Long Beach Airport modernization takes a different approach

Long Beach Airport Director Mario Rodriguez has been in and out of airports more times than he'd like to say.

And no matter the airport, the experience is the same, he said.

"It's going through a concrete building, through a metal tube and another metal tube," said the Long Beach resident. "Everything feels the same."

So when Long Beach Airport embarked on its $140 million modernization project, which will include a new terminal and parking garage and upgrades to the aircraft ramps and facades, those involved sought something different.

Today, work is more than halfway done on the passenger concourse, which will feature two terminal buildings, and 4,200 square feet of outdoor seating with patios, fire pits, cabanas, suspended lights and space for outdoor performances.

The new concourse will also include more than 10,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space managed by The Paradies Shops, which is bringing in local vendors such as Polly's Coffee, Sweet Jill's Bakery, 4th Street Vine, George's Greek Cafe and second locations for Long Beach Clothing Co., which will be called 562 Experience, and McKenna's on the Bay, whose second restaurant will be named McKenna's on the Fly.

"Long Beach is such a special place, and this is going to reflect it,  with outdoor dining and fire pits," Rodriguez said. "It's a whole different concept and feel, more of a resort feel. And it should be. We took the idea from resorts."

Studio One Eleven principal Michael Bohn, whose Long Beach firm was hired by Paradies to design the retail and outside space, said his team sought to capture the modern, crisp waterfront metropolis that is Long Beach, bringing in nautical features and taking advantage of the city's openness and outdoor living.

He also spoke of the Long Beach Marche, a high-end food court that will be modeled less like a cafeteria and more like an open market where passengers can wander through self-serve islands of fresh food or head to food stations serving up Long Beach eats. 

"What we're trying to do is make it a memorable and enjoyable place you would want to come to even if you weren't waiting for an airport," Bohn said.

Long Beach follows a national trend among airports in the midst of major renovations to remain competitive.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recently opened its $1.4 billion terminal for international passengers. In Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport is opening its $2.4 billion Terminal 3. Los Angeles International Airport also is undergoing improvements. 

Rodriguez said Long Beach's take on the concourse is different from other airports.

"We don't believe that people are comfortable in huge, Taj Mahal spaces," Rodriguez said. "Resorts have comfortable spaces. You're going to get something you haven't gotten from another airport."

JetBlue CEO Dave Barger, who toured the construction site Friday, said he was impressed by the progress. He added that the improvements will benefit the bottom lines of JetBlue and other operators.

"From JetBlue's perspective, at altitude is where customers spend most of their time, but the battle is also won on the ground," Barger said. "People are looking at the price of their tickets, they're looking at the price of their parking, but also how well their ground experience is. This bodes well for our operations." 

His reaction was a far cry from 2009, when Barger suggested to an airline industry blogger that JetBlue might pull out of Long Beach because of delays in the terminal improvement project.

The project had been delayed for years as the city fought legal battles over the scale of the expansion and concerns about the potential increase in aircraft noise. Airport officials have maintained that current noise restrictions and a cap on the number of allowed daily flights will remain.

The new concourse is expected to be open in 2013, though the project is ahead of schedule and could be open earlier, Rodriguez said.

"Hopefully, we'll deliver a nice Christmas present," he said.

(Karen Robes Meeks Staff Writer Press Telegram)

Long Beach Airport has state's lowest average airfares again

LONG BEACH - Knowledgeable local travelers have recognized the Long Beach Airport tends to offer one of the more enjoyable travel experiences.


From its quaint art deco style to easy freeway access to abundant parking, manageable crowds and short security lines, it has been a go-to choice for travelers looking to escape the crush at Los Angeles International Airport.

What might be less known is Long Beach's affordability.

For the third straight quarter, the Long Beach facility has recorded the lowest average airfares in California and ranked No. 2 nationally, behind Atlantic City, N.J.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's latest quarterly report, the average round-trip domestic fare out of Long Beach was $229 in the final quarter of 2011. That ranks well below the national average of $368 over the same span.

Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said Long Beach's ability to provide low costs to its carriers is passed along to customers.

"Our primary focus is customer service, and keeping costs low is a part of that," Rodriguez said.

Long Beach also bucked a national airfare trend late last year by recording a 2 percent drop in fares, while national fares were rising by more than 2 percent for the quarter and 10 percent since the fourth quarter of 2010.

That doesn't mean a traveler will necessarily find the best deal flying out of Long Beach to one of its 14 destinations, the Department of Transportation report notes.


Cincinnati, Ohio and Houston/ Bush had the highest air fare averages at $504 and $494, respectively.

While Long Beach finished second to Atlantic City, it closed the gap, as the East Coast airport's average flight cost rose from $167 to $189 over the course of the quarter. Las Vegas was third at $267.

Rodriguez said Atlantic City and Las Vegas have casinos that subsidize flights, which keeps average costs down.

In a prepared statement, Mayor Bob Foster said: "There are a lot of great changes happening at the Long Beach Airport. ... But one thing that hasn't changed is that LGB is a very economical airport, with excellent service and a wide range of destinations."

In 2011, 3.1 million travelers passed through Long Beach Airport.

