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Many in the aviation community have been monitoring the progress of Chicago’s efforts to privatize Midway International Airport (MDW) under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Privatization Pilot Program. The City faces a July 31, 2010 deadline to either select a private operator for MDW or seek an extension of the City’s slot in the Program from the FAA. Chicago is the only approved applicant for the Program’s only large-hub slot. If the application is approved, MDW would be the first privatized large-hub airport in the U.S. 

The Airport Privatization Pilot Program was established in 1996 by Section 149 of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, which added a new Section 47134 to Title 49 of the U.S. Code. Section 47134 authorizes the Secretary of Transportation and, through delegation, the FAA Administrator, to exempt a sponsor of a public use airport that has received Federal assistance from certain Federal requirements in connection with the privatization of the airport by sale or lease to a private party.Continue Reading Update on the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Privatization Pilot Program

Much has been made recently of the studies currently underway in areas around Boston Logan and Santa Monica Airports, aimed at determining the health impacts of those airports on surrounding populations.  While the aim is noble, and the information to be gained useful in structuring individual living choices, the result will have little or no impact on the operation of those airports. 

 
Continue Reading Santa Monica and Logan Airport Health Studies are Targeting the Wrong Problem

Under the 1985 John Wayne Airport Stipulated Settlement Agreement, as amended in 2003, regularly scheduled commercial users operating at JWA shall not serve more than 10.3 million annual passengers in any year beginning on January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2010, and not more than 10.8 MAP beginning on January 1, 2011 through December 15, 2015. To maintain passenger traffic within those limits, and to balance the needs of the Orange County community for adequate commercial air transportation facilities and the desire of the local community for environmentally responsible air transportation operations at JWA, the County, in its capacity as proprietor and operator of JWA, imposed noise restrictions; implemented Permitted Commercial Operations Hours (commonly referred to as a “curfew”); and adopted limits on the noise levels of aircraft operating at JWA, and the number of passengers those aircraft could accommodate in any year.

Continue Reading Summary of the John Wayne Airport Phase 2 Access Plan

The Federal Aviation Administration’s most recent forecast of future airline passengers at the region’s airports is an eye opener. In the forecast year 2030, FAA is projecting 49.3 million enplanements (98.6 million total passengers) at Los Angeles International Airport; 3 million enplanements (6 million total passengers) at Ontario International Airport; and 6.6 million enplanements (13.2 million air passengers) for John Wayne Airport. This compares to current figures for LAX of approximately 58 million air passengers a year; Ontario, 4.5 million air passengers a year; and John Wayne Airport, 9.8 million air passengers a year.

Of course, 2030 is 20 years away and much can happen between now and then. Therefore, the real eye opener is the comparatively low projected growth of Ontario. Despite the fact that Ontario has new terminals, runways thousands of feet longer than those at John Wayne Airport, and convenient freeway access to all of the Inland Empire as well as northeast Orange County, FAA does not expect it to grow more than 33%, compared to John Wayne Airport’s 38% and LAX’s whopping approximately 60%.Continue Reading FAA’s Most Recent Forecast Sees Massive Increase in Passengers at Region’s Airports

If enacted, proposed legislation would change the landscape for “through-the-fence” operations at public use airports that receive Federal funding. Through-the-fence [TTF] operations occur when an airport sponsor enters into an agreement that permits access to airport taxiways, runways and facilities by aircraft based on land adjacent to, but not part of, airport property. TTF operations range from off-airport fixed base operators [FBOs] who provide aeronautical support and services, and often compete with on-airport FBOs to provide the same support and services, to residential TTF agreements that grant airport access from hangars and homes located on private property adjacent to an airport [also known as “fly-in communities” or “residential airparks”]. Historically, the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] has “discouraged” TTF operations at Federally funded airports, especially by FBOs that would compete with on-airport FBOs. The FAA has approved some residential TTF agreements on a case-by-case basis.Continue Reading Proposed Federal Litigation Would Permit Residential Through-The-Fence Operations at Public Use Airports

On May 18, 2010, the Los Angeles City Council approved, by a 12-3 margin, a Motion calling for a study of the requirements for, and costs and benefits of, returning Ontario International Airport (“ONT”) to the control of the City of Ontario, California.

Passenger traffic at Ontario has declined from 7.2 Million Air Passengers in…

Los Angeles World Airports on Monday projected a $647.6 million operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, according to preliminary figures.  The operating budget covers day-to-day expenses at Los Angeles International Airport and the agency’s smaller airports in Ontario and Van Nuys.  On its own, LAX’s operating costs during the 2010 fiscal…

On Monday, May 17, 2010, Chevalier, Allen & Lichman (“CA&L”) spoke to the City Council of the City of Park Ridge, Illinois, at its invitation, concerning Park Ridge’s dramatic and growing noise problem.

Park Ridge is located approximately two miles from the end of a new runway at O’Hare International Airport.  As a consequence of…

On April 26, 2010, the Transportation Research Board published a three volume Airport Cooperative Research Program (“ACRP”) report on “Enhancing Airport Land Use Compatibility.”  The authors’ mandate was “to investigate and present the current breadth and depth of knowledge surrounding land uses around airports and to develop guidance to protect airports from incompatible land…