County hires firm to pitch city's airport

Palmdale's City Council is expected to vote April 11 on sharing the county's cost of paying for Tri-Star's services. The hope is that Los Angeles World Airports - the L.A. agency in control of Los Angeles International, Ontario and Palmdale airports - will participate as well.

Fred Davis, president of Tri-Star, signed a contract for services on March 15, county officials announced Thursday during a meeting with 5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and the Palmdale City Council.

If LAWA decides not to fund Tri-Star's marketing effort, "then we will fund it ourselves - `we' being the city of Palmdale, the county of Los Angeles, and we'd like to have the cooperation of the city of Lancaster," Antonovich said.

The supervisor, whose district includes the Antelope Valley, met Thursday with city officials to exchange information on topics of local concern. Among those topics was how to restore passenger service at Palmdale Regional Airport, at U.S. Air Force Plant 42.

Jim Ritchie, executive director of LAWA, has indicated he is willing to partner with the county and Palmdale in an effort to market Palmdale's facility, said Lari Sheehan, Antonovich's assistant administrative officer for unincorporated area services.

"When I asked (Ritchie) if he would give me further details, he said, `No, not at this point, but we do need to get together,' " Sheehan said.

A message left for Ritchie, who was in Sacramento on Thursday, failed to prompt a response by deadline.

Palmdale City Manager Bob Toone said it was his understanding LAWA would not choose a marketing representative for Palmdale Regional until May.

"I think that's moving too slowly," Toone said. "We can have a contract on our (council) agenda in the next couple of weeks."

"I think we need to move forward. If LAWA comes up behind us and wants to be part of the team, then that's fine. But my recommendation is to move immediately," the city manager said.

Antonovich and the members of the Palmdale City Council, absent Rod Penner, agreed.

Tri-Star is one of several firms that have submitted responses to LAWA's request for proposals concerning the marketing of Palmdale Regional, Sheehan said.

Since Davis recently compiled a comprehensive report identifying the demand and potential revenue for passenger service at the airport, it would seem logical that he be selected to present that data to the airlines, she said.

Davis' report showed that small-jet service to Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas would attract at least 273,100 passengers a year to Palmdale, creating direct revenue of $26.9 million and jobs for 21 people.

As that money is spent, the total economic benefit to the Antelope Valley could reach $64.5 million, Davis' report showed.

The report also showed it would cost approximately $70,000 to pitch the proposed routes to five airline companies. According to Davis, the best combination would be to have:

United Express making eight round-trip flights a day, five to San Francisco and three to Denver;

American Eagle making six round-trip flights a day, three to Dallas and three to San Jose;

America West making six round-trip flights a day, three to Phoenix and three to Las Vegas; and

Delta Connection and Horizon Airlines making hops to Salt Lake City and Sacramento.

The goal is make the pitches for those services before airline officials sit down this fall to reschedule their routes, Sheehan said.

"It's critical" to move ahead with the second phase of the effort, she said, "but that second phase needs LAWA and it needs the city of Palmdale to move forward."

Palmdale already has sent a letter to Ritchie urging LAWA to select Tri-Star, Ledford said.

Only Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who will be replaced in three months, is speaking in favor of expanding LAX instead of spreading increased airline service among regional airports, Antonovich said.

Neither the cities around LAX, the City Council of L.A., nor the candidates campaigning to replace Riordan agree with the L.A. mayor's view on that matter, the supervisor said.

"We have the facts on our side, and hopefully, the old guard that has been opposing us will be leaving office within 12 weeks," he said.

Attracting airline service to Palmdale may require more than promises of paying passengers, Sheehan said.

Incentives such as allowing the airlines to temporarily operate without gate fees, providing free parking for passengers, participating in the cost of advertising and possibly guaranteeing a minimum number of ticket sales may be required, she said.

To lure America West flights to Phoenix, the city of Stockton agreed to prepurchase $750,000 worth of tickets, Davis told the Board of Supervisors in February.

Davis is an expert in negotiating with the various airline firms, said Ted Gustin, chief of the aviation division for the county's Department of Public Works.

"He speaks their language," Gustin said.

Ledford said he will be proposing a twin-track plan to bring the subject of Palmdale air travel into better focus for regional planning purposes.

At present, the regional transportation plans being formulated by the Southern California Association of Governments still focus on having airports in Burbank, Ontario, Irvine and El Toro handling the bulk of excess air-passenger service for the Southern California region, the mayor said.

Opposition to airport growth by residents of those cities may make the proposed solution untenable, but that seems to be the only solution under consideration, Ledford said.

By submitting an alternative proposal focusing on Palmdale, continued opposition to the first plan may make the Palmdale alternative look more attractive, he said.