JWA Commercial Air Traffic Increases for 8 Months
Commercial air traffic at JWA increased 8.7% for December 2009 compared with the same month in 2008, making the eighth month, beginning in May 2009 that commercial planes have increased. In November 2009, air carriers increased 8%, in September and October 5% and 4.8%, marking an end to the drop in flights that began in November 2007 with the recession.
Passenger levels also increased, rising 6.5% compared to the passenger traffic of December 2008. Thus, the number of planes is rising faster than the number of passengers. The Settlement Agreement limits the number of passengers per year, not the total number of commercial planes. While JWA is restricted to 85 of the noisiest flights per day, the other commercial planes are EXEMPT. Presently, there are 150 commercial jet departures per day.
Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations (those are the very quiet planes) decreased 57.9% when compared to operations recorded in December 2008. General aviation activity increased 13.5% for December 2009 when compared to December 2008. During the recession, general aviation had fallen by almost 50%.
Total number of passengers for 2009 was almost 9 million. The interim cap of 10.3 million is in effect now until 2011 when the cap rises to 10.8 million. After 2015, there is no cap.
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Solution Seen in Disney
Disneyland-bound tourists could be offered incentives to land in Ontario instead of JWA, group says
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Daily Pilot Sunday, December 6, 2009
By Joseph Serna
While it won’t solve the issue, a local group says it’s found a way to steer away more than a million travelers from landing at John Wayne Airport and help relieve some of the pressure on the facility to expand.
“Any amount of traffic we can get diverted is key,” said Jeanne Price, one of the founders of AirFair, a local group dedicated to keeping John Wayne Airport from expanding.
AirFair hosted a presentation Friday by Peggy Ducey, (see photo left) a consultant hired by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), an organization that owns the Ontario and Palmdale airports and is looking to divert passengers from LAX.
LAWA and AirFair found a mutual group of fliers they could steer away from John Wayne Airport to Ontario: tourists headed to Disneyland.
Ducey said a recent survey showed that an estimated 1.3 million passengers, or 14% of John Wayne’s annual customers, are headed to the land of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy.
On top of that, she said, an overwhelming majority of them are taking buses and shuttles from the airport to the Disney resort in Anaheim.
“We already had a passenger market doing everything they wanted us to do — they were just going to the wrong airport,” Ducey told the small group at the Santa Ana Heights Fire Station.
Ducey said LAWA is working with Disney and Ontario to quicken tourists’ transfer from the airport to their hotel. Because Ontario Airport is significantly farther away than John Wayne, the groups are looking at different incentives — such as discounted air fares, hotel prices or Disneyland ticket prices — to attract travelers to Ontario Airport, Ducey said.
“This is a work in progress. The bottom line is we have to reduce the operation costs at Ontario,” for this to effectively work, Ducey told the audience, which included Newport Beach, Irvine and Costa Mesa city council members.
Ducey said they hope to have a system working by the next vacation season in the summer. The plan will only be temporary until Anaheim finalizes its own transportation hub called ARTIC, which will then be drawn into the operation, Ducey said.
“We were pleased to listen to Los Angeles World Airports’ regional plan, and we are always interested in opportunities that might benefit our guests,” Betsy Sanchez, a spokesperson for Disneyland Resort, said Friday in a phone interview. “However, we have made no commitments, and it would be extremely premature to discuss any details.”
Price, Ducey and the Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry said that even if all 1.3 million Disney resort tourists went to Ontario Airport, they would be quickly replaced with other customers because of demand. The goal at this point though, Price said, was simply to reduce demand on the airport in hopes it eventually stops any push for expansion.
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AirFair Meetings
Airfair is cancelling its December meetings.
Friday, 12 February 2010 Noon
NB Tennis Club
Newport Beach Tennis Club Dining Room
2601 Eastbluff Drive [ map ]
AirFair meetings are open to the public.
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Flyaway Bus between LAX and Irvine
A flyaway bus service began non-stop service Monday, 16 November between the Irvine Transportation Center and LAX. Funded by both LAWA (Los Angeles World Airports) and Irvine, the trip will cost $25 each way for adults but is free for children 14 and under. (ID for those 5-14 is required.)
Buses will use compressed natural gas and will drive in the carpool lanes on the freeway. Free Wi-Fi and ADA wheel chair accommodations are provided. Parking is free in the Irvine Station at 15215 Barranca Parkway, Irvine 92618.
