| - |
| "I am committed to strengthening Southern
California's regional aviation system," Villaraigosa
wrote in al letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary
Norman Mineta. "And fostering the long-term
viability of Palmdale Regional Airport is one of the many
ways regional aviation in Southern California can be
advanced." The money would come from a grant from
the Department of Transportation's Small Community Air
Service Development Program, established in 2000 to help
communities meet their air transportation needs. The
program authorizes the Transportation secretary to hand
out as many as 40 grants each year. |
| - |
| "We think that we're going to have a very
competitive request," Mayor Jim Ledford said Tuesday
afternoon. "We've got a broad base of support."
According to the Los Angeles World Airports - a municipal
agency that runs LAX as well as smaller airports in
Palmdale, Ontario and Van Nuys - the grant application
from the Palmdale coalition outlined promises of
community support as well as detailed plans for the
future. For example, the application included pledges
from a number of private and public partners who said
they would chip in $1.15 million in cash and $3.58
million in other contributions, such as advertising,
marketing support and airport terminal rent abatements. |
| |
| The papers also included a description of the
coalition's plan to initiate a 50-seat regional jet
service by developing a "revenue guarantee
program." The idea behind the program is that, by
minimizing the financial risk associated with entering a
new market, the airport will attract businesses and
nonstop flights to other transportation hubs in the
Western states. Coalition members said improved services
at the regional airport would alleviate traffic in the
air and on the streets around Los Angeles International
Airport. |
| |
| "This is good news for Palmdale because it means
there really is a focus on the Antelope Valley
area," Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman Maria
Tesoro Fermin said at the time. Supervisor Michael D.
Antonovich, whose 5th District includes the Antelope
Valley, moved in January that Los Angeles County
supervisors urge the owners of the airport to start
implementing some incentives to attract businesses. He
presented a wish list that included free shuttle
transportation from Van Nuys Park-and-Ride, advance
ticket purchase options and improved cargo transport. |
| |
| "Palmdale Airport is located in the heart of one
of the fastest growing areas of the country,"
Antonovich said in the motion. "It has a fully
equipped and operational terminal poised for full
utilization." Studies suggest the airport could
attract passengers if the right destinations were
available. Some studies estimate Palmdale could support 2
million passengers annually, growing to 12.8 million by
2030. |
| |
| - |
 |