Long Beach Airport Food Venders Announced For New Terminal

A team of local venders led by Atlanta-based concessionaire, The Paradies Shops, was awarded a contract to provide gifts, news, retail, food and beverages at the Long Beach Airport’s new passenger concourse once completed next year.

The Long Beach City Council, on March 6, unanimously approved the new concession agreement with Paradies-Long Beach, LLC, in anticipation of a new boarding lounge to be built and opened by May 2013.

Teaming up with local merchants, the national concessionaire is making a capital investment of $4.3 million into the new concession facilities and has committed to bring in $2.7 million in revenue to the airport the first year of opening, with a minimum guarantee of $850,000 to the airport’s enterprise fund. Currently, the airport receives about $1.5 million in annual revenue from concessions, according to airport staff.

Paradies, which operates more than 500 retail concessions at over 70 airports and hotels in the United States and Canada, has been the Long Beach Airport’s concessionaire since 2005.
For the new concessions, the company proposes a rental agreement with the airport of 15 to 22 percent of gross revenue from food and beverages, 16 to 20 percent of gross revenue from gifts, news and retail and 21 to 22 percent of gross revenue from specialty beverage and food. The concessionaire also proposes .48 percent of gross revenues to be paid toward a mid-term refurbishment fund.

For food and beverage services, Paradies chose local restaurants and eateries Polly’s Gourmet Coffee, Sweet Jill’s Bakery, George’s Greek Café, Taco Beach Cantina and McKenna’s on the Bay. Gifts, news and retail partners include Long Beach Clothing Company, the Long Beach Business Journal and CNBC News. The specialty beverage and food operator will be 4th Street Vine, a small wine and beer bar in the Retro Row business district.

“This is a fabulous company, they are the leaders in the industry and the concept that you’ve taken, using local businesses, is just another complement to our airport to make us that much different and that much more unique,” Long Beach Councilmember Rae Gabelich told Airport Director Mario Rodriguez during the council meeting.

The concession contract was finalized after airport management had conducted outreach since February of last year, holding a series of meetings with local restaurateurs and small businesses, while screening interested bidders before sending out a request for proposals. The concession goals are to “upgrade product offerings, enhance revenue to the airport fund, encourage investment to facilities and maximize the customer experience,” according to airport staff.

The airport received a total of eight proposals by the deadline last November 18. After presentations, an evaluation panel of top management from the airport, the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and the city selected Paradies’ proposal as the “best match with the goals and customer experience the airport desires.”

Aside from providing concessions at the new concourse, The Paradies Shops will continue to operate as the concessionaire at the historic terminal building gift shop. The airport’s other landside and pre-security concessionaire, SSP America, will also continue to operate food and beverage facilities at the terminal building. Both of these existing contracts are to expire in October 2015.

“Paradies is a first-class operation and we’re proud to be part of the local team involved with the new airport facilities,” said Business Journal Publisher George Economides. “With upwards of three million passengers seeing our name, it’s certainly going to be great exposure for the Business Journal, but more importantly, it provides us an opportunity to promote to visitors the positive attributes of Long Beach and to encourage more people to do business here.”

(Sean Belk - Long Beach Business Journal Staff Writer)

LB Airport To Launch Study Of Reconfiguring Daugherty Field

The Long Beach Airport (LGB) is launching an extensive, $1.1 million, two-year airfield geometry study in March to start analyzing the safety, operational and financial benefits of reconfiguring the 1940s-era Daugherty Field and airport property, in conjunction with forming a “strategic plan.”

The study is expected to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the airfield geometry and alternatives to reduce risk on the airfield in response to a report by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), a federally organized group comprised of government and aviation industry experts.

The CAST report, published in 2007, contained a review of “wrong runway landing event” threats at various airports across the country. As a result of the report, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put out a “Call to Action” for 20 airports, including Long Beach Airport, with a high probability of an event, to take action to reduce risks. Actions include enhanced markings, recurrent pilot training and holding a runway safety meeting, according to Rachel Korkos, the airport’s senior civil engineer.

The airport, which is currently constructing a new airline passenger concourse and terminal, currently sits on 1,166 acres of land, has five runways and 10 taxiways. Airport operations include daily flights of commercial airlines and commuter aircraft, along with 300,000 general aviation operations, or GA, including corporate aviation charter jets, fixed based operators, or FBOs, small private airplanes, helicopters and flight schools.

The upcoming airfield geometry study continues discussions about reducing safety risks at the airport, Korkos said. “The geometry study will analyze the complex nature and taxiway system at LGB and make recommendations with an eye toward safety and reduction of risk,” she said.

