LAX plan includes Palmdale flights

The outline is in the form of a LAWA staff report, which will be flushed out in the comprehensive draft master plan set to be released on Jan. 18.

The master plan calls for expansion of Los Angeles International Airport, with emphasis on improvements to accommodate international flights. But the plan also includes a proposal to rely on Palmdale and Ontario airports for regional flights.

The package improves existing runways, adds a new terminal and cargo facilities and would take massive steps to improve road, freeway and rail access.

The staff recommendation reduces the scope of expansion by encouraging increased use of Palmdale, Ontario and other regional airports, Los Angeles World Airports executive director Lydia Kennard said.

Individual master plans for Palmdale and Ontario airports will soon be under way. LAWA commissioners voted this week to issue a request for proposals to hire firms to guide each of those plans.

LAWA owns and operates four airports - LAX, Palmdale, Ontario and Van Nuys. The board's intention to expand LAX and market outlying airports is in response to projections that show the region's aviation demands increasing beyond the capacity of LAX.

SCAG projections for the next 10 years call for 98 million passengers per year to be served in the region.

LAX now serves 65 million passengers per year. The airport was designed in 1984 to handle 40 million passengers per year.

Even with the expansion of LAX, the airport will only be able to accommodate 89 million passengers per year.

So, LAWA is encouraging growth at Palmdale and Ontario to make up for the overrun, according to Jim Ritchie, LAWA's deputy executive director for long-range planning.

"As we realize LAX will continue to be the international gateway for the region, we want to encourage more growth out into the regional airports," Ritchie said. "That's why we put the RFPs out for Ontario and Palmdale, is to show that we are a regional airport authority."

According to Ritchie, no new runways are to be added.

Instead, runway 24L and 24R will extended to 12,000 feet and will be set twice as far apart - from 150 to 300 feet - to accommodate the larger airliners typically used for foreign flights.

That plan is directly connected the recent announcement by Airbus that it intends to begin building an 800-passenger craft.

With greater separation, the lengthened runways will better accommodate the larger craft.

"That's an important enhancement to the airfield," Ritchie said. "It supports our role as an international gateway."

The south runways will also be separated further to make room for larger craft, he said.

That separation will also make room for a center taxi between the runways to allow for better flow of aircraft on the ground to prevent runway incursions, which have become an increasing danger at large airports.

LAX hasn't been modernized since 1984, putting it behind changing aviation times.

According to Ritchie, 75% of gates at LAX won't accommodate a 747 - the largest passenger craft to date.

The master plan, which will be given a 180-day public viewing period before LAWA commissioners vote on it, also includes enhancements to LAX gates as well as street enhancements and improvements to the Metrorail Green Line, which serves the airport.

According to Ritchie, with LAX under expansion and Ontario Airport growing rapidly, LAWA's focus must shift to establish commercial flights at Palmdale Airport.

LAWA continues to be approached by air freight firms and commercial carriers with inquiries about setting up operations at Ontario Airport.

United Parcel Service recently set up operations to China from that airport, and Mexican Airlines has announced its intention to conduct commercial flights from there.

Passenger travel is growing at Ontario by 7% a year and, according to Ritchie, the airport is approaching 7 million passengers annually. The airport is designed to handle 10 million passengers per year, he added.

"At that growth rate, we've already realized we're going to very quickly fill up that facility as it is," Ritchie said.

Los Angeles World Airports has been criticized for focusing efforts on LAX expansion instead of developing outlying airports.

Critics of LAX expansion have expressed concern over increased air and noise pollution concerns as well as worsening traffic congestion in their battle against the master plan, pushed by Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and Los Angeles World Airports.

L.A. Councilwoman Ruth Galanter is an outspoken opponent against the expansion of LAX and has also been vocal in her quest to market Palmdale Airport.

Galanter successfully lobbied fellow council members last month to pledge the L.A. City Council's support to market Palmdale Airport.