"Proposed Southern California Commercial Airport Not Seen as Hindering Cargo"

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Proposed Southern California Commercial Airport Not Seen as Hindering Cargo
The Victorville (CA) Daily Press


VICTORVILLE, Calif.--Plans for a new commercial airport for Southern
California, strongly endorsed by Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn and the
owners of Los Angeles International Airport, apparently do not frighten
Victorville's city officials.

As the Southern California Logistics Airport has been battling other
Southern California cargo-driven airports to grow and secure contracts, the
prospect of an airport at the former El Toro Marine base could be seen as
one more impediment to its growth. But city officials said that SCLA's
inherent advantages, different overall focus and the slim chance that El
Toro airport could become a threat leave them undaunted.

"Basically we are unconcerned," Mayor Terry Caldwell said. "Whether or not
it succeeds, it will have no impact on SCLA." As such, there is no counter
effort gathering in the High Desert to fight Hahn and LAX's owners, Los
Angeles World Airports.

City officials argued that Southern California's never-ending growth
necessitates more airports, both cargo and passenger, and that SCLA is one
of many that the region will need to handle that growth.

"Our position for air passenger and air cargo growth requires multiple new
airports," City Manager Jon Roberts said. "Victorville and SCLA have not
felt threatened by other efforts to develop other new airports." Hahn's
office said they shouldn't.

"There is plenty of demand to go around, even with the expansions," said
Troy Edwards, Deputy Mayor of Special Projects in Los Angeles.

His office's impetus to find a viable alternative to LAX for handling the
massive, and growing, passenger and air cargo traffic is predicated on a
recent study by Southern California Association of Governments, among other
things, a regional transportation authority. In it, Edwards said, they
predicted a passenger shortfall in the next 20 years of 50 million annual
passengers in Southern California.

Edwards said that the Los Angeles Mayor's position has always been that
"It's unfair for LAX to bear the lion's share of the region's aviation
needs." According to city spokesperson Yvonne Hester, SCLA is poised to
help.

Hester said that SCLA benefits from 364 clear flying days on average, easy
access to prime transportation corridors such as Highway 395 and Interstate
15 and excellent facilities, soon to include the longest runway in the
continental United States. While an expected El Toro airport would contend
with coastal fog and congested surface streets.

Caldwell added that El Toro would most likely be a commercial airport, while
SCLA focuses an air cargo and aircraft maintenance.

Mostly though, city officials and analysts don't think El Toro will ever be
built.

"My instinct is that there's a low probability of El Toro being successfully
built," regional economist John Husing said. "It's like the 'Hail Mary'
pass."


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