One alternative brought forward is to shorten or close two north-south runways, known as Runways 16L-34R and 16R-34L, which airport staff said are “unlighted, in need of repair and extensive maintenance and are rarely used.” Among other alternatives are converting runways to taxiways, removing portions of runways or taxiways, installing runway guard lights and modifying pavement markings.

Although final recommendations won’t be determined until the end of the two-year study, airport staff said it is likely that airfield modifications will be recommended, which may open up some areas for development. Potential uses of the property would be analyzed by a strategic plan with a main focus on diversifying revenue streams for the airport, while keeping costs low for users, tenants and leaseholders.

“It is very important to keep the airport financially viable with a plan for the future,” said Airport Director Mario Rodriguez. “Should areas open for development, they will be analyzed for potential users to ensure the continued financial health and viability of the airport.”

The strategic plan would look at a wide range of resources regarding surrounding partners and infrastructure, along with comparisons to other airports in the region, analyzing aviation industry trends, and various other factors.

Rodriguez said keeping costs low is not only important to stay competitive in maintaining a base of commercial airlines, which generates the bulk of profits, but also for keeping costs low for the airport’s general aviation community. One of the goals to modifying the airfield, he said, is to create a “new home for general aviation.”

Airport fees impact all users, including airfield maintenance operators, which, in turn, ultimately impacts costs for the entire GA community, Rodriguez said. LGB has an economic impact that exceeds $4 billion a year, he said. “Controlling costs and finding new revenue is essential to keep the user fees competitive,” he said. “If we are able to maintain the capabilities of the airfield while reducing costs, it creates a win-win for our users.”

After initial data collection and analysis, the airport is expected to conduct necessary coordination with the FAA, stakeholders, airport user groups, tenants and the public during various meetings. Additionally, any proposal to close runways or implement airfield modifications would have to be approved by the FAA and be required to undergo an environmental impact report.

Missouri-based HNTB Corporation was awarded two separate contracts, totaling more than $1.1 million, to assist the airport in conducting the geometry study and strategic plan. The Long Beach City Council awarded the contract last December, and the city attorney’s office is currently finalizing it. The consulting company previously provided design and construction support services for the airport’s modernization program, including the air carrier ramp upgrades and the new passenger concourse and terminal project.

Funding for the study came from FAA grants received for airport capital improvements. The FAA is paying 95 percent of the cost, while the rest will be funded by airport operating funds, which the airport is hoping to cover by applying for passenger facility charges. The study and plan is expected to support 12 full-time equivalent positions.

(Sean Belf - LB Business Journal)

Plane diverted to Long Beach from presidential airspace was carrying pot

LONG BEACH — A surprise awaited law enforcement officials Thursday when a plane that was diverted to Long Beach after entering airspace restricted for President Barack Obama was discovered to allegedly have a haul of marijuana aboard.

A pair of F-16 fighters forced the Cessna 182 aircraft to land at Long Beach Airport at 11 a.m., according to official sources.

While the Secret Service says the pilot didn't appear to be interested in the president's aircraft, federal officials who detained the pilot found a large amount of marijuana onboard, according to a statement from the Long Beach Police Department.

After federal authorities investigated, they released the man to the custody of the Police Department, which will conduct the drug investigation. The pilot's identity is being withheld.

The Associated Press reported that about 40 pounds of marijuana was discovered, though police didn't confirm the amount Thursday night.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that two F-16 fighters scrambled out of March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County in response to the violation and diverted the plane to Long Beach.

Ray Fox, who lives in the Carmelitos neighborhood of Long Beach, said he was outside when he heard an F-16 circling overhead.

That drew Fox's attention and he saw the small passenger plane appear and an F-16 pull up close to the civilian plane.

"(The military plane) was right on that Cessna's butt," Fox said. "They were trying to give him a message."

He said the F-16 then turned north toward Palos Verdes.

Airport spokeswoman Kerry Gerot confirmed only that a plane was forced to land at the airport at about 11 a.m. Thursday.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary confirmed that the plane had been in restricted space and added that it wasn't believed to be "of protective interest," meaning it wasn't believed the pilot had any interest in the president's aircraft.

Leary said the Federal Aviation Administration posts when airspace is restricted and it is the responsibility of pilots to know that and avoid the off-limits areas.

Obama arrived Wednesday in Los Angeles and was in Corona Del Mar in Orange County on Thursday for political fundraisers.

