LA MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA ANNOUNCES MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL AIRPORTS
(Ontario, California – Feb. 5, 2007) Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s drive for a regional approach to meeting air travel demand in Southern California took two major steps forward today as he announced the largest expansion of air service in the 84-year history of LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) and the re-opening of LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD) to commercial airline jet service this summer.
According to Villaraigosa, Houston-based ExpressJet, the nation’s largest regional airline, and one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Airlines, has selected ONT as the focus city for a new airline it is launching this spring. ExpressJet will inaugurate 29 daily flights at ONT between April 2 and May 14, which will serve 14 new nonstop destinations.
The new service represents a 25 percent increase in daily departures at ONT and a 63 percent increase in the number of nonstop destinations available from ONT. ExpressJet will become the 14th airline to serve ONT. The airport was named "Best Alternate Airport" in Southern California by Forbes.com. It served 7 million passengers in 2006 and is forecast to serve 30 million by 2025.
"I am elated that ExpressJet chose LA/Ontario International as the hub for its West Coast flight operations," Villaraigosa said. "This action is the latest tangible evidence that the refocused aviation priorities and air service marketing efforts of my administration are working."
The ExpressJet ONT operation is expected to create more than 600 direct jobs for the Southern California economy, including pilots, flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, ramp workers and passenger service personnel based on ONT.
Villaraigosa also announced that PMD will re-open with the start of new service by United Airlines on June 7, 2007. United will provide regional jet service to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The effort to initiate commercial service received a boost from a $900,000 small community air service grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, enabling the City of Palmdale to provide incentives for scheduled service at PMD. Under the small community program LAWA was also allowed to contribute an additional $1,000,000 to help support the start up period for United’s service.
"Until now, LA/Palmdale had been the Antelope Valley’s field of dreams, but today’s historic development means that jet service is about to become reality at PMD," Villaraigosa said.
"We are at long last achieving our goal to have dependable service by a well-known carrier that will attract large numbers of travelers to this high-potential airport and effectively serve the community’s air travel needs," he added.
ONT and PMD are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a City of Los Angeles agency that also operates Los Angeles International (LAX) and Van Nuys (VNY) airports.
"The twin actions will jumpstart our aggressive growth plans for LA’s regional airports and ensure that LAX will no longer have to carry the burden of meeting a greater-than-necessary share of region’s demand for air service," Villaraigosa said.
With the tangible evidence that regional airport development is taking place under his leadership, Villaraigosa called on LAWA and the Board of Airport Commissioners to make LAX competitive with other world-class international gateway airports.
"We can and must modernize our international gateway airport," said Villaraigosa. "We all need and want an airport infrastructure we can be proud of and which delivers the highest levels of safety, security and service. And we can have this while being sensitive to the airport’s neighbors and protecting their quality of life," he added.
What others are saying about today’s news
"This is a great step in the right direction. If we are to meet Southern California's air travel needs, we must expand service within airports that are located throughout the region. These airports have the potential to serve as major hubs for our traveling public."
Los Angeles City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl
Recently elected chairman of the newly reconstituted Southern California
Regional Airport Authority (SCRAA), a joint powers agency designed to
regionalize air traffic throughout Southern California
"Mayor Villaraigosa has made clear his vision for a regional approach to air travel and today’s announcement is proof positive that we are gaining momentum in pursuit of his goal. At the same time, we must continue efforts to maintain LAX’s standing as a world class gateway airport. The status quo is not a viable option for the future at LAX."
Alan Rothenberg
President, Board of Airport Commissioners, Los Angeles World Airports
"This is most welcome news for Ontario and Palmdale. Many have worked tirelessly to expand service at ONT and revive service at PMD. Their success couldn’t come at a more opportune time as we plan for increasing demand for air travel in the years ahead."
Valeria Velasco
Vice President, Board of Airport Commissioners, Los Angeles World Airports
"The exceptional partnership between the City of Ontario and Los Angeles World Airports is mutually beneficial. With construction and expansion of new facilities and service, ONT is on track to become Southern California’s next major gateway. Express Jet’s new corporate service will fill the demand of Ontario’s growing resident and business population and further enhance Ontario’s role as Southern California’s next urban center."
Ontario Mayor Paul S. Leon
Additional information about the new service at ONT and PMD
ExpressJet’s new nonstop destinations from ONT include Albuquerque, Austin, Boise, Colorado Springs, El Paso, Fresno, Kansas City, Monterey, Omaha, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Spokane, Tucson and Tulsa.
The service to Omaha and Tulsa will be the only nonstop flights from any airport in Southern California, including LAX.
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) will act today to approve the selection of United Airlines to initiate service at PMD. The Palmdale City Council is expected to take similar action on Wednesday.
The two entities will then negotiate the terms and conditions of the agreement for United to operate the service. Final action is expected by the BOAC and the Palmdale City Council on Feb. 20 & 22, respectively.
On August 10, 2006, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $900,000 grant to the City of Palmdale under its Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) to provide financial incentives to airlines interested in operating scheduled service at PMD. That set in motion a competitive process in which United and another airline submitted proposals to enter the Palmdale market. A selection panel of LAWA and City of Palmdale representatives selected United for the right to serve PMD and potentially receive payments under SCASDP.
The City of Los Angeles and LAWA will aggressively support both airports with unprecedented marketing, advertising and outreach programs designed to ensure their long-term success.
The ONT marketing efforts will focus on attracting travelers throughout North America to use the airport.
The PMD focus will be on creating awareness among the large aerospace companies, U.S. Air force and Palmdale residents that the airport is open and ready to serve the rapidly growing population in the LA Basin’s Antelope Valley.
