City Absolutely, Positively Angry at FedEx

Noise protesters vowed Monday to boycott Federal Express Corp. and a Burbank councilman said he will ask police for stronger parking enforcement against delivery vehicles after the package-delivery company’s apparent refusal to abide by Burbank Airport’s voluntary curfew.

Federal Express informed airport officials two weeks ago that the company scheduled two December flights, one arriving in Burbank at 6:12 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, the other taking off at 6:47 a.m. on several days leading up to Christmas.

Aware of the possible fallout, Federal Express proposed to move back its 6:47 a.m. flight to abide by the airport’s 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew. But company officials did not change the schedule for the earlier arrival, a move that set off bitter criticism from Burbank residents and elected leaders.

“I think it’s appalling,” said Burbank City Councilman Ted McConkey, who promised to introduce a motion at tonight’s City Council meeting, directing the Police Department to step up enforcement of city parking laws against delivery trucks.

“We thought the airlines had gotten the message. Clearly, they have not,” McConkey said. “[FedEx] is making a serious mistake.”

Last month, Reno Air abandoned plans for a 6:40 a.m. flight to San Jose after being buffeted by criticism from angry Burbank elected leaders and residents, who warned of a backlash against the airline.

Although airport officials warned Federal Express against the early-morning flights, airport lawyer Richard Simon repeated his position Monday that the airport has no legal authority to deny any air carrier from using the airport as long as it abides by federal noise rules.

Federal Express spokesman Jess Bunn said the company was sensitive to residents’ concerns, but the early flight is necessary to meet the needs of local business customers.

Bunn would not comment on the threat of a boycott from Citizens United of Burbank, which has sought stricter limits on aircraft using Burbank Airport. Those who live under the flight path, however, said a boycott was the only way to send a message that they were tired of being taken for granted.

“The packages don’t care where they land,” said one angry resident at Monday’s meeting of the Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport Authority. “We do.”

At the meeting, the Airport Authority put off consideration of the Federal Express issue until airport staff could determine whether a Boeing 727 the company would use complied with airport noise regulations.

In other developments Monday, already strained tempers grew worse after a testy exchange between Airport Authority President Joyce Streator, a Pasadena city councilwoman, and Burbank Mayor David Golonski over the best way to move forward with a federally-mandated Part 161 study.

Streator wrote Golonski last week offering to settle the long-running dispute over the airport by making Burbank a “full partner” in the federal noise study, while agreeing in principle to a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew and a cap on the number of airport flights.

In return, Streator proposed that the city drop its opposition to a 19-gate terminal and agree that any final decision on a mandatory curfew be made by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Golonski and other council members derided that overture as a public relations ploy and a step backward.