(Greg Mellen - Press Telegram)

Long Beach Airport fares are 2nd lowest in the country

LONG BEACH - For many, flying in and out of Long Beach Airport is a convenient local alternative to the busy Los Angeles International Airport.

Apparently, it's good for the pocketbook, too.

The 89-year-old municipal airport has the lowest airfares in California and the second-lowest in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which released its latest quarterly report Thursday.

Nationally, Long Beach, with its average fare of $240, is behind Atlantic City for lowest airfare, based on third-quarter 2011 average domestic fares among 100 airports. Atlantic City's average airfare is $167.

Bob Hope Airport in Burbank also had a good showing, with the 12th lowest airfare at $298.55.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati boasts the highest airfare average in the nation with $488. Los Angeles is the 30th highest, at $391.31 - higher than the average fare of $361 at all of the airports ranked in the report.

The statistics are based on domestic itinerary fares, which include the airline price and any additional taxes and fees. They only include the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase and don't include baggage or other fees paid at the airport or on board the aircraft.

Averages exclude frequent-flyer, "zero fares" and a "few abnormally high reported fares."

"Long Beach Airport is known for exceeding expectations - very low fares, easy access, great destinations and excellent customer service all help make Long Beach Airport one of the very best in the country," Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement.

Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said Long Beach Airport's seat capacity is up by 4 percent, while demand is up roughly 170 percent for each available seat in the marketplace.

"And, we continue to see approximately 85 percent of available seats sold," Rodriguez said. "The airport has fared very well through a recessionary economy."

The Long Beach Airport serves nearly 3 million commercial airline passengers annually and is home to four airlines, including JetBlue, which considers Long Beach its West Coast hub. Also, more than 41,000 tons of air cargo is transported through Long Beach annually.

(By Karen Robes - Press Telegram)

Volga-Dnepr Airlines An-124-100 visits LGB

This morning Volga-Dnepr Airlines Antonov An-124-100 "Ruslan" (c/n 9773054155101) RA-82043 arrived as VDA1108 from CFB Goose Bay Airport (YYR/CYYR) at 07:03am. The plane parked on taxiway Alpha and brought in a satellite to be launched from Sea Launch.

Horizon Dash 8 Q400 Diverts to LGB

Back on the night of July 22nd, Horizon's Dash 8 Q400 N417QX diverted to Long Beach for fuel after circling LAX for weather. Below is a photo of the aircraft and a video of the taxi out taken by Cabel Parker.



Video of taxi out:

New LGB Parking Garage Opens

On July 14th, LGB held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand new $41 million parking garage that was set to open July 15th. The parking garage was not only finished two months ahead of schedule but it came in under budget which is great news. The final project now that is being worked on is the brand new passenger terminal which is about to break ground here in the next couple of weeks.

A Look Back at April

The photos above were taken back in April and I thought it would be nice to share them with you. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

JetBlue Starts Long Beach - Anchorage Service May 23rd

Yesterday JetBlue Airways started service from Long Beach to Anchorage, AK with one flight a day. The aircraft used for the inaugural flight was A320-232 N793JB (c/n 4647) "My Other Ride Is A JetBlue E-190". Below are some photos from the events in Long Beach and Anchorage.

(Photos by Stephen Tornblom)

King Air owned by local developer Tom Dean crashes at LGB

Beechcraft Super King Air 200 N849BM (BB-849) owned by Thomas Faye Dean, a local developer who owns most of the Los Cerritos Wetlands in southeast Long Beach crashed at 10:30am local time. It's unclear what the cause of the crash is and it's being reported that there are 5 fatalities out of the 6 people on board. Dean along with Jeff Berger and bicycle advocate Mark Bixby died in the crash. Mike Jensen who owns Pacific Retail Partners is in critical condition at Memorial Hospital. The plane was going to Salt Lake City. There will be more updates on this as the day goes on.

Frontier Airlines To Leave LGB

Frontier will be discontinuing service to Denver International Airport (KDEN) on April 16th. The airline is siting poor load factors as the main reason. The two slots will go into a pool to see which current airline at LGB will get them unless a new airline decides to come to Long Beach. Sun Country Airlines has shown interest in the past about moving their single Minneapolis flight from LAX to LGB but did not show interest this last time slots were available.

JetBlue cancels flights to/from LGB

Yesterday JetBlue cancelled two inbound and two outbound flights going to JFK and IAD. There were about 300 people that had to be reaccomidated. Five additional inbound flights were cancelled including a FLL-LGB flight that the Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez had been scheduled on Monday. Things should be returning back to normal now that things have quieted down on the weather front.

