County supports local control of Ontario International Airport
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 today in support of transferring control of little-used Ontario InternationalAirport, which is owned by Los Angeles World Airports, to the city of Ontario.
Supervisors Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich urged their colleagues tosupport the idea, saying that it presented an opportunity for the Ontarioairport to attract more business and lessen traffic at LAX.
“The successful operation and growth of (Ontario International Airport)is a key component to regionalizing air service and providing a healthier,more sustainable transportation system within the Los Angeles region,” readthe supervisors’ motion. In April, negotiations over the valuation of Ontario broke down, withLAWA offering to sell the airport for $474 million roughly two years afterOntario offered to buy it for $250 million.
Ontario city officials responded by filing an administrative claimagainst LAWA, saying the offer was out of line with an existing joint-powersagreement between the two entities.
Shortly after the supervisors voted today, the Los Angeles City Councilapproved a multibillion-dollar makeover at LAX, including a runway realignmentto widen a taxiway for a new generation of jumbo airliners.
Supporters of the modernization project at LAX say it is needed to keepthe airport internationally competitive. LAX neighbors, however, havecomplained about traffic and noise associated with the region’s No. 1 airportand threatened to sue the city.
A 2006 settlement agreement between LAWA, the county and severalmunicipalities included a commitment by LAWA to support efforts to regionalizeair traffic by developing airports such as Ontario.
But Ontario officials have criticized LAWA, saying it spendsdisproportionately on LAX.
Ontario has seen air traffic drop more than 40 percent since 2007, fromabout 7.2 million passengers at its peak to roughly 4.3 million passengers lastyear, resulting in a loss of more than $540 million and 10,100 jobs, accordingto an April report commissioned by supporters of local control.
“We have seen significant reductions in passenger traffic at Ontario,which cannot all be explained away by the economy,” Knabe said. “LAWA has notshown a good faith effort to regionalization, which would benefit all ofSouthern California.”
Airports in Burbank, Orange County, Long Beach and Palm Springs alreadyoperate under local control.
The board directed the county’s chief executive officer to send lettersto Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Ontario Mayor Paul Leon and LAWA,recommending the transfer of control. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas abstainedfrom voting.
In follow-up to a Feb. 26 discussion of the LAX expansion, the CEO isscheduled to present a report on airport regionalization at the board’s May 14meeting.
