Aging Hub Waits to Take Off - Wall Street Journal
Los Angeles International Airport's Struggles to Modernize Threaten Its Standing
The airport also faces political and construction problems that threaten a nearly $5 billion modernization drive.
For Los Angeles and LAX, consistently ranked one of the worst in passenger satisfaction among the top 20 international hubs, the stakes are big. Rival U.S. airports with upgraded facilities are competing hard to siphon off both domestic and international traffic, while a big chunk of the region's economic future is tied to LAX's role as the leading gateway to fast-growing Asian tourism and other markets.
"We're a world-class airport by accident," said Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles's new mayor. "People need to fly in and out of LAX," he said, but beyond the new terminal, "there's nothing else that's world-class about it."
This year, just six years after completion, one of LAX's main runways started cracking, a setback that could slow operations just as the airport tries to get its modernization off the ground. The city is suing the runway's designers and contractors.
Meanwhile, Mr. Garcetti has joined airport neighbors in opposing another runway project sought by U.S. regulators—and backed by the airport's director—intended to enhance safety and efficiency.
Critics say the legal and contractual problems could undermine the airport's position as America's primary aerial connection to fast-growing Pacific markets. San Francisco, Seattle and Dallas are among cities eager to attract such traffic.
Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased; general aviation decreased.
Passenger volume continued to recover in October 2013 as compared to October 2012. In October 2013, the Airport served 791,710 passengers, an increase of 1.9% when compared to the October 2012 passenger traffic count of 776,658.
General aviation activity, which accounted for 63.9% of the total aircraft operations during October 2013, decreased 11.2% when compared to October 2012.
November 18 - November 24, 2013
John Wayne Airport releases upbeat economic impact study of Mexico air service - JWA media release
John Wayne Airport announces the results of an economic impact study of air service from Mexico to Orange County. The study, conducted for JWA by InterVISTAS Consulting LLC, found that the total economic output in the region generated by JWA's Mexico air service is $131 million.
"This study shows the significant value air service from Mexico brings to the region's economy," said Airport Director Alan L. Murphy. "With our partners AirTran and Interjet, we look forward to continuing to provide a convenient gateway for business and leisure travelers to reach the heart of Southern California."
Nonstop service between Orange County and Mexico (Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City) was introduced by AirTran, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, in June 2012. Interjet began daily service to Guadalajara and Mexico City in October 2012.
Lucy Dunn, president and chief executive officer of the Orange County Business Council, offered the following comment on the service, "In just one year, the AirTran and Interjet flights from Mexico have generated amazing results and underscored the critical role that John Wayne Airport plays in fueling Orange County's economic engine."
"This study confirms what OCVA expected all along: JWA's Mexico air service generates significant visitor expenditures in the Orange County area, nearly $50 million annually," said Ed Fuller, president and chief executive officer of the Orange County Visitors Association. He continued, "JWA's direct nonstop flights from Cabo San Lucas, Guadalajara and Mexico City are a very welcome addition to the Orange County tourism community."
The Earth shifts, John Wayne adjusts - OC Register
Which way is north?
Earth has two North Poles. There's the geographic North Pole, which is the chunk of icy land made famous by explorer Robert Peary and Santa Claus.
There is also a magnetic North Pole, the place the compass on your smart phone points that tracks the magnetic changes in the earth's core.
The geographic North Pole moves slowly based on shifts in the earth's tectonic plates. The magnetic North Pole, however, is galloping across the top of the world, heading toward Russia at a rate of about 40 miles per year.
Although a few other airports around the world also have changed their numbering in past years, John Wayne is the first one in Southern California to do it.
In John Wayne's case, that means the runway orientation that was 190 degrees in 1965 is now closer to 200 degrees and the one that is 10 degrees is now more like 20 degrees. So the runways will be redesignated 20R/2L and 2R/20L next year.
Officials at Long Beach Airport and San Diego International said they had not renumbered their runways and didn't have any plans to do so. Los Angeles International did not respond to a request for comment.