LGB Terminal Ground Breaking Ceremony Photos

Below are some photos I took at the ground breaking cermeony for the new LGB Terminal that will be built.

Long Beach Airport Groundbreaking Ceremony -- LOCATION CHANGE

Due to inclement weather the groundbreaking ceremony has been moved to the west side of the airport at the Toyota AirfFlite Hanger located at 3280 AirFlite Way. The hangar is located just east of Cherry Avenue and just south of East Wardlow Road.

General Parking: available in the lot located at 2750 East Wardlow Road. A map is attached for your reference.

The ceremony will begin at 10 A.M. Because this is a large hanger, it will be quite cool inside; please dress warmly.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Long Beach Airport Public Affairs office at (562) 570-2678.

Long Beach Airport work will finish early

LONG BEACH — Work is progressing faster than expected on Long Beach Airport's new $58 million parking garage, which is now expected to open by September 2011, three months earlier than anticipated.

The early finish date will save the city about $85,000 per month for round-the-clock shuttles carrying passengers to a leased remote parking lot, which costs the airport about $1.8 million annually.

Meanwhile, the new structure is expected to generate $350,000 for the airport per month, said Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez.

"So we're going to be saving a lot of money on those shuttles and the remote parking lease, which is leased from Boeing, and it's going to be a much-improved parking situation for passengers, who will be able to park just a few feet from the main terminal," Rodriguez said.

The project's contractor, ARB Inc. of Lake Forest, began work in December 2009 on roadway and infrastructure improvements, then began building the five-level, 1,989-space parking structure in April.

Solar panels are being integrated into the garage's superstructure.

Upon completion, engineers expect the new roadway to Lakewood Boulevard, coupled with more lanes in and out of the parking areas, to significantly ease traffic flow and passenger congestion around the airport.

The garage is also expected to accommodate the airport's growing passenger volumes, which have surpassed 3 million annually, more than double the figure just five years ago.

Work on the garage is supporting 450 jobs and is being financed wholly through airport bonds, passenger and parking fees and federal stimulus grants.

The airport has pledged to pay the bond off within 30 years and without pulling money from the city's ailing general fund, which supports public safety, libraries, street repairs and other critical needs.

The garage update comes as airport officials prepare to begin work on a new passenger concourse, runways, aircraft ramps and terminal modernization.

Those projects, with a combined cost of roughly $75 million, include simple upgrades like new paint, lights and restrooms, along with more complex environmental measures.

Solar panels, for example, will eventually provide between 15 and 20 percent of the airport's total power usage, while engineers will electrify airplane parking slots to allow jets to "plug in" after landing, eliminating the need for diesel auxiliary motors to handle such tasks as baggage handling and air conditioning.

By electrifying the slots, the level of toxic jet exhaust wafting into nearby neighborhoods and schools will be slashed.

(Kristopher Hansen - Press Telegram)

Long Beach Airport's `boutique' experience

LONG BEACH — Conservative budgeting and key alliances with several startup airlines in the past decade have lifted Long Beach Airport from its longtime status as a sparsely used regional hub to one of the nation's premier "boutique" airports.

Since 2001, when an untested, quirky New York-based carrier named JetBlue picked Long Beach as its West Coast hub, annual passenger traffic has exploded from less than 550,000 to more than 3 million.

JetBlue's surprising success — the airline grew while its larger competitors imploded in the wake of 9-11 — was critical in the years that followed, attracting several other startup and established carriers to Long Beach and helping expand the number of destinations from six to 20, including financially critical connections to New York, Washington, D.C., and Seattle.

"We've got intense competition north, south, east of us...there's no shortage of options, but the airport has managed to maintain what people love about it — the short wait times, quick access, etc. — while meeting the demands of the airlines, which is no easy task," said Mario Rodriguez, an industry veteran who took over as airport director in 2009, hired from a pool of nearly 50 candidates.

"And it continues to amaze me that people go out of their way to use Long Beach (Airport), which is in effect a kind of `boutique' airport, in the sense you can expect great service, but not in the sense that you'll be paying a huge premium for that privilege," Rodriguez said. "In this day and age of security and long lines, people are dying for something simpler. They want less hassle, quality customer service ... the kind where you're not looked at as a distraction by (airport or airline) staff if you have a question or need a bit of help, and just easy in and out."