Tentative schedule for departure from Irvine is 4:45 am, 6:45 am, 8:45 am, 10:45 am, 12:45pm, and 4:45pm.
From LAX departures are tentatively scheduled for 9:45 am, 11:45 am, 3:45 pm, 5:45 pm, 7:45 pm, and 9:45 pm.
Passengers must pay upon boarding with a credit or debit card; cash will not be accepted.
Go to the City of Irvine's website and read about the flyaway bus service>>>
For directions to the Irvine Transportation Center, parking, and other details, click here:
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LATimes
November 19, 2009
Study finds higher air pollution near Santa Monica Airport
UCLA researchers find ultrafine particle emissions are 10 times higher than normal 300 feet from the runway -- a range that includes many homes. The study calls for larger buffers at urban airports.
By Dan Weikel
UCLA scientists have found that people who live and work near Santa Monica Airport are exposed to high levels of air pollution -- a significant health concern that has been largely associated with major commercial airports such as LAX.
The study, released Wednesday, shows that ultrafine particle emissions were 10 times higher than normal about 300 feet downwind of the runway's east end, where takeoffs generally start. The levels were 2.5 times higher than normal at a distance of about 2,000 feet.
A tiny fraction of the width of a human hair, ultrafine particles can travel deep into the lungs, penetrate tissue and even travel to the brain. Studies show that elevated exposure to the particles presents a health risk for children, older adults, and people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Although the research focused on Santa Monica, the study may have broader implications for regional and municipal airports that serve private planes and corporate jets. Many such airfields in Southern California are in densely populated areas.
Read complete story>>>
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AirFair needs your support
HELP US AT AIRFAIR HELP YOU
JOIN US TODAY IN OUR FIGHT TO KEEP THE LIMITS AT JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT
We want your e-mail! It is important that you include your e-mail address when you correspond with AirFair. When the time comes that we citizens need to stand up to the JWA expansion advocates, the best way to mobilize will be by e-mail.
AirFair
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A Message from Melinda Seely,
President of AirFair
When a group of us organized in May 2002, we chose the name AirFair® because we believe the citizens of John Wayne Airport corridor cities have done our fair share of absorbing the impact of Orange County air traffic. We chose as our Mission: Stop expansion of John Wayne Airport, and as our Goal: To deliberately raise the level of discourse about permanent curfew, as well as flight and passenger caps, at JWA in order to accomplish political change.
Following the amendment to the 1985 agreement enacted in 2003, the limit on the number of annual passengers was raised from 8.4 million to 10.8 million, added six gates, customs capability for international flights, more overnight commerical jet parking and two more garages. While officials note that the expansion is necessary to serve the 10.8 million annual passengers permitted by the agreement, AirFair does not agree.
AirFair® wants to ensure that the expansion is not actually intended to accommodate even more passengers.
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Come to a meeting
Next AirFair meetings...
Friday, 12 February 2010 Noon
Newport Beach Tennis Club Dining Room
2601 Eastbluff Drive 92660 (MAP)
Other meetings of interest »»»
Read our latest newsletter
Wendy Leece, Costa Mesa City Council, writes
a powerful statement in AirFair's Newsletter
AirFair Newsletter: 2009 Spring-Summer »»»
Past newsletters »»»
Noisy Plane?
Call JWA Noise Office 949-252-5185
Read our list of supporters
Cities and officials who support our resolution to maintain
the flight cap of 10.8 Million Annual Passengers
View the List »
| View a presentation
Presentation to Costa Mesa City Council View PPT »
More presentations »
Study the research
Aircraft noise raises blood pressure even whilst
people are sleeping, says study
Researchers find noticeable increase in blood
pressure after 'noise event' over 35 decibels -
By Dr Lars Jarup Imperial College, London
Night-time noise from aircraft or traffic can increase a
person's blood pressure even if it does not wake them, according to a new study published today (13 Feb 2008)
in the European Heart Journal.
Read the entire report>>
Read our accomplishments
We've been very busy!
>>>
See a video
AirFair at "Speak Up Newport »
Drop us a note
Or give us a call to tell us what you're thinking
or how you would like to help.
Contact Us »
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TAKE ACTION!
Show your support
Learn how you can support AirFair and stop any future expansion of John Wayne Airport.
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