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Palmdale airport's turbulence spans 31 years
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press April 19, 1998.By VERN LAWSON
Valley Press Managing Editor
Here is a chronology of major events in the history of the Palmdale Regional Airport and the onagain, off-again pattern of commercial air service out at Palmdale.
December 1967
City of Palmdale and U.S. Air Force enter joint-use agreement for a 25-year lease of a 54-acre site at Plant 42.
August 1968
Airport commissioners adopt resolution to acquire a 17,700-acre site for the proposed airport in Palmdale and request that the L.A. City Council initiate condemnation proceedings.
1968
Supporters of the Palmdale Intercontinental Airport organize.
February 1969
Palmdale City Council passes condemnation ordinance to acquire land for airport.
July 1969
Grant of $1.5 million is allocated for airport development under a federal Housing and Urban Development program that advances acquisition of land.
July 1969
Palmdale City Council endorses resolution for immediate coordination of efforts by Los Angeles County, city and Department of Airports to assure appropriate planning of the airport and the surrounding area.
June 1970
Secretary of Transportation announces federal airspace and site approval.
September 1970
Airport land acquisition begins.
February 1971
Sierra Club and Palmdale Homeowners Association plus seven individual home owners bring suit against U.S. Department of Transportation, seeking revocation of federal site approval and prevention of federal expenditure, complaining lack of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
June 1971
Palmdale air terminal (building) opens. Golden West Airlines begins morning and evening service between Palmdale and Los Angeles International Airport. Service later discontinued.
July 1971
Airport commission approves moratorium on further land acquisition by Department of Airports, following Department of Transportation announcement that federal funds for the project are frozen.
September 1971
Hughes Air West begins service at Palmdale. Service later suspended.
July 1972
Department of Airports selects San Francisco firm to conduct environmental impact study in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and 1970 Airport and Airways Development Act.
August 1972
Airport commissioners resume land acquisition at Palmdale and authorize eminent domain proceedings.
September 1972
The Sierra Club, Palmdale Homeowners Association and seven local individuals file suit against the Department of Airports, seeking to halt property acquisition until environmental impact statement is completed. Suit based on California Environmental Quality Act of 1970.
October 1972
Superior Court denies Sierra Club request for injunction to halt land acquisition. Commission resumes buying land after being stopped by preliminary injunction two weeks earlier.
August 1974
Draft of environmental impact report is submitted to airport commissioners by San Francisco firm. Study shows need for new major air transportation facility in the Los Angeles region and names Palmdale as the most favorable site because it offers the least dislocation of homes and businesses, the highest availability of vacant land, least airspace conflicts, initial available ground access, least major air and noise pollution potential, and visible community and institutional support.
January 1975
Air Force, airlines and airports department continue negotiations on a program to use Air Force Plant 42 and the Palmdale Air Terminal for alternate operations of widebody aircraft when weather conditions close LAX.
January 1976
To make use of land acquired, the department appoints an agricultural land developer and joins with the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency and the Palmdale Water District in funding an environmental study for the proposed Palmdale Eastside Agricultural Project to provide additional water service to the area. Investigation continues into the viability of certain crops, such as sesame seeds.
January 1977
Golden West Airlines begins service at Palmdale. Service ends in January 1982.
May 1978
Airport commissioners adopt environmental impact report, then department staff forward the report to regional offices of Federal Aviation Administration for the federal review process. It was five years in preparation.
May 1979
California Transportation Department notifies the airports department of state position that a new application and review of the site is required because 10 years passed since the site permit was granted in 1969 with the airport not being developed.
August 1979
City of Los Angeles files suit to block the Caltrans action.
April 1981
Study surmises that development of a Palmdale Regional Airport as a full-service airport by 1995 would generate a total economic benefit to the Antelope Valley ranging from $882 million to $1.01 billion, including 31,663 to 36,310 additional jobs with an associated payroll of $440 million to $510 million.
August 1981
C & M Airlines begins service at Palmdale. Name changed to Mojave Airlines in August 1983. Service discontinued in July 1986.
March 1982
Rockwell International breaks ground for B-1B aircraft production facility on 307-acre airport site. Located at the west end of the Department of Airports' property adjacent to Air Force Plant 42, the 40-year lease was approved by the airport commission effective February 1981.
July 1983
Litigation with Caltrans resolved.
May 1984
Custom Aviation doing business as Desert Sun Airlines begins service at Palmdale. Last flight was in January 1985.
July 1984
Airports department awards $1.3 million contract to firm to provide architectural and engineering services in the design and construction of Palmdale airport's first phase of development.
January 1985
Flight operations out of airport terminal involving a small commuter airline cease. Terminal closes.
July 1985
Airport commissioners accept preliminary drawings for first phase of airport development. No construction date set.
November 1985
Board approves memorandum of understanding with Air Force as a basis for revised agreement on commercial operations at Plant 42. The agreement would permit commercial operations at Plant 42, deferring construction of an additional runway on department property until Plant 42 reached its commercial capacity.
October 1986
Final drawings for proposed construction of Palmdale Regional Airport submitted. Remaining portion of contract, calling for construction services, canceled because construction is no longer imminent.
Feb. 15, 1989
Agreement with Air Force signed, postponing indefinitely any further construction or plans for Palmdale Regional Airport.
Jan. 2, 1990
America West initiated four flights daily linking Palmdale Regional Airport (operating on land leased from Air Force Plant 42) and Las Vegas.
June 1, 1990
SkyWest Airlines begins five daily flights between Palmdale and Los Angeles International Airport, providing low- or no-cost fares for passengers flying aboard Delta Airlines from LAX.
July 15, 1990
America West added daily roundtrip, nonstop service between Palmdale and Phoenix. All America West service discontinued in July 1991.
Sept. 1, 1990
SkyWest Airlines expands its service to seven roundtrip flights linking Palmdale and LAX, (except for Saturday and Sunday, when the schedule drops to five) plus one roundtrip daily between Palmdale and Palm Springs. Flights discontinued in February, 1994.
Feb. 1, 1993
United Express Airlines begins service between Palmdale and LAX. Flights to be discontinued on Thursday, April 23, 1998.
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