112th Congress - 2/3/2012
Calvert and Lewis Seek to Revive Ontario Airport Business in Meetings with FAA, LA Airports Officials
 

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jerry Lewis and Congressman Ken Calvert warned that Ontario International Airport is on a downward spiral toward failure unless federal and local officials focus much more attention on its operation in separate meetings with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Los Angeles World Airports officials.

            Lewis and Calvert insisted that the FAA and Los Angeles officials must confront the declining air service at Ontario with aggressive actions, rejecting the claims that little can be done because the changes have been caused by the weakened economy and changes in the aviation industry.

            “It is unacceptable that the people who should be making this airport a success seem to have just thrown in the towel and claimed they can’t convince the airlines to come to Ontario,” Lewis said after the meetings. “Both the FAA and LAWA have millions of dollars invested in this airport, but if they don’t do more to make it work we will soon be faced with millions of people having to drive across Los Angeles to LAX just to catch a flight.”

“There are a variety of options that the Federal Aviation Administration could explore, with LAWA,  in order to prevent further decline of carrier service at Ontario International Airport,” said Rep. Calvert.  “Unfortunately it appears that the FAA is taking the road of least effort and simply making LAWA aware of all their options.  LAWA knows its options and, in the eyes of many in the community, has made a choice to deemphasize Ontario Airport at the expense of Inland Empire residents. “

            Lewis and Calvert met with Christa Fornarotto, FAA Associate Administrator for Airports, and other FAA officials this week as a follow-up to a letter they sent to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood warning about the serious problems at Ontario. LaHood responded in January that the FAA would be meeting with Los Angeles and Ontario officials to determine what role the agency might play.

            Airline service to Ontario continues to decline – another 5.4 percent in 2011 alone, on top of a 47 percent decline in the past few years, Lewis and Calvert told the FAA officials. At the same time, LAX business increased nearly 5 percent last year, and has continued a healthy growth even during the recession over the past few years, they said.

            In a January letter from LaHood and during the meetings, FAA officials expressed concern about the decline in traffic at Ontario, but said they have little authority to force Los Angeles to change how it operates the airport. Fornarotto promised the congressmen that the FAA will ensure that LAWA consider using the agency’s Air Carrier Incentive Program to help increase flights at Ontario. That program allows airports to reduce landing fees and other costs to attract airlines, and to use airport revenues in marketing campaigns to bring in more passengers.

            In a separate meeting with Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, Calvert and Lewis insisted that the agency must do more to market the airport and convince airlines to use it as an alternative to LAX.  If the agency can’t or won’t do that, it should turn the operation over to the City of Ontario, or face the total failure of one of Southern California’s regional airports, the congressmen said.

            “It’s outrageous that the Los Angeles Airports board is making decisions about how to deal with Ontario, but never even meets at the airport or shows up to indicate whether they even believe it is of value,” Lewis said. “It’s no wonder passengers are driving through LA traffic to find a flight, when the operators show no sign that they care how well Ontario is doing.”

            With thousands of airport-related jobs on the line in the Inland Empire, Lewis and Calvert vowed to continue to pressure both LAWA and FAA to come up with a plan to reverse the decline of Ontario International Airport. They pledged to provide whatever support is possible through legislation or federal funding.

           “Ontario should and must operate at capacity and I, along with Rep. Lewis, will continue to push for LAWA to more fully utilize Ontario while also supporting efforts by other entities to return Ontario airport to local control,” Calvert said.