Airport Commissioners Are Flying Blind

“Airport Panel Revisits Plans for Palmdale” (Feb. 13) is yet another example of L.A.’s complete disregard for the facts behind responsible airport planning. The city of Los Angeles has deliberately avoided talking about the Burbank and Long Beach airports, the most likely airports to feel an impact should capacity be restricted at LAX. Why? Because, unlike Palmdale Airport, Los Angeles neither owns nor controls the Burbank or Long Beach airports.

While Palmdale civic leaders clearly want air transportation services, the fact is they can’t support even a few commuter flights per week. The truth is that neither L.A. nor Palmdale can make the airlines invest in an unproven airport. Long Beach and Burbank are closer to the population centers that demand air service. While Burbank’s terminal poses challenges--as does its intransigent City Council--Long Beach has more than ample capacity and is actively seeking airlines.

If L.A. really wants a practical solution to LAX expansion it needs to look closer to home and stop looking to the high desert for a way out of its capacity problem.

Sean McCarthy

West Hills