According to surveys by the Department of Transportation, Long Beach has one of the quickest "car-to-terminal" times in the nation, averaging about 20 minutes from the time you exit your car to the jet boarding line.

The airport, which is undergoing a $140 million modernization project, is also one of the cheapest for both airlines and passengers.

Jet landing fees are nearly 40 percent cheaper than the national average, and passenger tickets are 30.5 percent cheaper than the national average, according to a 2010 California Department of Transportation survey.

The city has also been vigilant in storing funds generated by passenger facility charges, or PFCs, which are charged to commercial airline passengers at each leg of a journey. While the airport didn't begin collecting the fee until 2003 - years after other airports - the collection coincided with the sharp rise in overall traffic.

This money, coupled with several federal and state stimulus grants, transportation funds and general aviation fees, have helped the airport build up a sizable chest as it prepares for several major upgrades.

In an October credit rating report by Fitch Inc, a major international credit rating agency, the organization placed Long Beach in its second-highest category, saving the airport millions in securing funds for long-term modernization and capital improvements.

The airport is in the middle of a multiyear, $140million modernization program involving a new parking garage, passenger concourses, jet tarmacs, landscaping and roadways.

"The Stable Outlook reflects (the airport's) positive enplanement performance through the economic downturn, a manageable capital plan projecting healthy debt service coverage ratios including the issuance of additional bonds, and the continued presence and commitment of JetBlue to maintain a stable schedule of service at the airport," Fitch reported.

"The Outlook also captures LGB's ability to maintain a low-cost per enplanement over the next three- to five-year period, ensuring its low-cost position in the Los Angeles air basin." Fitch said.

The airport's growth, executed within the framework of one of the nation's strictest municipal noise ordinances, has also been an economic boon to the city's convention and tourism industries, generating by some estimates in excess of $100 million annually for area restaurants, hotels, transportation firms and event planners.

The airport is also becoming an important business travel hub, with daily links to Northern California, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago and other cities. In late 2008, Conde Nast Traveler polled 1,800 international travelers on airports, and Long Beach ranked seventh-best overall in the U.S for business travelers, best for baggage handling and third in convenience of connections.

The airport also boasted five of the world's top 15 airlines, according to the survey.

"I think the fact that a lot of our airlines are reporting 80 to 90 percent capacity proves that people are not only pleased with the airlines and the service there, but the airport itself," Rodriguez said. "You have some people coming from West L.A. or the Valley or places closer to LAX or Ontario (Airport), but they keep coming back because of the uniqueness."

The modernization project, now entering its middle phase, is designed to accommodate the airport's maximum projected capacity in coming years, a figure estimated at about 3.8 million.

"One thing we're going to guarantee is that this airport maintains the same feel and people have the same experience once modernization is complete," Rodriguez said. "That's our advantage, and it's something no other regional airport can even come close to offering, or ever will."

(Kristopher Hansen - Long Beach Press Telegram)

Allegiant Air begins service to Long Beach

LONG BEACH -- Allegiant Airlines made its debut flight Thursday into Long Beach Airport, joining recent arrival Frontier as the latest carrier at Daugherty Field.

Allegiant will operate five non-stop flights weekly to Stockton and three to northern Washington, just across the border from Vancouver, Canada.

The airline's first flight to Long Beach, from Bellingham, Washington, arrived just after 5 p.m. Thursday, carrying about 140 people aboard an MD-80 jet.

Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said the new carrier should push annual passenger volumes well above 3 million.

"It's a good deal for the Long Beach community and the airport because we have new jobs, new revenues and new locations that expand the airport's reach," Rodriguez said.

The airline is the sixth to service Long Beach Airport, which city leaders contend remains on the few bright spots in a depressed local economy.

"We're hoping that with this new airline we can attract more people to spend a day or two in Long Beach, and get to love the city and come back," said Val Lerch, a Long Beach City Councilwoman whose Ninth District borders the airport. "And when they come back and visit the shoreline and eat at our restaurants and take in the atmosphere, they spend money, money, money."

The small, low-cost carrier signed a deal with Long Beach in late 2009 for service to Washington and Central California, though they may end up switching flight destinations based on demand.
Allegiant Spokeswoman Sabrina LoPiccolo said the airport was a perfect fit because of its famously short wait times and low carrier rates.

"Going to an airport like Long Beach is a perfect fit and gives us more opportunities to expand as well as fitting in with our business model, said LoPiccolo.

With Allegiant, Long Beach now has six airlines serving 17 destinations across the country.

