volume at Long Beach airport was up by 7.0 percent.
Long Beach recently secured Allegiant Airlines as a new carrier. Allegiant and Jet Blue are introducing increased service from Long Beach to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas run has been one of the main components of traffic from JWA. We predict that many North Orange County travelers soon will opt to fly from Long Beach, further cutting into JWA business.
This does not bode well for Orange County where the waiting list for new airlines seeking to serve JWA is dwindling while the airport is undergoing a major facilities expansion. There has been more news coming out of the airport about new food service vendors than about new air carrier service to justify the addition of a third terminal.
November 22 - November 28, 2010
GOP House aims to take $2 billion back from California high-speed rail - bayareanewsgroup.com
Wasting no time after a victorious midterm election, GOP congressional leaders who promised to slash spending are looking to make an example of the nation's priciest public works project: California's $43 billion high-speed railroad.
A coalition of 27 House Republicans, led by the ranking member of the committee that controls spending, wants to yank $2 billion in stimulus funds promised to California to kick-start the massive project.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, last week introduced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Rescission Act, which would return the final $12 billion in unspent and uncommitted stimulus funds to the U.S. Treasury to help fight the $1.3 trillion U.S. deficit.
About half the remaining stimulus money is set aside for planned high-speed rail projects. The largest is in California, which has spent nearly $200 million of its $2.25 billion award on planning but is saving the rest for construction.
Without stimulus funds -- which unlocked another $2 billion in matching state bond money -- California would not have enough cash available to start construction and no timeline to do so.
The state plans to spend more than $4 billion to start laying tracks in the Central Valley by the stimulus deadline of September 2012. The tracks would extend to the Caltrain line from San Francisco to San Jose and to Southern California, with service starting by 2020.
November 15 - November 21, 2010
Allegiant bets Long Beach wants to go to Las Vegas - LB Press-Telegram
Allegiant Airlines, Long Beach Airport's newest tenant, is ditching its Stockton service in favor of Las Vegas.
Allegiant said it's ending the Stockton route due to weak demand. The low-cost carrier became Long Beach's sixth airline in July, when it began routes to four cities with a fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80s.
Allegiant signed a deal with LongBeach in late 2009 for service to Washington, Colorado Springs, Idaho Falls and Stockton, though representatives say schedules are flexible, depending on demand.
The start-up's presence in Long Beach is expected to push the airport's total annual passenger volumes well above 3 million.
Website Editor: Depending on pricing, the move is likely to steal North O.C. passengers from John Wayne Airport.
'Enhanced' pat-downs raising eyebrows at JWA - OC Register
Federal security staffers at airports nationwide are adding a personal touch to their work, but not all Orange County travelers appreciate the hospitality.
The "enhanced version of a pat-down," which some have likened to being groped, was announced last month and has become controversial following an Oceanside man's well-publicized civil disobedience, not to mention videos of toddlers being frisked.
At John Wayne Airport this week, many passengers endured lengthy searches, including one woman who was patted down for 160 seconds on virtually every part of her body.
The technique awaits travelers whose stroll through metal detectors doesn't satisfy screeners; about 70 airports offer a choice between searches and full-body imaging devices, an option that will come to JWA next year.
Passenger Refuses Groin Check, Full Body Scan - CBS/AP
There's been a confrontation over full body scans at a U.S. airport: A California man refused a scan in San Diego Saturday; he also refused a pat down.
"We're spending inordinate amounts of money on security that isn't necessary and arguably doesn't work," John Tyner said. "I didn't intend to go through the machine or be groped."
"They told me to go through the scanner and I said, 'I don't think so,"' Joyner remembered.
He used his iPhone to record the conversation with a security agent.
When the agent told Tyner he was going to get to a groin check, he wasn't having any of it. "We can do that out here, but if you touch my junk, I am gonna have you arrested," Tyner said.
Tyner says he was then escorted back to the American Airlines ticket counter, where the airline refunded his money, but he says that wasn't the end of it: He says he was threatened with a civil lawsuit, but he left anyway.
November 8 - November 14, 2010
Alaska Airlines celebrates launch of service between San Diego and Puerto Vallarta - SD airport media release
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority joined Alaska Airlines in celebrating the inaugural flight between San Diego and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Alaska Airlines will be offering two daily nonstop seasonal flights from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta (PVR) through April 11, 2011. This flight increases Alaska Airlines’ current service from San Diego to Mexico, as it also has flights to Cabo San Lucas.
Supervisors approve first round of airport food concessions - OC Register
The Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday three new food concepts at John Wayne Airport.
The shops are the first of several competing restaurants vying for space at the airport, which is undergoing a major upgrade to accommodate more passengers. The new restaurants include Subway, a wine bar and a specialty candy and smoothie shop.
Website Editor: The only things missing from plans for the expanding airport are new airlines and flights to new destinations.
New free shuttle between Bob Hope Airport and North Hollywood Metro station - Los Angeles Times
Just in time for the holidays, a free shuttle service has started between Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and the North Hollywood Metro Station.
The service, which began last week, will continue until at least the end of January during a trial period. "We want to evaluate and make sure people are using it," airport spokeswoman Lucy Burghdorf said.
November 1 - November 7, 2010
Airline, food changes at SoCal airports - OC Register Travel
The number of people flying is going up while the number of seats on airplanes is staying the same or dropping. You don't need to be an economist at the Federal Reserve to do the math: more people in limited seats equals higher airfares equals more profits.
I'm seeing aircraft types once limited to regional duty increasingly employed on long range routes. Boeing's latest versions of its famously stubby 737s can fly to Hawaii or across the country. You'll find them on these routes – and not just out of secondary airports like Orange County, but major hubs like LAX and Seattle. Before it ended its service, Air Canada was flying a souped-up regional jet with four-across seating, the Embraer 190, across the continent from Orange County to Toronto.
But all is not coal in the stocking this holiday season. Continental Airlines planes from Hawaii are returning to Orange County. After a two-month vacation, the airline will resume flights to Honolulu on Nov. 20, then Maui on Dec. 16. I can't think of a better Christmas present than skipping LAX on my way to Hawaii.
The caveat, of course, is that prices out of John Wayne Airport can be significantly higher. But make sure to factor in the cost of getting to and from LAX (or parking), along with the traffic's impact on your nerves.
Air Canada last month pulled the plug on its 6-month-old service between JWA and Toronto. Air Canada will owe the airport $140,000 in rent and services through the end of the year, according to JWA. Air Canada decided to cut its losses on what it said was a money-losing route.
John Wayne is authorized to operate 89 daily departures for larger airliners. The airport is operating 81, a figure that includes one daily flight each for UPS and FedEx. The largest portion of the deficit was five daily flights that were authorized for Virgin America, which dropped service in May.
