Airport plan includes passengers and cargo

That's the message from John Driscoll, Los Angeles Department of Airports executive director, who spoke to Palmdale Regional Airport Advisory Council members Tuesday.

The catch - it could be three to five years before the plan for success takes off.

Los Angeles International Airport's master plan will include Palmdale Regional Airport and eventually a market study to determine what future air business here will look like.

Cargo is a critical element because half-full planes can make money if they carry enough cargo, Driscoll said. Los Angeles International Airport is the nation's second-busiest cargo airport, he said.

That can translate into business for Palmdale. Officials from the Los Angeles Harbor, for example, has been out to look at the vast 17,000 acres at the Palmdale Regional Airport, Driscoll said.

"They wanted to see what you have. They saw vast acreage. I don't want to cause high expectations, but there are things going on. I think in three to five years there will be a different airport than what we see there today," he said.

Las Vegas is a desirable destination for many in the Antelope Valley, but the eventual flights of larger aircraft probably will be driven by travel habits and how they can be tied into cargo transportation, Driscoll said.

Many of the department of airports' plans are long-term, but some of the plans do include some short-term projects needed to bring larger aircraft onto the runways.

"We want to convert the lousy taxiways at Plant 42. We have heard Southwest talking about coming here. My hope is in the next few years there will be a commitment to develop them," he said.

The Los Angeles Department of Airports and the Air Force are reworking a joint use agreement at the airport. The original agreement didn't allow cargo, but the new agreement will, he said.

In the meantime, Driscoll urged the Palmdale advisory council to be patient.

"I know it is frustrating, but determining the market is important. The market has to be there and the airlines must recognize it is there. The time will come, but it has not come yet," Driscoll said.

The plan and development phase is critical to a solid future, he said.

"This is not a `build and they will come,' but a plan to have the basic infrastructure in place or at least in process when the airlines come," he said.