Expansion of San Bernardino Airport? (Ontario, Redlands: rental, hotels, construction)

[gthorson]

We are moving to the Inland Empire this summer. What is the future for the San Bernardino airport? Will its expansion negatively impact the quality of life in East Highland and/or Redlands?

[CSchuman]

I Didn't know it was expanding.

It use to be Norton AFB before Clinton shut it down in 1994. Right now, they use it for Firefighting Operations. I think the expansion you were referring to would be Stater Bros' plans to move their corporate headquarters from Colton to San Bernardino International.

I don't think it would be a bad thing, as it opens up possible job opportunities to the residents of San Bernardino.

[MIKEETC]

Originally Posted by gthorson

We are moving to the Inland Empire this summer. What is the future for the San Bernardino airport? Will its expansion negatively impact the quality of life in East Highland and/or Redlands?

I think that it would be a good thing. Look what Ontario International has done for Ontario.

As it (San Bernardino Airport) will be a transportation hub, you will have travelers (or people seeing them off or greeting their return). They will need services such as restaurants, hotels, and shopping. For the airport and airline employees, they will need the same things plus housing. With the reconstruction and conversion of the airport from a former military base, there will be jobs. And to handle the new activity, surrounding infrastructure (which I think has been neglected) will be upgraded (because it is more justified).

I think it will be inevitable. With the expansion of Los International Airport (LAX) facing fierce opposition, San Bernardino is a logical alternative. Plus, it's location means those living in the eastern part of the IE don't have to travel to LAX (75 miles west of San Bernardino) or ONT (20 miles west of San Bernardino).

[Kin Atoms]

I think it is precisely b/c LAX and ONT are so close, the dreams of SB International Airport will never get off the ground. Anyone wanting to go anywhere but not out of either of those forementioned airports can get out through Palm Springs. I honestly cannot think such a reinvestment would be seen of value by any save the people in San Bernardino. No one could otherwise justify it and there are no huge draws to the area from anyone's perspective save those living in San Bernardino.

If you are talking about a population shift with more persons living out in the East Valley area, that would justify building up Ontario or investing more in Palm Springs, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for anyone to build up SBIA. O'Hare has it's Midway and Newark/Liberty has JFK, LaGuardia, and Stewart in upstate NY. I think you would have to be as built up in the IE as those areas are (NY and Chicago) in order to 'need' an airport outside of Ontario, Palm Springs or LAX.

[Niners fan]

Originally Posted by Kin Atoms

I think it is precisely b/c LAX and ONT are so close, the dreams of SB International Airport will never get off the ground. Anyone wanting to go anywhere but not out of either of those forementioned airports can get out through Palm Springs. I honestly cannot think such a reinvestment would be seen of value by any save the people in San Bernardino. No one could otherwise justify it and there are no huge draws to the area from anyone's perspective save those living in San Bernardino.

If you are talking about a population shift with more persons living out in the East Valley area, that would justify building up Ontario or investing more in Palm Springs, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for anyone to build up SBIA. O'Hare has it's Midway and Newark/Liberty has JFK, LaGuardia, and Stewart in upstate NY. I think you would have to be as built up in the IE as those areas are (NY and Chicago) in order to 'need' an airport outside of Ontario, Palm Springs or LAX.

You make some good points but Palm Springs has a long ways to go. At this point it isn't even much of an alternative to Ontario. There are very few non-stop flights from there now and relatively few flights in general. Plus, the fares are much more expensive.

I am not up on Palm Springs politics so I don't know what the plans are or if their is organized opposition to planning.

[missionhome]

You can build all the nice new facilities you would like, but the airlines get to choose which airports they fly to. The reason LAX is so overcrowded is that EVERY airline wants to be at LAX. International flights will always be at LAX and they need a vast domestic route system to connect those international passengers too. Now, So Cal has huge local traffic, but the airlines obviously don't think Ontario and the IE is that great of an alternative to LAX. If it was, airlines would have way more flights at ONT than they currently do. At some hours, ONT is like a ghost town and it doesn't even sustain flights to all the domestic airline's hubs. The airport also generally has lower fares and I doubt think it is very high yielding with Southwest being the largest carrier. Basically, I don't think there is a need for San Bernardino to have its own airport. LAX will always be where the majority of the flights are, especially international ones. ONT does a fine job as a reliever airport to some domestic locations, but until ONT gets crowded, there is no need to add a second reliever airport in the Inland Empire.

