AV airports fly in the face of odds

That was the advice given to members of the Palmdale Regional Airport Advisory Committee about the development of the local commercial airport during a Tuesday luncheon.

The speaker, Robert P. Olislagers, director of airports for San Bernardino County, emphasized that airport development is severely hindered when airlines start new service and then soon withdraw.

In regard to airport development, he said, the " `build it and they will come' days are over." There are about 17,000 airports, large and small, all over the nation, and many are being closed every year, Olislagers said.

The airline industry is a "bottom-line" business, and the air carriers are not going to begin service unless they can show a profit, which is extremely difficult in a highly competitive environment, he said.

Olislagers pointed out that highly successful Southwest Airlines has built its route structure by providing air service to regions where vehicular travel is extremely heavy. "They compete with vehicles, not other airlines," he said.

He pointed out that virtually all of the major airports in the U.S. Southwest were born from 1926 to 1930, including Mines Field, which is now Los Angeles International Airport.

It was during that time frame that airmail and passenger service began expanding nationally, he said.

Although the Department of Defense base closures have led to severe community adversity, they often open up new opportunities for diversified development, Olislagers said.

As examples in his own county, he cited the former George Air Force Base, now Southern California International Airport; and the former Norton AFB, now San Bernardino International Airport.

During the early 1990s, airlines were hemorrhaging red ink, but the entire industry is expected to grow 30% during the next decade, Olislagers said. Regional airline operations are expected to grow by 50%, he said.

Also during the meeting, advisory committee officers were unanimously elected. They include: Jean Ray, president; Lloyd Haney, vice president; Howard Brooks, vice president of programs; Marge Kimbrough, vice president of membership; and Brad Weeks, secretary-treasurer.

Presiding at the meeting, held at the Palmdale Holiday Inn, was the past year's president, Larry Chimbole.