Study gives rosy picture of
airport's potential services

That's the big picture according to the report titled, "Air Transportation in the Los Angeles Region."

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford and executives from Los Angeles World Airports gave the Los Angeles City Council an update Tuesday on efforts to expand services at Palmdale Regional Airport.

Meanwhile, Michael D. Antonovich, 5th District Los Angeles County supervisor, accused the airport agency of dragging its feet on Palmdale airport development.

In attendance for L.A. World Airports were its director, Lydia Kennard, and Jim Ritchie, the agency's deputy executive director.

The trio reminded the council of a recent study by airport consultant Hagler Bailly, completed in October, which found Palmdale could become a significant regional airport.

The study also asserts - with admitted optimism - Palmdale Regional Airport could have up to 4 million passengers by 2010, and up to 7 million by 2020.

But the report also cautions that those figures depend on factors not controlled by the regional airport agency.

The first necessary condition is transportation improvements such as carpool lanes and better freeway access to the airport. The second prerequisite is persuading a passenger airline to consider serving Palmdale.

"We want an airport in Palmdale," Ledford told the Los Angeles council. "That's something you won't hear from a lot of communities."

The Los Angeles airport agency owns 17,000 acres of land immediately east of Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. For decades, its intention has been to build an international airport on the site to ease congestion at LAX. Some opponents of planned LAX expansion want to see LAWA develop its Palmdale land.

Ledford does not.

He wants LAWA to exercise the agreement it already has with the Air Force to run Palmdale Regional Airport out of Air Force Plant 42. The agreement allows 50 operations (takeoffs and landings) daily, but nobody's taking advantage of that allowance.

Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, whose 6th Council District neighbors LAX, has been a strong supporter of steering L.A. air traffic to Palmdale. She welcomed the Palmdale Airport delegation's report, but scolded them for not being further along in their plans.

"I still have a lot of concerns," Galanter said. "You're not thinking big enough. The Southern California growth won't be accommodated anywhere else (but Palmdale)."

She continued: "This is where the future is, guys. There is no other community in Southern California saying they want it," meaning a major regional airport.

Antonovich, whose 5th District includes Palmdale, sent a letter to be read at the meeting. He, too, was critical of LAWA's efforts in Palmdale.

"The progress of LAWA in developing Palmdale Airport has been disappointing to say the least," Antonovich wrote. "Its actions demonstrate little more than lip service to the work that would be involved in truly making Palmdale a thriving airport."

He accused LAWA of foot-dragging, and pointed to the agency's failure to get approval from the Air Force for a cargo ramp as a prime example.

According to the letter, the ramp hasn't earned Air Force approval because the environmental report on its impact was poorly done.

"That delays not only the cargo ramp, but any serious efforts to expand the airport," Antonovich said in the letter.

He further described LAWA's efforts to expand Palmdale Regional Airport as anemic, and called for the office to work with the county to effectively market Palmdale.

Los Angeles Councilman Hal Bernson, who represents the San Fernando Valley on the L.A. City Council, said its inevitable future air traffic will be routed to Palmdale.

"Travel will increase, not decrease," he reasoned. "But you still need to solve the terrible problem of getting there and getting back."

Bernson suggested LAWA increase landing fees at its airports and use the money to build a freeway specifically for access to Palmdale Airport.

To get some potential airport users lined up, LAWA and Palmdale signed an agreement in October saying they'd approach the problem on three fronts: marketing, facilities and transportation.

"We're not as far as we want to be, but we're going to get further," LAWA's Ritchie said during the group's presentation.

Richie co-chairs the Palmdale Working Group with Ledford. Ritchie helps oversee efforts by committees on the three fronts.

In marketing, the group has decided to spend $255,000 promoting Palmdale Regional Airport to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Basin.

"We already have an airline interested," Ritchie said, though he wouldn't say which one.

America West and United Express were the last airlines to serve Palmdale.