(Greg Mellen - Press Telegram)

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)

Allegiant To Discontinue Long Beach Flights

After about 18 months of offering flights out of Long Beach Airport, Allegiant Air will make its final departure from the city Nov. 3.

The change opens up three air carrier flight slots out of the 41 available at the airport. Airport Director Mario Rodriguez said airport staff have already reached out to other airlines and expect to fill Allegiant's slots right away.

"We have more demand than space," Rodriguez said. "When we made calls to airlines, everybody wants those slots because they are a valued commodity."

One of the four airlines already serving Long Beach - Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue or US Airways - could use the slots, or Rodriguez said a new airline could be introduced at the airport. Staff is working now to get the word out about the vacancy and have one or more airlines ready to fill the three slots as soon as Allegiant departs.

News of Las Vegas-based Allegiant's move out of Long Beach Airport comes after Frontier Airline's final departure from Long Beach in April this year. Both Allegiant and Frontier first began serving Long Beach in the spring of 2010.

Rodriguez said Allegiant's decision to cease operations in Long Beach might in part be due to competition from JetBlue. Both airlines offer flights between Long Beach and Las Vegas.

"Allegiant was focusing more and more on Vegas, and JetBlue has a strong presence from here to Vegas," he explained. "Although load factors were high for both airlines, they were competing."

The airport director said Allegiant, which sells airline tickets as well as travel packages, has a different business model than other airlines, and that Allegiant has had a tendency in the past to pull in and out of airports.

Rodriguez said the silver lining of Allegiant leaving Long Beach is that the loss will not mean a loss in destinations offered by Long Beach Airport because Allegiant's routes to Las Vegas will be available through JetBlue.

"We are not going to have any routes changed because we still have flights to Las Vegas," he said. "In fact, now we have the capability of acquiring more destinations than we do now... We will be able to provide more choices and service to new cities."

Rodriguez added that the market in Long Beach is strong and appealing to many airlines. Passenger seat totals from Long Beach Airport have increased by 4% since last year, despite declining trends at other airports.

Another possible benefit to Allegiant leaving Long Beach is that another airline with newer, more environmentally friendly (and perhaps quieter) airplanes may use the slots. Rodriguez said Allegiant's MD-80 fleet consists of more vintage airplanes than some other carriers.

It is unclear if Allegiant, which has expressed interest in offering flights someday between Long Beach and Hawaii, would be interested in returning to Long Beach Airport in the future. Allegiant officials were not available for comment before press time.

Rodriguez said that even if Allegiant isn't the one offering flights to Hawaii in the future, he believes another airline will someday add that route.

Allegiant customers who have purchased tickets or have questions about the change should visit the company's website www.allegiantair.com.

(By Ashleigh Oldland - Gazette Newspapers Long Beach California)

Long Beach Hoping To Capture 737-MAX Production

If we'd been around at the time, we would have found Daugherty Field just about the most exciting place imaginable. This was where young pilots in rickety flying machines created an environment that changed aviation history.

That dirt field evolved into the home airport for Douglas Aircraft, which went on to build some of the world's most celebrated airplanes. After a merger with Boeing, the last of the commercial jets, the 717, left the Long Beach assembly lines five years ago, and only the C-17 military airlifter remains in production.

But the manufacture of commercial planes could return to Southern California once again if the Boeing Co., against some considerable odds, chooses the former 717 facility for its expansion plans.

The company needs to refurbish or otherwise create an assembly plant to turn out an updated version of its enormously successful 737. The new model, to be called the 737 MAX, will have new, more efficient engines and other improvements, and be ready for delivery probably in 2014.

Ramping up will require an expanded and refurbished assembly plant, either in Renton, Wash., where the 737 is assembled now, or in another location, such as the million-square-foot 717 facility. The company is assessing which location would make the most business sense.

To their credit, members of the Long Beach City Council decided Tuesday to do everything possible to persuade Boeing that bringing commercial aviation back to Long Beach also is in the company's interest. Also to their credit, they seem determined not to politicize the process.

That's a challenge, since several are busily campaigning for higher office. But it's important, because companies looking for investment opportunities count political dysfunction on the negative side of the ledger.

Boeing already has about 500 orders for the new model, and plans to get as much as half of a market for that size plane which, at $78 million each for the next 20 years, could be worth a trillion dollars.

That's a lot, even for Boeing, and it is very far removed from the air-show days of long ago at Daugherty Field. But how fitting it would be to bring that business home.

Monday 9-26-11

TY Air Inc 737-7AH N888TY (c/n 29749/456) BBJ arrived from Santa Barbara Municiple Airport (KSBA) at 8:55am and parked at Signature. The plane departed at 10:13am headed to Yuma Mcas/Yuma Intl (KNYL) .

Zero-G 727-227 N794AJAdv(F) (c/n 21243/1197) arrived yesterday from Ellington Field (KEFD) at 10:18am and parked at AirFlite. The plane departed this morning on a flight at 11:06am.

3 New Puma Helicopters to Replace Aging LASD Sikorskys

The Sheriff's have replaced their Sikorsky Sea King helicopters with three new AS 332 L1 Super Puma helicopters. They will also be replacing their twelve Eurocopter Astar 350 helicopters with new ones.

Details can be read here: http://socalscanner.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/lasd-helicopters/