Councilwoman: Palmdale's the only option

"There's simply nowhere else to go," said Ruth Galanter, a Los Angeles city councilwoman whose 6th District butts up against the evernoisy Los Angeles International Airport. Her constituents are sick of airport noise, and she'd like to send any additional LAX jet traffic to the Antelope Valley.

Why here?

Because Los Angeles World Airports owns 17,750 acres of raw desert real estate in Palmdale that were supposed to be turned into an international airport in 1966.

Instead, Los Angeles World Airports struck a deal to use a piece of Air Force Plant 42 for passenger service. Commuter airlines have not been able to make a profit servicing Palmdale. The last carrier to fly here, United Express, quit in April 1998. The terminal has sat vacant since then.

Galanter sees LAWA's separate land as a resource in waiting, and can't understand why the city doesn't forge ahead with plans for construction.

"Just because you plan for something doesn't mean you have to build it immediately," Galanter said. Plans for Ontario International Airport's expansion, completed last year, were approved several years before construction began, she said.

"LAWA should do the same for Palmdale right now," Galanter said. "They should get through the environmental clearances and be ready to go."

About a year ago, Galanter asked Jack Driscoll, then the top administrator of Los Angeles World Airports, what had been done to study the possible development of Palmdale Regional Airport. He told her nothing had really been done, and she asked for a feasibility study of what it would take to develop the airfield.

After two days of meetings in Palmdale, Los Angeles World Airports was to compile the comments from industry experts and issue a report. The report never came, but surfaced unofficially last week, Galanter said.

"The report shows something can be done in Palmdale to improve the regional air picture," Galanter said.

"It's all very fine to say here's our forecast," Galanter said, "but I don't see any investment plan yet."

Galanter said she also doesn't see LAWA making any efforts to bring passenger service back to Palmdale Regional Airport.

But time may be the best ally in the battle to expand Palmdale's airport, Galanter said.

All the existing airports in Southern California are telling their neighbors not to worry about noise, that any excess flights will be diverted to other airports, Galanter said.

In the case of LAX, they tell people some short-haul flights can be diverted to Burbank. At the same time, Burbank tells its neighbors it can shift new flights to LAX.

"The truth is they can't divert anywhere else," Galanter said. "There is a shell game going on here. As with all shell games, somebody's going to catch on. That's what's going to make Palmdale viable."

Galanter also predicted the airlines will be the last to acknowledge Palmdale as Southern California's next regional airport.

Reflecting on the slowness of officials to consider developing Palmdale Regional Airport, Galanter said: "I don't know why people won't look at Palmdale. They have their heads in the sand."