Allegiant arrives just as the airport is launching a multi-year modernization plan that includes a nearly $140-million makeover with new passenger terminal, jet tarmacs, parking, food court and screening lanes.

(Kristopher Hanson - Press Telegram)

Allegiant offering new Long Beach to Bellingham flights

LONG BEACH -- Long Beach Airport's newest carrier, Allegiant Air, will begin offering nonstop jet service to Bellingham International Airport in Washington on July 1, Allegiant announced Wednesday.

The new flights to and from Bellingham, which is just below the Canadian border and minutes away from Vancouver, will operate three times a week with service on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Flights using a 150-seat, MD-80 series jet aircraft will leave Long Beach at 5:45 p.m. and arrive in Bellingham at 8:30 p.m. Flights from Bellingham will leave at 2:30 p.m. and arrive in Long Beach at 5:05 p.m.

To celebrate its new flights to and from Long Beach, Allegiant is offering one-way fares between the two cities for as low as $49.99 when purchased by June 2. Visit www.allegiant.com or call the company's travel experts at 702-505-8888 for more.

"We are pleased to bring our unique brand of low-cost and nonstop jet service to the Long Beach community," Andrew C. Levy, president of Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., said in a statement. "We believe the simple facility design and easy customer experience at Long Beach Airport is a perfect fit for the Allegiant customer. We look forward to offering affordable and convenient access to the greater Bellingham and Southern British Columbia communities."

Allegiant Air joins Colorado-based Frontier Airlines as Long Beach Airport's newest carriers, picking up the remaining daily commuter slots, capped at 41 under a noise-ordinance program. (Last week, Frontier began launching twice-daily trips to Denver.)

"We are pleased to welcome Allegiant to the Long Beach Airport," Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said in a statement. "Passengers from the Northwest will now have nonstop access to Long Beach's many tourist attractions and business centers, as well as major Southern California attractions. This additional service is another indicator that Long Beach Airport is committed to providing excellent customer service."

(Karen Robes Meeks - Press Telegram)

Long Beach's new Frontier

LONG BEACH - Frontier Airlines made its inaugural flight Friday into Long Beach, launching twice-daily trips to Denver and expanding to 15 the number of cities connecting directly to Daugherty Field.

Frontier becomes the fifth major commercial carrier at Long Beach Airport, where passenger volumes have more than tripled since low-cost airline JetBlue made the city its West Coast hub in 2001.

Colorado-based Frontier, founded in 1994, plans to operate 99-seat Embraer 190 and 107-seat Airbus 318 jets on flights scheduled to depart Long Beach at 6:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. daily.

Frontier also began service Friday to Fairbanks, Alaska and Grand Rapids, Mich., from its Denver base.

Frontier and another newcomer, Allegiant Air, which begins flights from Long Beach this summer, fill out the airport's remaining daily commuter slots, capped at 41 under a noise-ordinance program.

The new flights should push annual passenger traffic here above 3 million, drawing in new revenue for the airport, city and area merchants and hotels.

"Attracting a new carrier amidst this tumultuous time in the aviation industry speaks to our fiscal solvency and prime (location)," said Airport Director Mario Rodriguez, who is overseeing a $200-million airport modernization plan through 2013 to help with increasing passenger volumes.

Frontier joins airlines JetBlue, Horizon, Delta and US Air offering daily flights out of Long Beach. The bulk of those, 30, are operated by JetBlue, while Allegiant has signed on to take the remaining two slots, said Airport Spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson.

Frontier expects its two daily flights to cater to a mix of vacationers and business travelers seeking to avoid crowds at the region's larger, more congested airports.

In the coming weeks, Frontier Airlines will further its push into the West Coast with service between Denver and Santa Barbara, said Daniel Shurz, the carrier's president of strategy and planning.

He said the airline will offer indirect service from Long Beach to more than 70 destinations domestically and in Mexico and Costa Rica, many with a single layover in Denver.

(Press Telegram - Kristopher Hanson)

JetBlue adds flights to LAX and moves flights around at LGB

This summer, just one year after initiating service to Los Angeles International Airport, JetBlue will double service on the route to New York, one of the most competitive markets in the world. The LA - New York market is also served by American, Continental, Delta, United, and Virgin America.

While JetBlue is adding transcon flying at LAX, the overall capacity will remain flat. JetBlue will reduce LGB-East Coast flights and the two roundtrip slots that they've freed up will be redeployed to provide a third daily departure betwen Long Beach and both Seattle and Portland, Oregon, both of which are important for L.A. travelers but that demand increased frequencies.