Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review, December 3, 2021

Aerotech News
Aerotech News
Aerotech News

Journal of Aerospace, Defense Industry and Veteran News
and Review
and Review
Want to fly from Palmdale Airport? Air Force

Secretary holds key to restoring service!

by Larry Grooms
special to Aerotech News

PALMDALE, Calif.— In a telephone inter-
view with Aerotech News Nov. 23, Palmdale City
Manager JJ Murphy said the city’s bold initiative
to restore scheduled daily airline service for the
Aerospace Valley is on target to hear a “go or
no go” from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.
If the newly sworn in Kendall signs onto the
concept, a new Joint Use Agreement between the
city and Air Force Plant 42 will be negotiated,
clearing the way for development of the pro-
posed new air terminal location on a 600-acre
city-owned site bordering Plant 42 on the north,
with passenger access from East Avenue M.
The previous Joint Use Agreement authorizing
scheduled airline service and a Plant 42 terminal
expired in 2017.
Murphy points out bipartisan support is also
coming into play with letters of support for the
next Joint Use Agreement sent to the Secretary
from Congressman Michael Garcia, R-25, and
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.
Palmdale’s new data-driven airline service

Courtesy photograph
An artists’ impression of the proposed new passenger terminal in Palmdale, Calif.
commercial air service to one or more major specialized expertise. for scheduled airline service is based on findings
airports with scheduled flights to hub airports According to the new and previously unpubli- from a new city-funded feasibility study. With the
in major cities east of California with easy con- cized brochure PDF file attached to the city hall city-owned location near the railroad tracks and
nections to destinations for both domestic and website, the marketing campaign and plans for the entrance onto Avenue M, the new civil airport
international business travel. “innovative financing and project delivery tools” terminal is planned to be built on some portion of
The City of Palmdale continues to coordinate the property where Palmdale previously planned
with the Air Force Materiel Command Head- a now cancelled power plant.
quarters at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Although the land, sold to Palmdale by Lock-
Ohio, and Edwards Air Force Base, along with heed Martin several years ago, contains a number
contractor companies on and around Palmdale’s of newly state-protected Joshua trees, Martin told
Courtesy photograph Air Force Plant 42 to bring back commercial air Aerotech News that Palmdale is one of only three
JJ Murphy, Palmdale City Manager service to the high desert region. communities in the state to be granted an exemp-
Without scheduled airline service, residents tion from the new conservation law, based on the
primarily drive or ride buses between 60 and city’s historic preservation work with replanting
strategy marks a major departure from myriad more than 100 miles to Bob Hope Airport in Bur- procedures yielding a 98 percent survival rate for
experiences with trial-and-error approaches in bank, or more distant Los Angeles International Joshua trees.
previous years. Airport (LAX), and Ontario Airport. Metrolink Looking for a working example of the private/
Murphy said several airlines have expressed service is possible but difficult for airline pas- public partnership approach Palmdale intends,
interest in serving Palmdale Regional. And al- sengers, since rail lines end short of both Burbank Murphy said he travelled to Paine Field adjacent
though he said it is far too early to talk details, and LAX, requiring delays for ground transporta- to Boeing’s largest manufacturing plant in Ever-
he assured that the destination routes will serve tion and scheduling. ett, Wash. Although Paine Field and Boeing are
the needs of the region’s passengers, and not the Establishing regular, reliable, affordable and just 20 miles away from Seattle-Tacoma Interna-
aspirations of airline traffic managers. Asked professional air carrier service remains a top pri- tional Airport (SEATAC), the downtown Seattle
which direction he believes flights from Palm- ority for both the military and contractors. As an crowding and traffic congestion made company
dale should go, Murphy didn’t skip a beat: “East, example, being able to avoid 206-mile roundtrip travel from there nearly impossible. Paine Field
we have to go east. I’d say DFW,” (Dallas-Fort drives from Edwards AFB to LAX would save is also home to several aviation museums.
Worth). the government $2,389,600 in driving costs Air Force photograph Scheduled airline service in the High Desert
The city-funded, data-driven feasibility study alone, save time for personnel and remove the Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall
research found significant demand for regional additional driving hazards facing key people with See AIRPORT, Page 2

December 3, 2021 • Volume 36, Issue 26 Serving the aerospace industry since 1986 Use your smartphone to connect to
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