[lamanning]

ONt is owned by LAX which is why i'm not sure why ONT's landing fees are so much higher than other airports. If they lowered their landing fees, ONT could possibly pick back up their traffic flow rate to what it was before 9/11. We were very busy back then. So come on LAWA lower ONT's landing fees so ALL of the airlines don't pull out when SB opens up.

[jmlowman]

With all of the money that's going into new facilities at SBIA, I sure hope it pans out. This is not the first time that the passenger terminal has been upgraded since the transition from Norton AFB.

I'd be happy to see only some regional service: LAX, Vegas, bay area and Phoenix. With flights to LAX, at least we would have some hope of catching a non-stop flight to places back in the Midwest and to Florida. As it is, flying out of Ontario means changing planes at Phoenix, Vegas, Denver, SLC, Houston or DFW, depending on the airline.

Also, we could take a taxi to SBIA, rather than pay to park at Ontario or take a private car to Ontario or LAX, and we usually do.

How do we find out what's going on with the development? Are there even negotiations taking place with the airlines about possible service?

[gthorson]

San Bernardino International Airport offers incentives to passenger airlines

Looking to lure passenger carriers to a nearly completed passenger terminal, San Bernardino International Airport officials this week approved a long-discussed package of incentives, worth more than $2.5 million for each airline it can draw.

The incentives will be offered to up to four airlines that initiate commercial service. Officials during the past year have said that one major domestic airline is seriously examining the feasibility of starting service at the former Norton Air Force Base, while at least one more is considering it, though no carriers have been named.

The board of the joint-powers Inland Valley Development Agency, which oversees airport development, on Wednesday approved an incentive package that includes up to $1 million in revenue guarantees per year for the first two years of operation, and forgiveness of landing fees for five years.

It also provides for $500,000 in advertising and marketing funds, to help each airline promote its new services during the first year of operations.
"These amounts won't nearly pay all of the costs that an airline would bear to extend service, but it could make the difference in turning a profit on that service," said Don Rogers, interim director of the development agency.

Rogers said it costs an airline between $70 million and $85 million to bring new services to any airport.

He said money is already in the airport's budget to cover the incentives for the first two airlines that agree to start service, and funding for the other two will need to be finalized later by airport authorities.

Airport aviation director Bill Ingraham said the incentives will be offered only to airlines that can guarantee a minimum of 12 weekly departures.

Officials have said for several months that some kind of incentive package will likely be needed to attract carriers to the San Bernardino airport, in an economy where most airlines are cutting rather than adding services. "What we're doing here is formalizing that," Ingraham said.

Carriers have dropped flights over the past several months at facilities across the nation, including Ontario International Airport.

Ontario airport doesn't offer any incentives to new airlines, and the cost for doing business there is $14.50 for each passenger who gets on a plane, one of the highest in Southern California.

The Ontario airport's revenue relies on its airlines. As revenue has dropped and fewer airlines serve the airport, landing fees have risen to $2.76 per 1,000 pounds, and terminal rental rates have increased.

The San Bernardino facility's current landing fee is $1 per 1,000 pounds.

Thomas Nolan, aviation director at Palm Springs International Airport, said his airport offers incentives to new airlines on a case-by-case basis.

San Bernardino airport officials have said the main passenger terminal, which cost more than $80 million to renovate from its former military base use over the past two years, will be ready to accept commercial flights before year's end. Still being completed are final tarmac and parking lot improvements, as well as food and newsstand concessions.

Reach Lou Hirsh at 951-368-9559 or lhirsh@PE.com.
Reach Kimberly Pierceall at 951-368-9552 or kpierceall@PE.com.

[ferkijel]

The thread might be a tad off topic in regards to the OP's question. I work in construction and I've been to the airport very recently. I have to say that it looks like a really small job so I don't expect it to really affect the quality of life around the airport, and very definitely not of the greater SB area.

I have to add I lived roughly 1mi away from the Ontario airport for a few months, and I never even heard a plane, not once. Having said that, I wouldn't worry about the new SB airport at all.