L.A. World Airports to market Palmdale

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners on Tuesday approved a request for proposals for marketing and advertising consulting services to develop and market Palmdale Regional and Ontario International airports.

LAWA is the most recent organization to agree to develop a plan to market Palmdale Airport.

Lately, it seems, everyone from LAWA to the L.A. City Council to Mayor Richard Riordan to L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich wants air service established at Palmdale Airport.

Earlier this month, L.A. City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter successfully passed a proposal to hire a consultant to work outside airline channels to market the airport and eventually establish international operations in Palmdale.

That proposal was originally introduced by Riordan, but was expanded upon by Galanter to include hiring a consultant and creating an international airport in Palmdale.

Antonovich has already hired a consultant, who has completed a draft of a report on airport development. The final version is due out early next month.

According to a source close to Antonovich who has seen the draft, the document bodes well for anyone arguing to establish operations at Palmdale Airport.

The report concludes that most flights from Burbank Airport are local, the source said.

Many north L.A. County residents wishing to avoid the congestion of LAX book flights at Burbank. That airport doesn't serve many hubs in the southwest, according to the report.

The report finds "there's this huge void for air service to the major hub cities," the source said. "We're going to have a mountain of evidence showing that passenger service should be restarted in Palmdale."

The Palmdale Airport saw its last commercial operations end when United Express, the only airline flying out of the hub, departed in April 1998.

Politicos within L.A. are looking to outlying airports as a way of relieving congestion at LAX.

According to Philip Depoian, LAWA's deputy executive director for external affairs, the proposal is the next step of his organization's new Air Service Development and Marketing Program. The program's goals are to fully develop commercial passenger and cargo airports at Ontario and Palmdale.

Several air service development and marketing activities are already under way, according to LAWA.

The Air Force recently approved LAWA's plans to construct a 322 by 580-foot aircraft cargo parking ramp and upgrade portions of the taxiways at Palmdale Airport.

The proposal covers the following assignments:

preparation of an air service study for Palmdale Regional Airport to determine specific markets most suited for establishing new air service;

development and implementation of a marketing plan for Palmdale Airport that targets markets most likely to produce new air service and also includes additional surveys and market research efforts;

implementation of an already prepared strategic marketing plan for Ontario Airport that covers the next three to five years with a sustained air service development and marketing program;

preparation of filings in support of air carriers' applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation for international service to Palmdale, Ontario and Los Angeles International airport.

development and implementation of promotional and advertising plans related to new air service development at Palmdale and Ontario airports; and preparation of air cargo studies at both outlying airports.