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7/30/13 ONTARIO: Inland airport continues downward spiral, LAX climbs
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Passenger traffic at Ontario International Airport continues to
nosedive: 8.5 percent fewer passengers used ONT last
month than in June 2012.
Meanwhile, sister airport Los Angeles International enjoyed a
healthy increase of 6.5 percent.
Thanks a lot, Los Angeles World Airports (owner of LAX and
ONT).
Ontario is suing LA and LAWA to regain local control of ONT,
hoping to pull the Inland airport out of its death spiral.
I asked Ontario Councilman Alan Wapner about ONT’s latest
numbers.
He blamed Gina Marie Lindsey, LAWA’s executive director,
for running LAX “very successfully” at the expense of the
Inland Empire.
Although both airports suffered in the wake of 9/11 and the
2008 fiscal crash, LAX has rebounded almost to its earlier
high, while ONT will fly fewer passengers this year than it did
in the mid-1980s, when the population was half what it is
today.
“As long as (LAWA) continue(s) doing business the way they
are, nothing’s going to change,” he said. “(It’s) just a matter of
time until ONT closes, if we continue this trend.”
That’s disturbing to hear. But Wapner should know. He’s
Ontario’s longtime emissary to the LA airport board as well
as chairman of the Ontario International Airport Authority.
The OIAA was formed last year to take over operating ONT if
POLL QUESTION
Board officials say Mike Rios
asked for payment to resign from
the Moreno Valley school board.
He denies the allegation. Do you
think that such a payment is
appropriate?
No, Mike RIos is an elected
official and should serve his
term
Yes. Anything to get of rim
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7/30/13 ONTARIO: Inland airport continues downward spiral, LAX climbs
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and when LA gives up control or transfers the ownership to an
Inland authority.
The OIAA board will get a complete report on ONT’s numbers
at its next meeting, Monday, Aug. 5, and they look worse than
previously projected, Wapner said.
On Sunday, when I blogged about ONT’s June passenger
figures, commenters came out of the woodwork to say they’d
much rather fly out of ONT but find themselves driving 60
miles to LAX for better fares.
“Flying from Ontario is far more convenient,” wrote Eric
Gustafson, “and giving local control back would ease traffic
and congestion to an already over crowded and overused
LAX.” (I couldn’t have said it better myself.)
Inland officials are hoping new LA Mayor Eric Garcetti will “do
the right thing” and dismiss Lindsey, whose focus has been
building up LAX to the detriment of ONT, Wapner said.
Garcetti is in the process of interviewing the 35 city
department heads, starting with the fire chief, according to
the Los Angeles Times.
When Lindsey is called to the mayor’s office, I hope she is
asked to justify her approach: helping one of her properties
thrive while the other one starves.
During Lindsey’s tenure, ONT’s passenger volumes have
fallen some 40 percent.
Among Southern California airports, only Bob Hope in
Burbank has been losing passengers, but it’s down only 18.6
percent since 2000.
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7/30/13 ONTARIO: Inland airport continues downward spiral, LAX climbs
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But Bob Hope’s managers — a joint powers authority of
Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena — last week launched a
traveler-loyalty program to encourage people to fly out of their
airport.
Passengers can earn airline miles or hotel points.
ONT could use such a program. But under LAWA, I’m sure
that will never happen.
FILED UNDER: CASSIE MACDUFF
TAGGED: AIRPORTS, TRAVEL
COUNTY: RIVERSIDE COUNTY, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
CITY: ONTARIO
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