November 4 - November 10, 2013
Counts are not flying high at Bob Hope Airport - Burbank Leader
The total number of passengers at Bob Hope Airport continues its downward trend.
Bob Hope Airport saw its summer slide continue into autumn, as the number of passengers traveling through the airport fell by more than 7% in September.
The airport handled 300,860 passengers in September, an almost 7.2% decrease compared to 324,176 in September 2012, according to statistics released by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday.
Airport Executive Director Dan Feger said that although the overall summer trend followed what airfield officials expected, each month was below what was projected in the airport's annual budget.
Meanwhile, other airports in the region reported a wide range of passenger totals in September. Los Angeles International Airport and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana saw 5% and 3% hikes, respectively. However, Ontario Airport reported an 8.4% decline and Long Beach Airport had an 8.6% drop.
October 28 - November 3, 2013
JWA sees continued recovery
Airline
passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in September 2013 as
compared
to September 2012. In September 2013, the Airport served 728,971
passengers, an increase of 3.0% when compared to the September 2012
passenger
traffic count of 707,510.
Commercial
aircraft operations increased 3.4%, while Commuter aircraft operations
decreased 34.9% when compared to the levels recorded in September 2012.
“Our vision was to provide the highest level of customer service and create a space which is resortlike,” airport director Mario Rodriguez said. “We wanted to create something world class without spending a bunch of money.”
The results have been encouraging. The new concourse was named the 2013 Aviation Project of the Year by the California Transportation Foundation.
But even before the new terminal opened, the airport was doing well. Notably, the number of departures at Long Beach Airport rose 1.3 percent between 2007 and 2012, according to calculations by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
It may not seem like a lot, but during that period, as fuels costs rose and the economy faltered, airlines slashed flights at midsize airports nationwide. At L.A./Ontario International Airport, the number of departures dropped by about half, while at Burbank Bob Hope Airport, departures fell by about 25 percent, M.I.T. researchers concluded.
Being customer friendly has helped, but Long Beach airport has countered trends for a couple of other key reasons. First, it has one dominant airline — Jetblue Airways — that considers the West Coast its center of operations and has invested heavily at the airport. And second, Long Beach is located in a demographically strong area filled with a near perfect combination of leisure and business travelers.
Long Beach’s noise ordinance also helps. Because Jetblue has the vast majority of takeoff rights, called slots, it is insulated against new entrants on its routes. Jetblue has the rights to 32 daily departures. Among carriers operating large jets. US Airways has the second most slots, with five.
“To some effect it has limited the competition at that airport,” said Michael D. Wittman, an author of the M.I.T. study comparing midsize airport traffic.
Airlines generally refer to revenue per passenger as “Yield.” “If the airlines didn’t have the yield they have, we would look like Ontario,” said Rodriguez, the airport manager. “Our airlines have extremely high yield. That’s why they are here. It’s a free market economy. Airlines will serve the high yielding market. We are here because the airlines have a high yield on the product. The proof is there. We are steady as she goes. Ontario has dropped.”
ONTARIO: Canceled flights cause for concern at Inland airport - Press Enterprise
Canceled flights aren’t as big a deal at other airports, because people can usually get on another airline or flight within an hour or two.
At ONT, they’re a big problem, because passengers don’t have a lot of alternatives. Fewer and fewer flights are being offered at the Inland airport.
Even Southwest, Ontario’s biggest carrier, has slashed flights from 61 to 30 per day.
Ontario International has lost more than 40 percent of its passenger volume since 2007 because of airline cutbacks.
Unfortunately, Los Angeles World Airports seems to be setting up Ontario to fail. At an Oct. 1 Board of Airport Commissioners meeting, ONT’s part-time manager, Jess Romo, implied Inland residents need to put up or shut up.
“We’ve heard a lot of criticism” from Inland residents, Romo said. “We want folks out there to use your airport (ONT).”
So if Inland residents fly from other SoCal airports because their ONT flight is canceled, or because flights are $100 to $200 more at ONT, LAWA officials will blame them for ONT’s decline.
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