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| As Los Angeles International Airport and other area
airports operate at capacity and air travel resumes at
pre-Sept. 11 levels, the time has come for Palmdale
Regional Airport located on 17,000 acres and providing
seemingly unlimited air space. Speaking to the Greater
Antelope Valley Chamber of Commerce on March 12, Myers
said growth is inevitable for the Antelope Valley. He
quoted from a new Federal Aviation Administration
statement that predicts air travel will return to
pre-Sept.11 levels by early 2003. |
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| Several other factors are influencing opportunities
for the airport - a concentrated marketing campaign to
the airlines, an easement to build a SR 138 bypass from
AV Freeway 14 to Palmdale Air Force 42 Plant and the
smaller airlines' trend to use regional routes in their
operations. Just before Sept. 11, the city of Palmdale
devised a marketing strategy to target five major
airlines: American Airlines' American Eagle, United
Airlines' United Express and Delta Airlines' Delta
Connection (both operated by Sky West); America West
Airlines' America West Express and Alaska Airlines'
Horizon Airlines. These airlines tend to buy and fly
regional-size jets (50-seat capacity), at the same time
that LAX officials want to eliminate smaller planes from
its runways. |
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| An agreement has been reached by Los Angeles World
Airways(LAWA), which owns the Palmdale airport, and
CalTrans for an easement to build a SR 138 bypass from
Antelope Valley Freeway 14 to Palmdale Plant 42. The
Palmdale airport is a full service facility operating at
Air Force Plant 42 under an agreement among LAWA, the
city of Palmdale and the Air Force. The airport has two
12,000-foot runways and a newly renovated terminal with a
projected potential for 900,000 to 1.5 million passengers
to pass through its doors annually. "Having an
airport in Palmdale is no longer a political issue, but
the economic impact on the region spells j-o-b-s for the
Antelope Valley," said Myers. |
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| Focusing on the economics, Myers said that a 1998
study of Southern California attributed 393,000 jobs
directly to Los Angeles International Airport. Of this
figure, 314,000 people were employed in Los Angeles
County, 149,000 in Los Angeles and 40,000 at LAX, while
LAX's activity generated a total economic impact of $61
billion. According to a National Airport Council study,
380 major airports in the United States last year
employed 6.5 million people and generated an output of
$130 billion. Even with a few flights daily, the Palmdale
airport would initially generate an annual income of $64
million, according to a LAWA study. |
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| Comparing the Palmdale airport to a comparable
regional airport, Myers said that Lehigh Valley, PA,
airport products an income of $300 million annually. The
airport management reported that the most important
factor in attracting relocating businesses is the
regional airport in Lehigh valley. "Relocating
businesses frequently ask us at GAVEA if we have a
regional airport in the valley. GAVEA gets questions
about the airport and a four-year university the
time." he said. Myers talked about the myths
believed by some residents who oppose any airport growth.
"Myth says that large fully loaded jumbo jets like
747s can't take off at Palmdale airport because of the
heat altitude in midsummer. The Flying Tigers say that
their cargo aircraft must take off early in the morning
at LAX in midsummer because of the heat factor there at
sea level." |
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| He continued, "Myth says that Palmdale airport
would have a conflict with Air Force Plant 42 use and a
conflict with air routes in the area. LAWA has a
joint-use contract with the U.S. Air Force at the
Palmdale plant and more than 400 airplanes could take off
daily before there would be any question about air space.
Remember that PRA has 17,000 acres to expand, while LAX
covers only 150 acres. "Some of our community like
to remind us that the Palmdale Airport didn't support the
airlines in the past. But those airlines weren't going
where passengers wanted to go. Who wanted to pay $190 per
ticket to fly to LAX?" he said. |
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| "People say that passengers won't use the
Palmdale airport, but as LAX becomes more and more
crowded, people from the San Fernando Valley and Santa
Clarita will choose to drive to Palmdale." Myers
explained that Burbank Airport has no air- and land-space
in which to grow, and is limited to 6 million passengers
per year. The air quality around Ontario Airport is
limiting any expansion there, and the Long Beach regional
airport is facing a similar problem with fog and smog.
Yet Palmdale airport has enough land area to expand. A
master plan prepared by the city of Palmdale and LAWA
provides an aviation easement over the land surrounding
the airport and light industrial zoning for the same
land. "There won't be any residential construction
allowed here," Myers said. |
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