Antelope Valley Press, Tuesday, February 19, 2002 Plan: Airline growth must involve Palmdale EDITORIAL Focus: A master plan has been ordered to prepare Palmdale Regional airport to begin and expand air service. While we wait for airline passenger counts to again set new records, it's obvious that Palmdale airport is in line to absorb a significant part of Southland air travel growth, which is expected to double by 2025.   For the first time in the past 34 years, Los Angeles airport commissioners have ordered a master plan to develop the Palmdale Regional Airport. The commissioners acted on Feb. 12 after receiving some encouraging words from L.A. Mayor Jim Hahn. Hahn wrote, "It is time to intensify planning to develop Palmdale Regional Airport as an important element in our regional approach." The L.A. mayor requested that the commission specifically market Palmdale to airlines, travelers and shippers.   "It is clear we cannot wait for airlines to come to us. We have to show them how they can profitably operate at PMD and we have to do everything possible to attract the necessary passenger and shipper traffic so that PMD delivers what we promise," he wrote. Mayor Hahn set a 90-day deadline for establishing marketing goals. Michael D. Antonovich, L.A. County 5th District supervisor, applauded Hahn's action. "Unlike the 'head in the sand' approach taken by pervious mayors (Tom) Bradley and (Richard) Riordan, Mayor Hahn has a vision for meeting the air transportation needs of Los Angeles County's 10 million citizens," said Antonovich, whose district includes the Antelope Valley. "What a difference a new mayor makes."   The need is for Palmdale to serve one or more airline hubs - such as Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix or San Francisco - so that passengers can connect to flights that can take them to any destination in the world. There is a blockbuster statistic that dictates the absolute necessity of developing Palmdale into a viable airport. It's this: The air passenger count in the Southland's five-county region closest to Los Angeles International Airport is expected to double between the year 2000 and 2025 - from 87 million passengers to 165 million passengers. The region under discussion includes Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Southern California Association of Governments has created a plan for dispersing the projected passenger loads among the various area airports, some of which - like Palmdale - do not currently offer commercial service.   Many of the airports expected to pick up a share of the passenger growth face local controversy over increasing - or initiating - commercial air service. Palmdale is one of the few airports facing little opposition. Los Angeles International's parking rates are among the highest in the nation. Los Angeles' airport commission decided to charge $30 a day for parking in the international airport's structures beginning Feb. 15. That's 25% higher than the previous $24 rate, and nearly twice the $16 it charged 15 months ago. Other airports charging $30 a day include Burbank Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. As we have pointed out many times before, parking at Palmdale Regional Airport is free.